Workers’ Party General Election 2025 candidate and Senior Counsel Harpreet Singh Nehal paid tribute to fellow GE2025 contender Ariffin Sha at his call to the Singapore Bar on 13 August 2025, describing his journey as one “of grit, service, and purpose.”
In a detailed Facebook post, Harpreet recounted Ariffin’s unconventional path to the profession. From a working-class background, Ariffin became the first in his family to attend university, aided by a scholarship to study law in New Zealand.
Harpreet noted that from the outset, Ariffin was clear about his mission: to serve the disadvantaged and use the law as a tool for advocacy and justice. He quoted Ariffin’s belief that “those of us with the privilege and honour of practising law owe a duty to the last, the least and the lost… to help uplift others.”
Ariffin’s early legal work included major public interest cases such as the first Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act appeals heard by the Court of Appeal, as well as death penalty matters.
Harpreet also drew a poignant historical link: Ariffin’s call came exactly 56 years after the late G Raman — a lawyer renowned for honesty, fearlessness, and commitment to the “man in the street” — was admitted to the Bar. Raman had once been called a “dreamer” by a teacher, a label he embraced as a badge of service. Raman’s daughter and grandson were present in court to witness the occasion.
Eugene Thuraisingam, who represented Ariffin during his admission process, attended alongside Harpreet. He described Ariffin as someone who would “contribute immensely to this honourable profession and the community at large.”
Ariffin, who contested Marsiling–Yew Tee GRC as a Singapore Democratic Party candidate in GE2025, ran against a team led by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. Harpreet noted that, like his own campaign under the Workers’ Party banner, Ariffin’s effort was marked by eloquence, heart, and wit.
While Ariffin’s admission followed a High Court decision on 1 July 2025 that cleared him to practise despite a past criminal defamation conviction, that episode was background to a broader life story spanning activism, legal advocacy, and political engagement.
Speaking to CNA after the court’s ruling, Ariffin said he was “humbled and honoured” by the decision and would use the privilege of practice to help those in need. He expressed gratitude to the court, his legal teams at Audent Chambers and Eugene Thuraisingam LLC, and his mentors.
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