Kenneth Jeyaretnam, secretary-general of the Reform Party, has been denied his request for a "waiver" of his Stay-Home Notice (SHN) upon his return from the United Kingdom.

This means that he will have to complete a 14-day SHN at a designated facility and undertake a test for Covid-19 before it ends, similar to other Singaporeans returning from the UK.

Public health reasons

A joint statement by the Elections Department (ELD) and the Ministry of Health (MOH) on June 25 revealed that MOH had assessed Jeyaretnam's request and rejected it due to public health reasons.

Earlier on June 25, Reform Party chairman Andy Zhu told The Straits Times that Jeyaretnam had returned to Singapore from the UK on the same day.

He had written to the authorities to request for a shorter SHN, although the joint statement used the phrase "waiver".

As Nomination Day falls on June 30, Jeyaretnam will not have finished his SHN in time to turn up to the Nomination Centre in person. Polling Day is on July 10.

Jeyaretnam still can be a candidate

However, Jeyaretnam may still be nominated as a candidate on June 30, according to a provision outlined in the Parliamentary Elections (Covid-19 Special Arrangements) Act.

Under Section 9 of the Act, an aspiring candidate who is unable to attend the nomination proceedings at the designated place in person, due to a Covid-19 stay-home order, may get an authorised representative to deliver nomination papers on their behalf.

The statement added that the authorised representative must have a Power of Attorney that expressly authorises the representative to represent and act on behalf of the aspiring candidate at nomination proceedings.

This representative must be a Singapore citizen who is entitled to vote.

This means that despite his SHN, Jeyaretnam is still eligible to stand as a candidate in the upcoming general election.

According to the statement:

"Thus, as provided by the Parliamentary Elections (Covid-19 Special Arrangements) Act, even while Mr Jeyaratnam is serving his SHN, he can authorise a representative to deliver his nomination papers on his behalf if he wishes to contest in the upcoming General Election.

He is also able to apply for his Political Donation Certificate and Minority Certificate (if he is a minority candidate in a GRC) and to pay his election deposit online at the Elections Department’s website."

In addition, MOH is prepared to grant Jeyaratnam access to the persons required in order for him to issue the Power of Attorney, as well as to make his statutory declaration that the statements made in his nomination papers are true.

Jeyaretnam may have to campaign mostly through online means, while serving his SHN, if he takes part in the upcoming general election.

Reform Party will not contest West Coast GRC

On June 24, Jeyaretnam and the Reform Party agreed not to contest West Coast GRC, after discussions with Tan Cheng Bock and Leong Mun Wai of the Progress Singapore Party (PSP).

Previously in 2015, Jeyaretnam and a Reform Party team stood in West Coast GRC and lost, taking 21.43 per cent of the vote.

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Top image from The Reform Party Facebook page.