Workers’ Party (WP) chief Pritam Singh will continue as Singapore’s Leader of the Opposition, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced on 5 May.
Singh will retain access to the staff and resources that support him in performing this constitutional role.
In a Facebook post, PM Wong acknowledged the WP’s strong performance in the General Election, noting the party had fielded a robust slate of candidates and waged a “tough fight” across the country.
The WP successfully defended its traditional strongholds of Aljunied GRC, Hougang SMC and Sengkang GRC.
In doing so, it returned 10 elected Members of Parliament (MPs) to the 15th Parliament, maintaining its position as the largest opposition party in the legislature.
The party also came close in several other constituencies, polling over 40 per cent of the vote in all areas it contested, including Jalan Kayu SMC, Punggol GRC, Tampines GRC, and East Coast GRC.
As the best-performing losing party in the election, the WP qualifies to appoint up to two Non-Constituency MPs (NCMPs).
This would enable it to increase its representation in Parliament to 12 members, if the party chooses to fill those NCMP seats.
PM Wong stated that he had spoken to Singh after the results and reiterated his commitment to fostering robust debate in Parliament.
“I look forward to the contributions of the Workers’ Party members in Parliament,” the Prime Minister added.
Singh, who is WP’s secretary-general, has held the role of Leader of the Opposition since his appointment by former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in 2020.
That appointment followed the WP’s historic win of Sengkang GRC in the previous general election, marking the second Group Representation Constituency (GRC) under its control.
The role of the Leader of the Opposition includes leading the opposition’s responses in parliamentary debates, scrutinising government policies and actions, and presenting alternative proposals.
It also involves coordinating the work of opposition MPs and participating in select committees.
In this year’s general election, held on 3 May, WP retained its grip on Aljunied GRC with 59.68 per cent of the vote.
In Hougang SMC, it secured an even higher margin with 62.17 per cent.
Sengkang GRC was also retained, with the WP team winning 56.31 per cent of the vote.
Despite national gains by the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP), WP’s performance held steady, though it did not secure any new constituencies.
Its candidates remained competitive in all contests, particularly in Jalan Kayu SMC and Tampines GRC, where margins were narrow.
Analysts noted the significance of the WP’s ability to retain all its existing seats amid a stronger showing by the PAP in several parts of the country.
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