WP insiders claim Low Thia Khiang was thinking of retirement even before his accident

Workers’ Party (WP) members who spoke to the Straits Times on condition of anonymity allegedly said that veteran politician Low Thia Khiang was considering retirement from politics even before he suffered a fall in April.

Mr Low, who is the WP’s immediate past secretary-general, suffered a head injury after having a bad fall at his home on 30 April. The veteran politician was warded in the intensive care unit at Khoo Teck Puat General Hospital for five days before he was moved to a general ward. He was discharged on 21 May and is presently on hospitalisation leave.

Amid speculation about whether Mr Low would contest the impending General Election, anonymous party sources said that retirement was on Mr Low’s mind even before his accident. It is unclear whether this statement means that he might not contest the next election.

Meanwhile, insiders told the Straits Times that it is planning to contest just four Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs) and one Single Member Constituency (SMC) – half the number of wards it contested in the last election. The party is expected to field a contingent of 20 candidates to stand in Aljunied GRC, East Coast GRC, Marine Parade GRC, the new Sengkang GRC and Hougang SMC.

The coming election will also be the first election for the WP under Pritam Singh’s leadership. Mr  Pritam succeeded Mr Low as secretary-general in the party’s internal election in 2018.

The WP has yet to reveal its slate of candidates for the next election and is expected to do so in the coming days.

WP set to contest just four GRCs and one SMC in the coming election

The first thing Pritam Singh did in Phase 2 was visit recovering Low Thia Khiang at home