https://www.scmp.com/rss/523250/feed The latest news and top stories on Pritam Singh, the Leader of the Opposition in Singapore's parliament. He was formally appointed to the role in 2020, and has been the Secretary-General of the Workers’ Party since 2018. As a Member of Parliament for Aljunied GRC since 2011, he has been instrumental in strengthening the opposition’s presence in Parliament, notably securing 10 seats in recent general elections. He is a lawyer and author by profession. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com CNA CNA A Workers’ Party disciplinary panel looking into secretary general Pritam Singh’s conduct has completed its investigation into whether the chief had contravened the party’s constitution, after his court conviction for lying under oath to a parliamentary committee. “The panel will present its finalised report and recommendations to the Central Executive Committee in April,” Singapore’s opposition party said in a statement on Saturday. “The Notice of the Special Cadre Members’ Conference will be... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349015/singapores-workers-party-finishes-investigation-chief-pritam-singhs-conduct?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3349015/singapores-workers-party-finishes-investigation-chief-pritam-singhs-conduct?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2026 03:43:15 +0000 CNA CNA A recent radio programme by Australia’s national broadcaster made several “baseless claims” about Singapore’s political system, Singapore’s High Commissioner to Australia, Anil Nayar, said on Tuesday. Nayar noted in his response that the programme’s host and several of his commentators called Singapore a “one-party state”, an “autocracy” and “verging now on a flawed democracy”. “They portrayed Singapore’s group representation constituencies (GRCs) – introduced to guarantee minority... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3346990/envoy-slams-australian-radio-show-calling-singapore-autocracy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3346990/envoy-slams-australian-radio-show-calling-singapore-autocracy?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 06:34:19 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau Singapore’s unexpectedly large budget surplus arises from tough decisions to raise taxes earlier and means that the country is now in a position of strength, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has said, after MPs questioned the accuracy of his government’s budget forecasts. Earlier this month, Wong revealed in his budget statement that Singapore expected a surplus of S$15.1 billion (US$12 billion), or 1.9 per cent of gross domestic product, for the 2025 financial year ending March, more than double an... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3344736/singapore-budget-surplus-poor-fiscal-marksmanship-or-prudent-forecast?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3344736/singapore-budget-surplus-poor-fiscal-marksmanship-or-prudent-forecast?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Feb 2026 10:30:09 +0000 CNA CNA Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh has called for fuller public disclosure of billions of dollars in Singapore government spending, pressing for clearer accountability at a time he described as “one of the largest fiscal surpluses in decades”. Speaking in parliament on Tuesday at the start of the budget debate, Singh also took aim at the timing of the last general election, saying it was called shortly after global trade tensions flared. “The PAP (People’s Action Party) government dissolved... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3344494/pritam-singh-presses-clarity-singapores-public-spending-surplus-widens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3344494/pritam-singh-presses-clarity-singapores-public-spending-surplus-widens?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Feb 2026 12:09:25 +0000 Kolette Lim,Jean Iau Kolette Lim,Jean Iau Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Wednesday accepted the Workers’ Party’s (WP) rejection of his invitation to nominate a replacement for the Leader of the Opposition (LO) role, saying that it would be left vacant. In a statement hours after the WP turned down the offer, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said: “The office of the LO will therefore remain vacant until such time that the WP is ready to nominate someone to take on this responsibility.” The PMO agreed that the leader of the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340689/singapores-workers-party-rejects-leader-opposition-position?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340689/singapores-workers-party-rejects-leader-opposition-position?