Workers’ Party chief and Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh shared important takeaways from a recent Members’ Forum, which the WP was finally able to hold in-person late last month.
Although Mr Singh, who posted a link to his full speech in an Oct 20 Facebook post, that had stated categorically his comments did “not have anything to do with any ongoing Party disciplinary matter,” they come around a year after the scandal that resulted in former Sengkang GRC Member of Parliament Raeesah Khan resigning after admitting that she had lied in Parliament on more than one occasion.
And while the scandal ended up dragging Mr Singh, party chair Sylvia Lim and vice chair Faisal Manap into an investigation in Parliament, the WP has forged on, seeking not only to solidify its base but perhaps even expand to new areas where the WP may represent Singaporeans.
Mr Singh said at one point in his speech, “When the chips are down, the (WP Central Executive Committee) CEC does not retreat into a cave. We are out there getting our work done: house visits, Hammer sales, the MPs continuing their public Meet-the-People sessions – you name it – striving to best of our ability no matter what the circumstances.”
Moreover, he emphasised the importance of party discipline; given the intense scrutiny opposition parties in Singapore including the WP are under from mainstream media outlets as well as from the People’s Action Party itself, ever since the WP saw big gains during GE2020.
He said, “Party discipline requires all of us to support the Party position, even if our personal views may be different. For the WP Members of Parliament, in all cases, unless the Party Whip is lifted, they put their private personal views aside and publicly defend the Party position.”
“A thoughtless word here or there or an unsubstantiated inference or implication – can easily trip you up. These are just some of the things to always remain alert to, and there are others that we must always be alive to,” he said at another point in his speech.
Mr Singh also told those present that if their personal politics “has drifted away” from those of the WP, it may be best for them “to channel (their) political passions elsewhere.”
He encouraged the members to “be on our guard” and “not to allow inter-personal disputes to spill over into the public realm” but instead to work as “one Team Workers’ Party in a dedicated and professional manner for the betterment of Singapore and Singaporeans.”
The WP chief ended his speech by telling members that their efforts in building the party and maintaining discipline will pay off in the long term, and that at the very least, they would one day be able to reflect on their political journeys without regret.
“As much as we work hard to earn the privilege to serve Singaporeans, let us remember how important it is for the Workers’ Party to always speak with one voice and to never underestimate the importance of party discipline. It will prove especially vital in the next two to three years.” /TISG