Cheers and laughter filled the air today at the Teban Gardens Food Centre as Dr. Tan Cheng Bock, the esteemed chairman of the Progress Singapore Party (PSP), marked his remarkable 85th birthday.

The celebration drew a warm gathering, including key members from the PSP West Coast-Jurong West GRC team—Leong Mun Wai, Hazel Poa, Sani Ismail, and Sumarleki Amjah. Notably, Professor Paul Tambyah, chairman of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), made a special appearance to extend his good wishes.

Arriving around 8:30 AM, the beloved octogenarian was greeted with a traditional bowl of noodles adorned with two red eggs, symbols of luck and prosperity in Chinese culture. As the festivities unfolded, Professor Tambyah arrived with a yellow cake, complementing the red cake prepared by the PSP.

As the crowd sang a jubilant birthday song, Dr. Tan joyfully cut both cakes, with Leong raising Dr. Tan’s hand and rallying the crowd with chants of "PSP into Parliament!" to which Prof. Tambyah enthusiastically added, "And also SDP!" This prompted a lively cheer for the SDP as well.

In a brief conversation with the media, Prof. Tambyah shared his admiration for Dr. Tan, referring to him as an old family friend. When asked about his active role in politics at the age of 85, Dr. Tan expressed his joy for life, stating, "Even at my age, I still feel that I want to contribute... I will represent active ageing."

Following the cake-cutting, Dr. Tan and his team mingled with diners, receiving heartfelt birthday wishes from residents of Teban Gardens.

The Teban Gardens area, part of the West Coast-Jurong West GRC, is a battleground for the PSP as they vie against the People’s Action Party (PAP) team led by Desmond Lee. In the last election, GE2020, the PSP narrowly missed victory, garnering 48.31% of the votes compared to PAP’s 51.69%.

As for Prof. Tambyah, he prepares to contest the upcoming elections for Bukit Panjang SMC against the PAP’s Liang Eng Hwa, promising an exciting political showdown on the horizon.