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jan 2026 09:02:15 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven stories from the SCMP’s coverage of Asia over the past week that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. ‘No oil here’: Malaysians turn US embassy space post into foreign-policy satire A well-intentioned US embassy post featuring a satellite image of Malaysia has sparked a distinctly local burst of self-deprecating humour, with social media users quipping in response to the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3340496/malaysians-foreign-policy-satire-japans-fighter-jet-project-boost-7-asia-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3340496/malaysians-foreign-policy-satire-japans-fighter-jet-project-boost-7-asia-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jan 2026 04:45:07 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau A peculiar gridlock has settled on Singapore’s political scene with the position of Leader of the Opposition (LO) vacant after Pritam Singh was removed from the post by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, with public discourse now centred on the constitutional basis, or lack thereof, for the role. Created in 2020 by then prime minister Lee Hsien Loong after Singh’s party won a record 10 seats in parliament, the non-statutory position contrasts sharply with its counterpart in Westminster systems, where... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340308/singapores-leader-opposition-debate-draws-comparisons-westminster-system?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340308/singapores-leader-opposition-debate-draws-comparisons-westminster-system?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 18 Jan 2026 07:21:55 +0000 Jean Iau,Kolette Lim Jean Iau,Kolette Lim Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has stripped the Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh of his role as the city state’s first Leader of the Opposition following Singh’s conviction for lying under oath to a parliamentary committee. Singh assumed the official role in 2020 following the general election where his party secured a record 10 elected seats in parliament. Then prime minister Lee Hsien Loong announced during a press conference that Singh would be provided with staff and... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340003/singapores-pm-lawrence-wong-removes-pritam-singh-leader-opposition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3340003/singapores-pm-lawrence-wong-removes-pritam-singh-leader-opposition?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jan 2026 08:04:17 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau Singapore’s parliamentarians on Wednesday voted Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh unsuitable as Leader of the Opposition following his court conviction for lying to a committee, with his opponents questioning his integrity and leadership, while supporters suggested there was a political agenda against him. The heated discussion in Singapore’s typically sterile parliament, which saw WP MPs repeatedly calling points of order, centred on Leader of the House Indranee Rajah’s motion calling on... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3339895/singapores-pritam-singh-debate-mps-trade-barbs-over-bid-remove-opposition-leader?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3339895/singapores-pritam-singh-debate-mps-trade-barbs-over-bid-remove-opposition-leader?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Jan 2026 10:42:58 +0000 SCMP SCMP We have selected seven stories from the SCMP’s coverage of Asia over the past week that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. India overtakes Japan in economic size – while prosperity trails far behind India ushered in the new year with a symbolic triumph as its economy edged past Japan’s to become the world’s fourth largest by nominal gross domestic product. 2. Nearly 94% of Malaysians who... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3339663/india-overtakes-japan-bali-mulls-bank-check-requirement-7-asia-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/article/3339663/india-overtakes-japan-bali-mulls-bank-check-requirement-7-asia-highlights?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jan 2026 04:45:09 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau In an unprecedented move in Singapore, Workers’ Party (WP) chief Pritam Singh could be stripped of his title as Leader of Opposition and lose his privileges when Singapore’s parliamentarians debate his suitability for the role next week, legal experts say. Singh was the first to be appointed to the official role in 2020 by then prime minister Lee Hsien Loong after the general election that year, when the WP won a record 10 out of 93 seats. On Friday, Leader of the House Indranee Rajah tabled a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3339351/could-singapore-remove-pritam-singh-leader-opposition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3339351/could-singapore-remove-pritam-singh-leader-opposition?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jan 2026 10:30:14 +0000 CNA CNA Singapore’s leader of the House, Indranee Rajah, has filed a parliamentary motion on the conduct of Workers’ Party (WP) chief Pritam Singh and his suitability to continue as the leader of the opposition. The office of the leader of the House said on Friday that the motion will be raised at a sitting on or after Tuesday. Among other points, the motion asks for parliament to consider that Singh’s conviction and conduct render him unsuitable to continue as the leader of the opposition. The full... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3339267/singapore-parliament-debate-motion-pritam-singhs-role-opposition-chief?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3339267/singapore-parliament-debate-motion-pritam-singhs-role-opposition-chief?