Low Thia Khiang recovering and in good spirits: Tan Chuan-Jin

Mr Tan Chuan-Jin (left) said he had kept in touch with former Workers' Party chief Low Thia Khiang after his fall on April 30. PHOTO: TAN CHUAN-JIN/FACEBOOK
Mr Tan Chuan-Jin (left) said he had kept in touch with former Workers' Party chief Low Thia Khiang after his fall on April 30. PHOTO: TAN CHUAN-JIN/FACEBOOK

Former Workers' Party (WP) chief Low Thia Khiang is in good spirits and recovering well, outgoing Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin said yesterday.

Mr Tan made the remarks in a Facebook post that also featured a photo of the two men, both wearing face masks.

Mr Low, 63, injured his head in a fall on April 30. He was admitted to the intensive care unit of Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, and discharged after 21 days.

Mr Tan, whose post comes after what appears to be a visit to Mr Low's home, said he had kept in touch with Mr Low since his fall.

He wrote: "Glad to see Mr Low again. Have kept in touch with him since his fall and am glad to see him in good spirits and recovering. Had a nice long chat on a range of topics."

Mr Tan also thanked Mr Low for tea and bak chang, or rice dumplings. "Hope you like the durian and pears, too," he added.

The veteran politician is the former secretary-general of the WP, and an outgoing MP for Aljunied GRC. The other outgoing WP MPs in Aljunied GRC had been covering Mr Low's constituency duties after his fall, with help from former Non-Constituency MP Gerald Giam.

Mr Low is the longest-serving opposition MP in Singapore. He entered politics in 1988, and stood for election as a WP candidate in Tiong Bahru GRC but did not win. In 1991, he won the Hougang single-member seat, and has been an MP since.

In 2001, Mr Low took over as WP secretary-general from Mr J.B. Jeyaretnam, and led the party for 17 years before stepping down two years ago.

His successor is outgoing Aljunied GRC MP Pritam Singh.

It is unclear if Mr Low will stand for election again in the upcoming polls, which will be held on July 10.

The WP said he is on the mend, but party sources said he was thinking about retirement even before he got injured.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on June 24, 2020, with the headline Low Thia Khiang recovering and in good spirits: Tan Chuan-Jin. Subscribe