Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam yesterday explained the appearance of Mr Ivan Lim during a Facebook livestream, saying it was a move to acknowledge his work and allow him to thank residents for their support.
The livestream on the Jurong GRC Facebook page premiered on Saturday morning shortly after it was announced that the People's Action Party (PAP) team led by Mr Tharman had secured 74.62 per cent of the votes against Red Dot United in the general election.
The livestream had featured the other members of the PAP team along with Mr Lim, 42, who withdrew his candidacy before Nomination Day after receiving criticism from various quarters online over his character and conduct.
His appearance therefore raised eyebrows among some people.
Writing in the comments section of a Facebook post he had made on July 8 yesterday, Mr Tharman said that until Mr Lim stepped aside, he had worked "very hard" on the ground as a prospective candidate.
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"He is naturally not part of the team of MPs. But I wanted to acknowledge the contribution he had made, and have him add his own thanks to residents in addition to those of the five MPs," said Mr Tharman. "I felt it was right, and hope you understand my approach on such matters."
Mr Lim was introduced as a candidate for the PAP on June 24 but withdrew his candidacy on June 29. He said then that he was doing so as the allegations surrounding him had "eclipsed the core issues" of the election. Mr Tharman has previously said the PAP will look into the allegations after the election.
On Saturday, Mr Lim thanked Jurong residents for their support during the livestream. "We will continue, and always continue to learn and be humble to serve, always be ready to serve," he said.
The other candidates on the winning PAP team were incumbents Tan Wu Meng and Rahayu Mahzam, as well as newcomers Xie Yao Quan and Shawn Huang.
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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.
