SINGAPORE — The Republic’s longest-serving opposition politician, Mr Chiam See Tong, hopes to return to serve the residents of Potong Pasir, said Singa­pore People’s Party’s (SPP) chairperson, Mrs Lina Chiam yesterday.

“I would love to come back to serve the residents of Potong Pasir, and Mr Chiam would also like to come back and serve Potong Pasir under me,” said Mrs Chiam.

Mr Chiam was Potong Pasir’s Member of Parliament (MP) for 27 years, before he lost his seat in the 2011 General Election (GE), after venturing out of the ward to head an SPP team to contest in Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC.

His team lost to the incumbent People’s Action Party (PAP), after garnering 43.1 per cent of the vote.

Mrs Chiam, who contested in the single-seat Potong Pasir ward in place of her husband, lost to the PAP’s Mr Sitoh Yih Pin by just 114 votes, earning herself a Non-Constituency MP (NCMP) seat.

Speaking at Kong Hwa School, the nomination centre where she filed her papers to contest in Potong Pasir again, Mrs Chiam said of her husband: “He will be mentoring me, he will be supporting me from behind, because he loves Potong Pasir. He has never left Potong Pasir, Potong Pasir is still in his heart. The residents are very much his concern.”

Earlier yesterday, Mr Chiam, who is not contesting in this GE, arrived with members of his family at the school, where he received loud cheers and applause from supporters.

Even those from across the political divide did their bit for the veteran politician, holding out umbrellas to shield him from the scorching sun.

Outside the nomination centre, Mr Sitoh, who is defending his seat in this election, stopped for a brief chat with Mr Chiam.

Rallying for support, Mrs Chiam pointed to her track record of speaking up in the House on a variety of issues.

“I worked very hard as an NCMP,” she said. “I spoke up on a lot of issues, I made the second-most number of speeches in Parliament. I will speak out for Singaporeans on all issues — not just for residents in Potong Pasir, but all Singaporeans — when it warrants my attention and that of the citizens of Singa­pore.”

The SPP is also contesting in Mounbatten and Hong Kah North SMCs, as well as in Bishan Toa-Payoh again, where it is fielding a joint team with the Democratic Progressive Party.