Chee started out as a lecturer at the National University of Singapore (NUS) before entering politics in 1992 after Chiam See Tong recruited him to join the SDP. He succeeded Chiam as the party's secretary-general after Chiam, whom Chee and the rest of the party's leadership have had a number of disagreements, left the SDP. The party had three Members of Parliament (MPs) at the time Chee took over as secretary-general, but lost all its seats at the 1997 general election and has not had any elected members since then.