Kenneth Jeyaretnam Heads Reform Party

Today ran this story on 28 April 2009:

JBJ’s son heads Reform Party

MR KENNETH Jeyaretnam, 50, the elder son of the late Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam, has been appointed the secretary-general of the Reform Party that his father set up last June.

Mr Jeyaretnam, who joined the party last month, said after the meeting of the party’s Central Executive Committee on Sunday: “After choosing to go into politics, various offers were put to me but the stated philosophy of the Reform Party most closely matched my own philosophy.”

He added: “We have a lot of work going forward and it is humbling that so many people have demonstrated this level of confidence in me. I lookforward to serving them.”

Reform Party chairman Ng Teck Siong, 68, quit his post after a motion of no confidence in his leadership was passed by a majority vote at the Sunday night meeting. He has also tendered his resignation from the party.

Mr Ng, a long-time confidant of the late Mr Jeyaretnam who helped him establish the Reform Party, said that “in the interest of party renewal, this is an appropriate juncture” for him to step aside for fresh blood to take over the helm.

Mr Edmund Ng has been appointed as interim chairman and Mr Teo Kian Chye as interim Treasurer.