Pritam Singh no longer seated opposite PM Wong after removal as Leader of the Opposition

Pritam Singh moved to new seat in Parliament after removal as Leader of the Opposition

Following his removal as Leader of the Opposition (LO), Workers’ Party (WP) chief Pritam Singh has been reassigned to a different seat in Parliament and will no longer be positioned opposite Prime Minister (PM) Lawrence Wong.

The change came into effect on 3 Feb, when Parliament published an updated seating layout online.

The revised plan shows Deputy Speaker Christopher de Souza now seated across from PM Wong.

He is flanked by People’s Action Party (PAP) Members of Parliament (MPs) Xie Yao Quan and Vikram Nair, both of whom are chairmen of government parliamentary committees.

Now seated opposite Ong Ye Kung

Mr Singh has been moved two seats down and will now sit opposite Health Minister Ong Ye Kung, who is also the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies.

According to The Straits Times, the updated seating arrangement was made public at about 10.30am, ahead of Parliament’s sitting at noon.

During the session, Speaker Seah Kian Peng confirmed that Mr Singh’s tenure as Leader of the Opposition had formally ended on 15 Jan.

PM Wong removed Mr Singh from LO role

PM Wong removed Mr Singh from the LO position on 15 Jan, a day after Parliament passed a motion deeming him unsuitable for the role.

The motion cited Mr Singh’s criminal convictions for lying under oath under the Parliament (Privileges, Immunities and Powers) Act, in connection with former WP MP Raeesah Khan’s false statements in Parliament in 2021.

Mr Singh was fined S$7,000 for each of the two charges, and the High Court upheld the convictions on appeal in December 2025.

All PAP and Nominated MPs supported the motion, while the 11 WP MPs present voted against it.

In a statement, PM Wong said Mr Singh could no longer retain the privileges accorded to the LO, including the right of first reply, extended speaking time, and an allowance double that of an elected MP.

WP declines to nominate replacement

Following Mr Singh’s removal, PM Wong invited the WP to nominate a replacement for the role, stipulating that the nominee must not have been implicated in the earlier Committee of Privileges findings.

The WP declined the invitation, maintaining that the leader of the largest opposition party should automatically assume the position.

In a letter to the Speaker dated 3 Feb, PM Wong noted that the Leader of the Opposition role will remain vacant for now.

Netizens react to seating change

Online reactions to Mr Singh’s change in seating were mixed.

One Reddit user remarked that Singapore appears to be one of the few countries with a fixed parliamentary seating plan.

Another said they had not previously realised the significance of the LO’s seat and wondered whether Mr de Souza was now the “new LO” given his position opposite the PM.

A separate commenter described the seat adjustment as both “petty” and significant at the same time.

Mr Singh was Singapore’s first formally designated LO, appointed in 2020 after the WP won 10 parliamentary seats.

The role was intended to strengthen parliamentary scrutiny by providing a clear and recognised opposition voice to challenge the government and hold it accountable.

Also read: Workers’ Party says it will not nominate new Leader of the Opposition after Pritam Singh’s removal

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Featured image adapted from MDDI Singapore on YouTube.