History
The NSP was founded by a group of middle-class businessmen and women in July 1987. The party has contested every general election in Singapore since 1988.
In 2001, the NSP became a founding member of the Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA), along with the Singapore Justice Party (SJP), the Singapore People's Party (SPP) and the Singapore Malay National Organization (PKMS). The Chairman of the alliance was the SPP leader and Member of Parliament (MP) for Potong Pasir, Chiam See Tong.
At the 2001 general election, Chiam was re-elected as MP for Potong Pasir, and NSP Secretary-General Steve Chia became the SDA's second representative in Parliament when he earned a position as a Non-Constituency MP. Chia achieved this by garnering 34.6% of the votes in the constituency of Chua Chu Kang, which was the highest percentage of the vote secured by a losing opposition candidate at the election.
At the 2006 general election, the NSP again fielded candidates as part of the SDA grouping. However Chiam was the only SDA candidate to enter Parliament at that election when he was re-elected as MP for Potong Pasir. Steve Chia increased his share of the vote in Chua Chu Kang to 39.63%, but this was lower than the 43.9% gained by the Worker's Party in Aljunied GRC, and hence Chia lost his position as a Non-Constituency MP.
In 2007, the NSP decided to withdraw from the SDA with a view to "explore new possibilities through wider latitude to manoeuvre, re-engineer, and rebuild the NSP". Sebastian Teo also took over the leadership of the party from Steve Chia. The party acquired a new collective colour of orange for their activity jersey as a sign of vitality and rebirth. The party's newsletter underwent a transformation and adopted the new name North Star.
Read more about this topic: National Solidarity Party (Singapore)
Famous quotes containing the word history:
“Well, for us, in history where goodness is a rare pearl, he who was good almost takes precedence over he who was great.”
—Victor Hugo (18021885)
“History, as an entirety, could only exist in the eyes of an observer outside it and outside the world. History only exists, in the final analysis, for God.”
—Albert Camus (19131960)
“I believe that history has shape, order, and meaning; that exceptional men, as much as economic forces, produce change; and that passé abstractions like beauty, nobility, and greatness have a shifting but continuing validity.”
—Camille Paglia (b. 1947)