Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong stripped Pritam Singh of his title as leader of the opposition following Singh’s conviction for lying to a parliamentary committee.
The decision on Thursday came after a three-hour debate on Wednesday in parliament, where lawmakers approved a motion stating that the 49-year-old Workers’ Party secretary-general was “unsuitable” for the role. Eleven Workers’ Party lawmakers — including Singh — dissented.
“Having considered the matter carefully, I have decided that Mr. Singh’s criminal convictions, taken together with parliament’s considered view of his unsuitability, make it no longer tenable for him to continue” as opposition leader, Wong said.
Singh’s designation “will therefore cease with immediate effect,” the prime minister continued, and invited the Workers’ Party to nominate another elected member of parliament to the position instead. “This decision is necessary to uphold the rule of law, as well as the dignity and integrity of parliament.” Singh remains a member of parliament.
The Workers’ Party confirmed it received a letter from Wong, without specifying its contents. “We will deliberate on its contents carefully through our internal processes and respond in due course,” it said.
Singapore has had more than six decades of uninterrupted rule by the People’s Action Party, with an election system critics say favors incumbents. Thursday’s move threatens to sideline a figure widely considered Singapore’s strongest opposition figure in years. The Workers’ Party will now have to weigh whether to elevate another lawmaker among its ranks, who hasn’t been implicated by the lying scandal.
“The ball is in WP’s court,” said Eugene Tan, an associate professor of law at the Singapore Management University. “I suspect they will take up the offer.”
Singh was convicted and fined last year in a matter stemming from a 2021 testimony about advice he gave to a former party lawmaker who had made false statements in parliament about a sexual assault case.
Singh has denied wrongdoing and unsuccessfully appealed his conviction. The fine fell below the threshold that would have barred him from parliament for five years, allowing him to retain his seat in the 2025 election, where his party won nearly 60% of the vote in his constituency.
He was named Leader of the Opposition after the Workers’ Party made unprecedented gains in the 2020 vote, winning 10 seats.
“My conscience remains clear as it will forever,” Singh said during the debate Wednesday. “To that end, the law has run its course, and I accept and respect that.”
The Workers’ Party is reviewing whether Singh breached its constitution, party chair Sylvia Lim earlier told parliament. “We have our processes and the processes will take their course,” she added.
The approved motion also noted that the courts’ judgment and a parliamentary committee’s findings in Singh’s case could have “implications” for two other Workers’ Party members, Lim and vice chair Faisal Manap.
Singh and Manap were referred to the public prosecutor, but only Singh was charged. “That is something that should be dealt with separately,” said Indranee in the closing moments of the debate. “We will not take too long.” (BLOOMBERG)