SINGAPORE: Former Workers’ Party Secretary General Mr Low Thia Khiang has confirmed that he will not contest in the upcoming general election due by November 2025.
The veteran politician’s decision was revealed through a video posted by the party on its Instagram account on Saturday, Dec 7.
During WP’s community outreach, the long-serving Hougang single-member constituency (SMC) member of parliament was approached by a curious resident who asked whether Mr Low has retired or will be participating in the next election.
“I’m already retired… That is not true; that’s rumours,” replied Mr Low on speculation that he may be contesting in the next general election.
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Despite stepping down as party leader and handing over the reins to Mr Pritam Singh in 2018, Mr Low continued to play an active role in the WP, serving as a member of the party’s central executive committee until the present day.
“I’m not participating in the election. We got a younger generation that can move the party forward. They can do much better than me,” added the 68-year-old.
Although he has stepped away from electoral politics, Mr Low remained a pivotal figure within the WP, providing invaluable political guidance and expertise, drawing from his extensive experience as a parliamentarian and party chief.
His first electoral battle was in the 1988 general election. He was part of WP’s team, along with Gopalan Nair and Lim Lye Soon, who unsuccessfully contested the Tiong Bahru group representation constituency (GRC).
Mr Low did not have to wait too long for his electoral success, as he won Hougang SMC in 1991, garnering 52.82% of the votes against People’s Action Party’s Tan Guan Seng. This marked the beginning of his 20-year tenure as the member of parliament for Hougang SMC.
Mr Low’s political influence continued to grow within the party, and he became the Workers’ Party’s secretary-general in 2001. His highest winning percentage at Hougang SMC was recorded in the 2006 general election, securing 62.74% of the votes against PAP’s Eric Low.
In the 2011 general elections, Mr Low ventured out of his comfort zone, along with Ms Sylvia Lim, Mr Chen Show Mao, Mr Singh, and Mr Faisal Manap, who contested the Aljunied GRC.
Despite being up against a formidable People’s Action Party (PAP) team headed by then-Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo, the WP team emerged victorious, securing their first-ever GRC win with 54.72% of the votes.
Mr Low remained part of the WP’s Aljunied GRC team in the 2015 general election, as they defended the constituency in a nail-biting contest, securing a slim majority of 50.96% of the votes.
Should Mr Low stand firm by his decision not to contest the upcoming general election, 2015 would be his last electoral battle as he had also sat out of the election in 2020.
In the 2020 general election, the WP made significant gains, retaining Hougang SMC and Aljunied GRC and additionally winning Sengkang GRC, which the PAP previously held.