Pritam Singh on Offering Singaporeans a Choice in Elections

SINGAPORE: The Workers’ Party Secretary-General Pritam Singh says that while his party accepts “the overwhelming dominance of the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) today” in Singapore, in response it wants “to appeal directly to the people”.

This is done through “contesting elections and leaving it to the voters and having faith in their judgment. This is the path the Workers’ Party, its MPs, members, and its volunteers have chosen,” said Mr Singh, who was designated Singapore’s first official Leader of the Opposition after big wins by the WP during the General Election in 2020.

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Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh on “What is the appropriate response to PAP political dominance?” wpsg makeyourvotecount sgparliament pritamsingh sgnews

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Mr Singh made these remarks last month in Parliament, when he commented on the President’s Address, and the party has recently been releasing portions of this speech where he made important points on its TikTok channel.

The particular snippet above is from the conclusion of Mr Singh’s speech, wherein he laid out the approach of the Workers’ Party for the second session of Parliament during the present Government’s term.

Mr Singh noted that part of the PAP’s dominance is from “hardball political tactics that also hosted policies with collateral purposes that suppressed the growth of an opposition”.

Among these is the politicisation of community-focused organisations such as the People’s Association (PA), which Mr Singh added “does the bidding of even unelected advisors”.

He then went on to outline what the WP believes is the “appropriate response” to PAP dominance.

“Some believe, perhaps naively, that it is best to work within the system – to change things from within the establishment,” he said.

However, he noted that “even the late President Ong Teng Cheong, who was close to the very top of PAP politics as DPM, and seemingly right at the very top of our political hierarchy as President, could not get the information he wanted”.

Therefore, the WP chief underlined that “the alternative in responding to PAP dominance is to appeal directly to the people.

“By contesting elections and leaving it to the voters and having faith in their judgment.

“This is the path the Workers’ Party, its MPs, members, and its volunteers have chosen.”

Mr Singh’s speech may be read in full here.

/TISG

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