SINGAPORE: Workers’ Party (WP) chief Pritam Singh said the opposition party has played its part as a "loyal opposition" in parliament in 2024 and will work hard to secure people's support ahead of the General Election next year.
In his New Year message posted on the WP Facebook page on Tuesday (Dec 31), Mr Singh said the WP has taken its parliamentary responsibilities seriously, raising matters such as the cost of living and housing policies in this term of government.
The WP, which has eight MPs in the House, is the only party other than the People's Action Party with elected Members of Parliament.
"The Workers’ Party has played its part to promote a more stable political arrangement for Singapore, where alternative views do not just have a voice, but a vote in parliament," said Mr Singh, who is also Leader of the Opposition.
"The Workers’ Party firmly believes that constructive parliamentary debates and the diligent responsiveness of policymakers to inquiries results in improved policy outcomes to the benefit of Singapore and Singaporeans. Towards this aim, we worked and played our part as a loyal opposition in parliament in 2024."
Reflecting on the party's record in parliament in the past year, Mr Singh the robust debate on a motion on digital safety, during which WP MPs called for stronger customer protections and measures to address
the imbalance of power between banks and customers.
After one of Singapore's largest money laundering cases, the anti-money laundering Bill was debated on and passed in August. Among the issues raised, He Ting Ru (WP-Sengkang) suggested oversight to include single family offices, fine art and cryptocurrencies.
During debates on the Income-Allianz deal - which would later be scrapped after being blocked by the government - WP MPs, including Mr Singh, echoed several key concerns shared by Singaporeans on social media regarding the proposed deal. These included questions on financial management and controls in Allianz, as well as Income's social mission.
The WP also made itself heard during the lengthy debates on the Platform Workers’ Bill in September.
A sharp exchange took place between ruling party MPs and Mr Gerald Giam (WP-Aljunied) after he questioned the independence of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and its effectiveness in advocating for workers.
Mr Singh also recalled his speech during a debate on reforming the electoral boundaries review process.
"I outlined how the current system historically advantaged the PAP through gerrymandering, and called for a reform of the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC). Jamus Lim suggested that the EBRC take advantage of advances in mathematics, political science and economics to produce scientifically-supported voting district maps, which can be used as benchmarks to avoid gerrymandered outcomes," he wrote.
The next General Election must be held by November 2025.
Mr Singh said the evolution of Singapore's parliamentary democracy remains "fledgling and in its infancy", adding that a future with no elected opposition MPs in parliament is "completely foreseeable".
It also takes a significant effort for the WP to grow its ranks with a new generation of Singaporeans, he said.
Concluding his message, Mr Singh said that the WP is "encouraged and energised" by the public’s acknowledgement of its parliamentary work.
"In 2025, we will continue to work hard and to secure the people’s confidence and support ahead of the General Elections."
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In his New Year message posted on the WP Facebook page on Tuesday (Dec 31), Mr Singh said the WP has taken its parliamentary responsibilities seriously, raising matters such as the cost of living and housing policies in this term of government.
The WP, which has eight MPs in the House, is the only party other than the People's Action Party with elected Members of Parliament.
"The Workers’ Party has played its part to promote a more stable political arrangement for Singapore, where alternative views do not just have a voice, but a vote in parliament," said Mr Singh, who is also Leader of the Opposition.
"The Workers’ Party firmly believes that constructive parliamentary debates and the diligent responsiveness of policymakers to inquiries results in improved policy outcomes to the benefit of Singapore and Singaporeans. Towards this aim, we worked and played our part as a loyal opposition in parliament in 2024."
WP'S PARLIAMENTARY RECORD IN 2024
Reflecting on the party's record in parliament in the past year, Mr Singh the robust debate on a motion on digital safety, during which WP MPs called for stronger customer protections and measures to address
the imbalance of power between banks and customers.
After one of Singapore's largest money laundering cases, the anti-money laundering Bill was debated on and passed in August. Among the issues raised, He Ting Ru (WP-Sengkang) suggested oversight to include single family offices, fine art and cryptocurrencies.
During debates on the Income-Allianz deal - which would later be scrapped after being blocked by the government - WP MPs, including Mr Singh, echoed several key concerns shared by Singaporeans on social media regarding the proposed deal. These included questions on financial management and controls in Allianz, as well as Income's social mission.
The WP also made itself heard during the lengthy debates on the Platform Workers’ Bill in September.
A sharp exchange took place between ruling party MPs and Mr Gerald Giam (WP-Aljunied) after he questioned the independence of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and its effectiveness in advocating for workers.
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Mr Singh also recalled his speech during a debate on reforming the electoral boundaries review process.
"I outlined how the current system historically advantaged the PAP through gerrymandering, and called for a reform of the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC). Jamus Lim suggested that the EBRC take advantage of advances in mathematics, political science and economics to produce scientifically-supported voting district maps, which can be used as benchmarks to avoid gerrymandered outcomes," he wrote.
The next General Election must be held by November 2025.
Mr Singh said the evolution of Singapore's parliamentary democracy remains "fledgling and in its infancy", adding that a future with no elected opposition MPs in parliament is "completely foreseeable".
It also takes a significant effort for the WP to grow its ranks with a new generation of Singaporeans, he said.
Concluding his message, Mr Singh said that the WP is "encouraged and energised" by the public’s acknowledgement of its parliamentary work.
"In 2025, we will continue to work hard and to secure the people’s confidence and support ahead of the General Elections."
Related:
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