Pritam Singh re-elected Workers' Party chief despite conviction

Singapore,UPDATED: Jun 29, 2026 08:26 IST

Singapore's Workers' Party on Sunday re-elected Pritam Singh as its secretary-general, returning the opposition leader unopposed despite the legal and political challenges he has faced, including a conviction for lying to Parliament over statements related to a fellow Member of Parliament.

Singh, 50, continues at the helm of the party, which has 12 seats in the House. The ruling People's Action Party, led by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, holds an absolute majority with 87 seats, while the House also includes nine nominated MPs appointed on merit, including for social work.

Speaking to the media after his re-election, Singh said: "The party understands that its purpose is to behave in a rational and responsible way, and represent Singaporeans faithfully. And if we want to continue to do that, I think we have to close ranks as any reasonable and respectable political party ought to do."

Singh has been the Workers' Party secretary-general since 2018 and a Member of Parliament since 2011. He was also stripped of his title of Leader of the Opposition during the legal process in the lying case. Singh was the first de jure Leader of the Opposition in post-independence Singapore, an appointment made by the Prime Minister.

The party's chair, Sylvia Lim, 61, was also returned to the post she has held since 2003. The party elected 12 other members to its top decision-making body, the central executive committee, with most of them re-elected from the previous committee. Indian-origin senior counsel Harpreet Singh, 60, joined the committee after being unsuccessful in the general election in May 2025.

In all, the party retained its top leadership with Pritam Singh re-elected as secretary-general, Sylvia Lim continuing as chair, and a largely unchanged central executive committee taking shape after Sunday's exercise.

With PTI Inputs

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