A few of the CEC members, including Dr Chee, tried to persuade Mr Chiam to remain as secretary-general. However, Mr Chiam stated that he would do so only if he could be granted the power to appoint and dismiss the Party’s cadre members. He also wanted the removal of Mr Wong Hong Toy as vice-chairman.
Under the Party’s constitution a simple majority of the CEC was needed to appoint cadre members, not any one individual leader. The CEC did not have the constitutional power to accede to Mr Chiam’s demands.
A few weeks later, Mr Chiam gave a speech at the Singapore Press Club attacking the Party’s leadership in a vicious manner. Ironically, it was he who forbade leaders from criticising the party after they left it by making them sign oaths.
It was only after his speech at the Singapore Press Clubs, which is always looking for an opportunity to run down the opposition, that the CEC voted to expel Mr Chiam.
(The Press Club had extended a similar invitation to Dr Chee to counter Mr Chiam. Knowing that the PAP-controlled media had every intention to fan the flames Dr Chee declined the invitation. But when he subsequently informed the organizers that he would speak but on the Party’s alternative policy ideas instead of the altercation with Mr Chiam, the Press Club withdrew the invitation.)
Despite all this Dr Chee approached Mr Chiam a few months later to invite him to join an SDP delegation that was going to visit the Australian Parliament in Canberra Mr Chiam declined.
