SINGAPORE, Dec. 21 -- Singapore's political landscape has grown slightly more crowded, with the Most Valuable Party (MVP) formally registered eight months after its application was filed, lifting the total number of political parties in the republic to 21.

A notice in Singapore's Government Gazette on December 18 confirmed the party's registration with the Registry of Societies, a move first reported by The Straits Times.

MVP was founded by restaurant owner Chia Yun Kai, 32, who entered the political fray earlier this year ahead of the May general election.

Chia told the Singapore daily he had submitted the application in April and welcomed the approval, saying official status gave the party legitimacy.

"The intention all along was to...