Why Tan withdrew
By Jessica Cheam
Young NTUC executive secretary Steve Tan with his wife Sarah, His withdrawal was announced just hours before nominations opened, making him the first candidate in the PAP's history to be dropped at the eleventh hour after being formally introduced. --ST PHOTO: LIM WUI LIANG
I DID not have the ideal love story or love life, but my conscience is clear.
That is what People's Action Party (PAP) candidate Steve Tan had to say about the 'personal reasons' behind why he made the shock decision to pull out of the election at the 11th hour.
Since the news broke yesterday, rumours about the 38-year-old unionist's conduct have surfaced and spread online.
They referred to allegations made against him by female former colleagues who used to work at the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), where Mr Tan is executive secretary of the youth wing.
The Straits Times understands that these allegations were made known to party members on Tuesday, the night before Nomination Day.
Speaking to The Straits Times in an exclusive interview, Mr Tan said last night that he 'absolutely refutes' those allegations, saying 'my conscience is clear'.
'I did not have an ideal love story or love life, and I dated people. But my conscience is clear.I took a long time to decide who to spend the rest of my life with, but I'm very happy that I'm now married to her,' said Mr Tan, referring to his wife Sarah, whom he married last year after proposing in late 2009.
Mr Tan said he had stated his position to the party very clearly, that the allegations are inaccurate. But he offered to step down as 'this GE is not about me, it's about Singapore's future'.
'There are so many pressing issues, so many debates to resolve. I don't want this campaign to be about me,' he said.
'I've taken a personal decision, after discussing this with my wife, who is fully behind me. And I hope everyone can respect that,' he said. 'Sarah's been a rock through all these allegations,' he added.
Mrs Tan, 38, who is a volunteer, said yesterday that the allegations caught them off-guard.
'I don't know why they were made. But I know Steve, and am fully behind him. And I will support him in whatever decision that he makes,' she said.
After Mr Tan's announcement yesterday, Tanjong Pagar GRC incumbent Baey Yam Keng, 40, replaced him in the Tampines GRC line-up, while a new face, orthopaedic surgeon Chia Shi-Lu, 40, took Mr Baey's place in Tanjong Pagar.
When he was first introduced as a PAP candidate, Mr Tan, who joined NTUC in 2001, said he saw being an 'ordinary guy' as a strength.
He came from a humble background: His father was a technician with national water agency PUB and his mother was a nurse. He was also noted for his ability to connect with Mandarin- and dialect-speaking residents due to his bilingual and bicultural background.
He has been involved in xinyao, Singapore's Chinese folk-pop music scene, since his secondary school days, and still keeps in touch with xinyao concert organisers.
'This series of events is unfortunate, but I want to just continue with my work now. I'm still willing to serve, where I get the opportunity to,' said Mr Tan.
By Jessica Cheam
Young NTUC executive secretary Steve Tan with his wife Sarah, His withdrawal was announced just hours before nominations opened, making him the first candidate in the PAP's history to be dropped at the eleventh hour after being formally introduced. --ST PHOTO: LIM WUI LIANG
I DID not have the ideal love story or love life, but my conscience is clear.
That is what People's Action Party (PAP) candidate Steve Tan had to say about the 'personal reasons' behind why he made the shock decision to pull out of the election at the 11th hour.
Since the news broke yesterday, rumours about the 38-year-old unionist's conduct have surfaced and spread online.
They referred to allegations made against him by female former colleagues who used to work at the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), where Mr Tan is executive secretary of the youth wing.
The Straits Times understands that these allegations were made known to party members on Tuesday, the night before Nomination Day.
Speaking to The Straits Times in an exclusive interview, Mr Tan said last night that he 'absolutely refutes' those allegations, saying 'my conscience is clear'.
'I did not have an ideal love story or love life, and I dated people. But my conscience is clear.I took a long time to decide who to spend the rest of my life with, but I'm very happy that I'm now married to her,' said Mr Tan, referring to his wife Sarah, whom he married last year after proposing in late 2009.
Mr Tan said he had stated his position to the party very clearly, that the allegations are inaccurate. But he offered to step down as 'this GE is not about me, it's about Singapore's future'.
'There are so many pressing issues, so many debates to resolve. I don't want this campaign to be about me,' he said.
'I've taken a personal decision, after discussing this with my wife, who is fully behind me. And I hope everyone can respect that,' he said. 'Sarah's been a rock through all these allegations,' he added.
Mrs Tan, 38, who is a volunteer, said yesterday that the allegations caught them off-guard.
'I don't know why they were made. But I know Steve, and am fully behind him. And I will support him in whatever decision that he makes,' she said.
After Mr Tan's announcement yesterday, Tanjong Pagar GRC incumbent Baey Yam Keng, 40, replaced him in the Tampines GRC line-up, while a new face, orthopaedic surgeon Chia Shi-Lu, 40, took Mr Baey's place in Tanjong Pagar.
When he was first introduced as a PAP candidate, Mr Tan, who joined NTUC in 2001, said he saw being an 'ordinary guy' as a strength.
He came from a humble background: His father was a technician with national water agency PUB and his mother was a nurse. He was also noted for his ability to connect with Mandarin- and dialect-speaking residents due to his bilingual and bicultural background.
He has been involved in xinyao, Singapore's Chinese folk-pop music scene, since his secondary school days, and still keeps in touch with xinyao concert organisers.
'This series of events is unfortunate, but I want to just continue with my work now. I'm still willing to serve, where I get the opportunity to,' said Mr Tan.
