SINGAPORE: The Workers’ Party (WP) has continued to maintain its silence on member and former Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) Daniel Goh’s expulsion from the party, close to two weeks since Assoc Prof Goh announced his unceremonious dismissal, sparking concerns about what is perceived to be a lack of transparency within the opposition party.
Assoc Prof Goh, a WP cadre and former central executive committee (CEC) member, announced on 1 June that he has been expelled from the political party with immediate effect for disclosing information regarding the party’s “inner workings.”
Although he did not elaborate on the details of the “inner workings” he referred to, the ex-NCMP had previously mentioned in 2022 that WP had established a disciplinary committee to investigate his Facebook posts about the Raeesah Khan saga.
He had claimed that the committee wanted to interview him as his posts allegedly exposed the party’s operations to their political opponents and cast doubt on the leadership’s character.
Assoc Prof Goh had made several Facebook posts concerning how the party handled Raeesah Khan’s admission of lying in Parliament in 2021. In one post, Assoc Prof Goh had urged the party’s disciplinary panel, responsible for investigating Raeesah’s admission, not to throw her under the bus.
Some WP supporters interpreted the politician’s comments in 2022 as an attack on the party during a difficult time and welcomed the WP’s decision, opining that it would be difficult for the party leadership to trust him, given his actions.
Others, however, are concerned that the party has yet to publicly address the matter. Former Straits Times editor Bertha Henson is one such voice. Referring to how heavily redacted the expulsion letter Assoc Prof Goh shared was, Ms Henson said:
“WP should announce this since it was so public earlier. Please don’t learn from the G and keep quiet.”
The WP has been a strong advocate for greater transparency within the ruling party for decades and has sought accountability and transparency from the Government on various issues and laws. In 2011, party chief Pritam Singh called for a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in parliament and asserted that transparency is vital for citizens to continue to trust the Government.
It has been over ten days since Assoc Prof Goh’s expulsion came to light, but the opposition party remains mum on this issue. While the conspicuous silence does not seem to have affected the ardent trust supporters have in the party, this could be a missed opportunity for the party to garner greater support from observers.
Ex-WP member says Daniel Goh’s expulsion points to bigger problems within WP