Tang stood as a candidate for the opposition Workers' Party in the Cheng San Group Representation Constituency at the 1997 general election.
[1] Tang served for several years as the Chairman of the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, and also sat on the board of management of The Chinese High School and Hwa Chong Junior College.
[citation needed] Tang stood as a candidate for the Workers' Party in a five-member team for Cheng San Group Representation Constituency at the 1997 general election.
[2] Goh stated that he was therefore making himself "a special candidate" in Cheng San GRC (even though it was not his constituency) because he felt that Tang must be kept out of Parliament if Singapore's inter-racial harmony was to be protected.
[citation needed] He vigorously denied that he was a Chinese chauvinist and accused the PAP of trying to win votes by sowing fear into the electorate.
[4] This issue arose after the Stock Exchange of Singapore had previously criticised Hotel Properties Ltd for its "tardiness" in disclosing details of sales of its condominium units to directors and their family members.
[5][6] Former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, who had purchased one of the units and whose brother was a director of Hotel Properties Ltd, claimed that Tang was trying to smear his name and milk this issue for political capital.