Workers’ Party (WP) candidate Harpreet Singh has rebutted claims made by the People’s Action Party (PAP) publication Petir, which accused him of misrepresenting PAP leaders’ positions on whether a minority race individual could be Prime Minister.
Singh issued his response via social media on 20 April 2025, following Petir’s publication of an article titled “Position on non-Chinese PM“, which challenged his remarks made during an earlier podcast interview.
In his post, Singh quoted a line from the Petir article and disputed the characterisation of his views. He added, “That does not reflect the words or purport of what I said.”
Singh then urged Singaporeans to “judge for themselves what I actually said (and did not say),” directing them to a specific timestamp in the Yah Lah But podcast episode published on 10 April, where the discussion took place.
The podcast segment followed a question on whether the WP was just “PAP Lite”, to which Singh firmly disagreed. He began by outlining foundational values shared across parties, such as meritocracy, incorruptibility, and strong race relations.
Singh stated, “Those are all givens… any responsible, sensible political party will take that as part of Singapore’s rich legacy; that’s non-negotiable. But that doesn’t make us PAP Lite.”
He then highlighted a key point of divergence, referencing earlier PAP statements: “You remember when the PAP said Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam will not be put up as PM because some Singaporeans are just not ready for a non-Chinese PM? That, I think, was a slap on every Singaporean’s face.”
He contended that this went against the principles of meritocracy and racial equality, stating, “You will never, ever, ever hear that from the Workers’ Party.”
To illustrate the WP’s stance on multiracial representation, Singh pointed to the leadership transition from Low Thia Khiang, a Teochew Chinese, to Pritam Singh, a Sikh.
Following Singh’s public rebuttal, Petir published a second article later on 20 April, titled “Mr Harpreet Singh misrepresents our views“. This article maintained that Singh had presented “a distorted, one-sided picture” of what PAP leaders had said regarding the prospects of a minority Prime Minister.
Petir cited statements made by several PAP leaders over recent years to refute Singh’s implication.
It began with Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat’s 2019 remarks, where he noted that some older Singaporeans were not ready for a non-Chinese PM. According to Petir, Heng was sharing observations rather than endorsing such sentiments.
The article also referenced then-DPM Lawrence Wong’s clarification in 2021, in which he said he would “welcome the prospect of having a PM from a racial minority” and emphasised the need to challenge outdated mindsets.
Additionally, Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam stated in a 2022 BBC interview that it was inaccurate to claim a minority could not become PM. He added that a capable minority candidate could bridge gaps and gain support.
Petir also cited Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s comments from 2024, where he stressed that leadership should not be limited by race. PM Lee said, “We must have the best leader… if he can win Singaporean support and mobilise Singaporeans and command respect in the world, he should be the Prime Minister.”
The publication maintained that Tharman Shanmugaratnam had personally ruled himself out of the PM role multiple times, dating back to 2016. In that year, Tharman said, “I’m not the man for PM… That’s not me.”
He repeated similar sentiments in 2023, saying he “never liked being centre forward” and preferred policy and supportive roles over political front-running.
Petir warned against using Tharman’s name “misleadingly to make tendentious political points” and stressed the importance of respecting the office of the President.
While Petir framed Singh’s remarks as misleading, Singh’s response focused on encouraging Singaporeans to examine his full comments in context. He suggested that his criticism was directed not at individuals but at how certain statements could be interpreted as contradicting the ideals of racial equality and meritocracy.
The exchange has reignited public debate over the interpretation of political rhetoric on race and leadership in Singapore. It also highlights the importance of context, media framing, and personal accountability in political discourse.
As the nation moves closer to future elections, the episode reflects broader tensions between political parties over how race and representation should be discussed in a multiracial society.
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