One of the People’s Power Party (PPP) candidates for Ang Mo Kio GRC, Samuel Lee (34), was jailed last year for a dangerous driving incident.
According to PPP’s Secretary-General Goh Meng Seng, he already knew about Lee’s past conviction and was not kept in the dark. Goh clarified that Lee’s case wasn’t about dishonesty, lying in Parliament, or having an affair, but rather a traffic-related offence.
Charged for reckless driving
Shin Min Daily News reported that Samuel Lee, who works in the IT sector, had made the news previously due to a court case. He was charged with two counts of reckless behaviour that endangered others and was convicted in court last year.
Based on past reports, his name was previously spelt “Lee Yu Ru” in Chinese, and he was accused of driving his Mercedes-Benz car toward a food delivery rider twice on 2 February 2022, near Block 29, Lorong 4 Toa Payoh, close to the Victory Family Centre.
Journalists have since confirmed that Samuel Lee, who is now standing for the general election, is indeed the same person involved in that incident.
Goh Meng Seng: His story is a “Yellow Ribbon” example
Speaking after PPP’s rally at Temasek Junior College on 24 April, Goh said that Lee informed him about the incident early on and was honest about it.
He stressed:
“Let’s be fair. He didn’t cheat, didn’t lie, didn’t have an affair — those things hurt public trust. He didn’t kill or hurt anyone. He didn’t lie in Parliament.”
Goh added that he sees Lee’s story as a “Yellow Ribbon example” — someone who served his time and deserves a second chance.
“If things like this disqualify someone, then what’s the point of the Yellow Ribbon Project?”
The Yellow Ribbon Project is a national effort to support ex-offenders in reintegrating into society.
Lawyer: Samuel Lee is still allowed to contest
A lawyer told Shin Min Daily News that as long as a person meets the legal requirements under the Constitution, they are allowed to run for elections. According to the Elections Department, candidates can’t run if, on Nomination Day, they are:
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Mentally unfit,
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Undischarged bankrupts,
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Holding a full-time government job,
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Failed to submit required election forms in past elections,
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Holding foreign citizenship,
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Or have been fined at least $10,000 or jailed at least 1 year and not pardoned.
Lawyer Jason Wong from Invictus Law confirmed that, based on the current constitution, Samuel Lee is still legally eligible to run in this election.
