GE2025: WP chief Pritam Singh to remain Leader of the Opposition, says PM Wong
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Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (right) said WP chief Pritam Singh will continue as the Leader of the Opposition, with staff and resources to support him in performing his duties.
PHOTO: LAWRENCE WONG/FACEBOOK
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SINGAPORE – WP chief Pritam Singh will remain the Leader of the Opposition, with staff and resources to carry out his duties, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
“The WP fielded a strong slate of candidates and put up a tough fight in this election,” said PM Wong, who added that he has spoken to Mr Singh.
The WP has also consolidated and increased its presence in Parliament, the Prime Minister added in a Facebook post on May 5.
The opposition party retained Aljunied GRC, Sengkang GRC and Hougang SMC in the May 3 election, with 10 WP MPs elected.
The PAP won 87 out of 97 seats, and garnered 65.57 per cent of the popular vote.
As the “best losers” at the polls – narrowly losing to the ruling PAP in Jalan Kayu SMC and Tampines GRC – the WP will be able to take up two Non-Constituency MP (NCMP) seats in Singapore’s 15th Parliament.
While the party did not win any new constituency, it polled above 40 per cent in the five constituencies where it lost – namely the Punggol, East Coast and Tampines GRCs, as well as the Jalan Kayu and Tampines Changkat SMCs.
PM Wong said: “I look forward to the contributions of the Workers’ Party members in Parliament.”
In Jalan Kayu, WP newcomer Andre Low received 48.53 per cent of the vote and lost to labour chief Ng Chee Meng. The WP team in Tampines garnered 47.37 per cent of the vote, losing to the PAP in a four-cornered contest.
This means that Mr Low, a disputes lawyer-turned-staff product manager, and one member of the WP’s Tampines team will be offered NCMP seats in the next Parliament.
The Tampines team, helmed by party vice-chair Faisal Manap, included Mr Jimmy Tan, co-founder of an industrial equipment supply firm; senior principal clinical psychologist Ong Lue Ping; former diplomat Eileen Chong; and technology start-up co-founder Michael Thng.
When asked on May 4 whom the WP will send into Parliament as NCMPs, Mr Singh said the party had not made a decision.
The Straits Times has asked Mr Singh and the WP for comment.
The NCMP scheme guarantees a minimum of 12 opposition MPs in Parliament. As there are 10 elected opposition MPs in this election, there will be two NCMP seats.
Mr Singh was appointed Leader of the Opposition by former prime minister Lee Hsien Loong after the last general election in 2020, which saw the WP win its second group representation constituency – Sengkang.
As Leader of the Opposition, Mr Singh has certain parliamentary privileges, such as the right of first response among MPs, according to a 2020 statement from the offices of the Speaker of Parliament and the Leader of the House.
He also receives confidential government briefings on select matters of national security and external relations, and will be briefed in the event of a national crisis or emergency, the statement said.
Mr Singh was also given more time for his speeches, equivalent to that given to political office-holders.
Based on the Standing Orders of Parliament, all MPs are allowed to speak for 20 minutes in response to questions raised, and can address a committee of the whole of Parliament for up to 10 minutes.
Ministers and parliamentary secretaries are entitled to speak for up to 40 minutes.
As Leader of the Opposition, Mr Singh is also entitled to an annual allowance of $385,000, double that of an elected MP, said the 2020 statement.
He was also given extra allowance to hire up to three additional legislative assistants, on top of the allowance that all MPs receive to hire one legislative assistant and a secretarial assistant.
Besides having a secretary to support him administratively with parliamentary business, he was given an office and the use of a meeting room in Parliament House.
In the May 3 polls, the WP triumphed in its traditional strongholds of Aljunied GRC and Hougang SMC, returning its core leaders – including Mr Singh, its secretary-general – to Parliament.
Despite a national swing towards the ruling party, the five-member WP team in Aljunied GRC maintained its hold over the constituency
In Hougang, the WP polled 62.17 per cent. The party also held on to Sengkang GRC, winning 56.31 per cent of the vote.
Vanessa Paige Chelvan is a correspondent at The Straits Times. She writes about all things transport and pens the occasional commentary.
