GE2020: Focus on public health could have been lost in March amid talk of early election, suggests SDP's Paul Tambyah

SINGAPORE: Could the ministerial committee in charge of tackling COVID-19 have lost their focus on public health and started thinking about the election in March? Infectious diseases expert and Singapore Democratic Party chairman Paul Tambyah suggested this possibility at a forum on Friday night.

"I have an opinion as to why that happened, I don't know for sure. But you know that was the time they started talking about an early election. And you wonder whether the ministerial committee lost their focus on the public health and started thinking about the election," he said.

Dr Tambyah stressed that this has got "Nothing to do with the public health officials who are excellent professionals - the scientists, the nurses, the doctors".

Reform Party's Mr Yeo urged electors to vote for "Each and every opposition party", saying that "Political fragmentation" is in the interest of Singaporeans.

All the political parties were invited to Friday's forum, but the People's Action Party, National Solidarity Party, Peoples Voice, Singapore People's Party and Workers' Party either declined or did not reply to the invite, said moderator Mr Sadasivan.