In a statement on 15 Jan, Prime Minster (PM) Lawrence Wong announced his decision to remove Workers’ Party (WP) chief Pritam Singh from his role as Leader of the Opposition (LO) with immediate effect.
The WP has also been asked to nominate another Member of Parliament (MP) to fill in the position vacated.
PM Wong’s decision comes amidst public debate surrounding the motion against Pritam Singh.
In a poll on Answers.sg, 71% of 1,094 respondents found the motion “unfair”, while 19% thought that it was justified.
The statement by PM Wong reads: “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 the LO”.
This decision is necessary to uphold the rule of law, as well as the dignity and integrity of Parliament, added PM Wong.
This means that Mr Singh will not be allowed the privileges reserved for the LO in Parliament.
They include the right of first response, more time for speeches, an office in Parliament, additional staff support and resources, and double the allowance of an elected MP.
This move comes less than 24 hours after the House approved a motion raised by Leader of the House Indranee Rajah.
It detailed how Mr Singh’s conduct and court conviction in relation to ex-WP MP Raeesah Khan’s lie in Parliament in 2021 meant that he had “fallen short of the requirements and standards expected of an LO”.
All 11 WP members in the House indicated their dissent against the motion, while all People’s Action Party (PAP) MPs and Nominated MPs agreed.
While former Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) Calvin Cheng has contributed his two cents to the debate, netizens have also expressed their opinions about the motion.
One Facebook user noted that the motion tabled to decide Mr Singh’s status should be “collectively done by the opposition” and “not the Parliament in general”.
“I prefer that the brand, quality or performance of opposition not be a PAP decision,” wrote the commenter.
Source: Facebook
Meanwhile, some agreed that the motion is necessary to maintain a “high standard”.
“If there is no penalty for hiding or lying, will more people lie in parliament in the future?” questioned the netizen.
Source: Facebook
There were, however, individuals who felt indifferent about the whole issue.
“This is not important to me,” said one Reddit user.
“Please focus on real life issues like property prices, education, and cost of living.”
Source: Reddit
PM Wong, in his statement regarding the new LO, stated that the new nominee “should not have been implicated in the earlier findings of the Committee of Privileges (COP)”.
The candidate should also “be able to meet the high standards expected of this office”.
Aljunied GRC MP Sylvia Lim, as well as WP vice-chair Faisal Manap were the other two members implicated in the findings of the COP.
Source: MDDI Singapore on YouTube
Mr Faisal is no longer a sitting MP after losing in a contest for Tampines GRC at the May 2025 general election.
A letter has since been sent to the WP’s Central Executive Committee (CEC), in which PM Wong expresses that he hopes to receive the party’s nomination soon.
“The office of the LO carries significant responsibilities,” he stated, noting that the position was first formally designated in 2020.
“Whoever holds this office must therefore hold the highest standards of honesty and integrity, and command the trust necessary to carry out these responsibilities on behalf of the Parliament and Singaporeans.”
The WP has released a statement in response to PM Wong’s letter confirming that it has received it.
The party also said it will “deliberate on the contents carefully through our internal processes and respond in due course”.
In his speech yesterday, Mr Singh objected to various limbs in the motion which stated that he had behaved dishonourably and is unsuitable to be LO.
He also stated that his conscience remains clear with regard to the conviction, and that “a criminal conviction does not negate one’s right to assert innocence”.
However, he added that he had never hankered for the LO role, and pledged continue his work on the ground in Aljunied GRC as long as he is an MP.
Also read: Former NMP Calvin Cheng says ruling party should not control appointment of Leader of the Opposition
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Featured image adapted from MDDI Photo by Ngau Kai Yan via Lawrence Wong on Facebook and The Workers’ Party on Facebook for illustration purposes only.