Even before the euphoria of its success at the recent Singapore General Elections had subsided, the opposition Workers Party hit its first major bump. Its Treasurer, Eric Tan, 55, quit the party in a huff after its top leaders passed him over for a Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) seat, favouring instead its rookie member Gerald Giam, 34.

In accordance with the complicated laws, the WP could choose only one of its team members who had narrowly lost the contest for the East Coast GRC, to sit in Parliament as a Workers Party MP.

Since Tan was the team leader, he assumed that he would be the natural choice. However, the WP Central Executive Committee (CEC) decided to give that place of honour to Giam.

“I feel betrayed,” Tan was quoted by Today newspaper as saying in reaction to the CEC’s decision.

And who wouldn’t be?

First of all Tan, a long-time CEC member, had just led his party’s East Coast GRC team to garner 45.2 percent of the votes against the incumbent People’s Action Party (PAP) team led by the powerful labour chief, Lim Swee Say.

Tan had also helped build the East Coast team since 2005 and was the only member remaining from the 2006 GE team.

“I wanted the NCMP post so that I would be able to be the voice of the people,” he told the same paper.

Furthermore, Tan was instrumental in getting new cadres including Giam, Yee Jenn Jong and the party’s star find, corporate lawyer Chen Show Mao, to join the party.

“I am disappointed that … the CEC have decided to go against the people’s wishes, citing party renewal as their reason. I, too, believe in the renewal of the party but in an orderly manner with succession plans,” Tan said.

With his long list of credits, it was only natural for Tan to feel he was jilted for a younger “lover”.

It must have been a tough call for the Workers Party CEC, as well. They had to choose between old gold and new shoot.

On one hand they had in Tan, a faithful workhorse who with his blood, sweat and tears, played a prominent role in helping to shape the party to what it is today.

On the other hand, they have in Gerald Giam, a rookie with great potential, but one who has so far been walking a path that was beaten by Tan and the earlier pioneers.

It was only after many years of struggle that the Workers Party finally managed to force a formidable team through the doors of Parliament; and now they had to choose one of the two men to enter the exalted doors of Parliament. They chose the younger Giam. And Tan promptly resigned in protest.

Sometimes in life we come across a situation that forces us to choose between two opposing values. It is easy when we have to choose between something that is morally right and another that is morally wrong. But sometimes we face a Hobson’s choice where both values have their own merits and justifications.

It could be a choice between keeping a friend and upholding a principle. Or between long-term interest and short term gain. Or between keeping a promise and losing a limb. Some good has to be sacrificed.

In this case, the Workers Party had decided to do what was best for the party’s long-term interest. No promises were made to Tan that he will be the one to advance into parliament if his team won; it was the CEC’s prerogative to make the final decision.

It is easy to understand how Tan must have felt, having put in so much effort and sacrifice to reach the palace gates only to realise that he had paved the way for the new guy to enter.

For Giam, it must have been a bitter-sweet moment. On the one hand it was sweet victory after a hard-fought elections battle, although he knew the effort he had put in was nothing compared to what Tan had invested over the years. He was just at the right place at the right time.

There are no guarantees in life. Success often favours the smart, the hardworking and the strong. And sometimes the lucky.

But that’s life!