PAP’s Murali Pillai condemns attack on his family
People's Action Party candidate Murali Pillai has hit out at a "scurrilous attack" on his family through a post about his son, which he linked to the announcement of his standing for re-election.
Mr Murali, who was elected to Parliament in 2016, said the post surfaced yesterday "minutes after election has been declared in Bukit Batok SMC".
Though he did not go into details, Mr Murali, 52, said in his video message to Bukit Batok residents: "My son was a victim of a scandal. He also committed offences. The court has dealt with all these matters. The perpetrators behind the scandal have been dealt with.
"He himself has been dealt with and is serving sentence."
Mr Murali, a lawyer, said the timing of the post "leaves nothing to imagination".
He is set for a rematch of the 2016 by-election contest he had with Dr Chee Soon Juan of the Singapore Democratic Party, after they submitted their nomination papers.
They contested the single-member constituency after the departure of PAP MP David Ong over allegations of an extramarital affair. Mr Murali won with 61.2 per cent of the vote.
Dr Chee posted a criticism of the attack on his own Facebook page, saying while he has not seen the post, he has watched Mr Murali's "anguished response to it".
"I stand with Mr Murali on this and call on whoever who did this video to stop it and for others not to circulate it," he wrote.
"I may disagree with Mr Murali on his political views and we can have a healthy and professional debate on them. But our differences must not be allowed to degenerate into unseemly smears against the candidates and their families."
Speaking to The Straits Times, Mr Murali said he would not let personal attacks distract him from the issues Bukit Batok residents care about. "I am determined to continue helping Bukit Batok families to overcome the challenges that we collectively face in this present crisis," he added. - THE STRAITS TIMES
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