Leader of the Opposition office will remain vacant after WP declines to nominate anyone to the post
The office of the Leader of the Opposition (LO) will remain vacant until the Workers’ Party (WP) is “ready to nominate someone to take on this responsibility”, said the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in a statement on Wednesday (21 Jan).
This comes after the opposition party chose not to nominate another WP Member of Parliament (MP) after party chief Pritam Singh was removed from the role.
Source: Pritam Singh on Facebook
‘Exceptional situation’ where Leader of the Opposition was convicted of lying: PMP
PMO said the Government accepted the WP’s decision.
It also agreed with WP’s statement earlier that day, saying that the leader of the main opposition party in Parliament is the “natural choice” for LO.
However, PMO said this was an “exceptional situation” where Mr Singh had been criminally convicted of lying to Parliament, which subsequently deemed him unsuitable to continue as LO.
This motion was agreed to in a vote on 14 Jan where only the WP MPs present dissented.
Source: MDDI Singapore on YouTube
MPs in other jurisdictions would have resigned: PMO
PMO said that “a high premium” is placed on honesty and integrity, and respect for the rule of law, in Singapore’s political system.
MPs, especially those in leadership positions, must “exemplify these values and uphold the integrity of our system”, it added.
Thus, it noted that in other jurisdictions, MPs convicted of crimes involving dishonesty or lying under oath would “ordinarily have resigned”.
“This has not happened here,” it pointed out.
Leader of the Opposition title established by law in other systems: WP
However, WP had said in its earlier statement that in other Westminster systems, the LO title is established by law.
It is not the prerogative or choice of the Government of the day or the Prime Minister, it added.
In Singapore, though, the position is a discretionary appointment made by the PM, the party said in a letter to Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
Source: The Workers’ Party on YouTube
As the people’s vote explains the presence of opposition MPs in Parliament, having the LO title established by law “expresses the authority and sanctity of the people’s vote”, WP added.
When Mr Wong removed Mr Singh as LO on 15 Jan, he also invited WP to nominate another elected MP to take the role, but they “should not have been implicated in the earlier findings of the COP (Committee of Privileges)” — effectively ruling out WP chair Sylvia Lim.
Leader of the Opposition received a monthly pay of S$32K
Mr Singh was first designated as LO by then Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong after the 2020 General Election.
In this role, he had an office and staff in Parliament, as well as a monthly pay of S$32,000.
Source: The Workers’ Party on YouTube
Other privileges included more time for speeches, access to confidential government briefings and being able to take part in official state functions.
After his removal as LO, Mr Singh has remained active on the ground, continuing with his regular walkabouts and house visits and declaring that his “work continues”.
Also read: ‘The work continues’: Pritam Singh holds outreach with WP team shortly after removal from LO role
‘The work continues’: Pritam Singh holds outreach with WP team shortly after removal from LO role
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Featured image from The Workers’ Party on YouTube.