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Jan 2026 03:41:06 +0000 CNA CNA The top decision-making body of the Workers’ Party (WP) in Singapore has directed that a disciplinary panel be formed to determine if party chief Pritam Singh has contravened the WP’s constitution, following his recent court conviction for lying to a parliamentary committee. In a media statement on Saturday, the WP said its central executive committee (CEC) met on Friday to discuss matters arising from Singh’s conviction after the High Court dismissed his appeal against it on December 4. Party... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3338601/workers-party-singapore-rules-pritam-singh-disciplinary-panel-be-formed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3338601/workers-party-singapore-rules-pritam-singh-disciplinary-panel-be-formed?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Jan 2026 05:09:19 +0000 CNA CNA Singapore’s Workers’ Party (WP) on Sunday said that its party cadres have requested a special conference to be held and that the party’s top decision-making body – the Central Executive Committee (CEC) – will be “following up on the request”. WP’s statement comes after party secretary general Pritam Singh’s conviction for lying to a parliamentary committee, with the matter set to be discussed in parliament on January 12 next year. More than 20 cadres have signed a letter calling for the special... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3337926/singapores-pritam-singh-faces-leadership-test-workers-party-seeks-special-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3337926/singapores-pritam-singh-faces-leadership-test-workers-party-seeks-special-meeting?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Dec 2025 05:40:45 +0000 Jean Iau,Kolette Lim Jean Iau,Kolette Lim Singapore saw plenty of drama unfold this year, from pickleball courts to the Supreme Court. The city state was gripped by election fever in May, when the People’s Action Party maintained its dominance at the polls. On the trade front, Washington’s imposition of a 10 per cent tariff on Singapore elicited a strong reaction from Prime Minister Lawrence Wong. The jury is still out on whether US President Donald Trump would introduce levies on pharmaceuticals and semiconductors, which could deliver... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3337732/singapore-2025-election-fever-courtroom-drama-pickleball-mania?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3337732/singapore-2025-election-fever-courtroom-drama-pickleball-mania?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Dec 2025 03:00:09 +0000 CNA CNA Singapore’s Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh has apologised to the court over comments he made on CNA’s The Assembly programme after being informed that his statements were in contempt of court. “I accept that my statements may be construed to be in contempt of court, including to impugn the integrity, propriety or impartiality of the court,” he said in a social media post on Saturday. “Given that, I wholly and unreservedly apologise to the court and will avoid making comments to the same... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3336310/singapores-pritam-singh-mediacorp-apologise-over-court-contempt-cna-interview?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3336310/singapores-pritam-singh-mediacorp-apologise-over-court-contempt-cna-interview?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Dec 2025 04:13:58 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau Singapore’s highest court has upheld a S$14,000 (US$10,800) fine imposed on opposition leader Pritam Singh for lying to a parliamentary committee. In February, the Workers’ Party (WP) chief was found guilty on two counts of giving false testimony to a committee investigating a lie told by Raeesah Khan, a former member of parliament for the party. Singh, who pleaded not guilty, received the maximum fine of S$7,000 for each charge following a 13-day trial. The 49-year-old appealed against his... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3335128/singapore-court-upholds-opposition-leader-pritam-singhs-conviction-lying?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3335128/singapore-court-upholds-opposition-leader-pritam-singhs-conviction-lying?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Dec 2025 01:54:10 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau Singapore’s Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh on Tuesday launched an appeal against a conviction for lying under oath to a parliamentary committee, for which he was fined S$14,000 (US$10,735). In February, the Workers’ Party (WP) chief, 49, was found guilty of two counts of giving false testimony to a committee scrutinising a lie told by Raeesah Khan, a former member of parliament for the party. Singh, who pleaded not guilty, received the maximum fine of S$7,000 for each charge following a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3331406/singapore-opposition-leader-pritam-singh-appeals-against-conviction-lying-parliament?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3331406/singapore-opposition-leader-pritam-singh-appeals-against-conviction-lying-parliament?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Nov 2025 02:00:32 +0000 Jean Iau,Kolette Lim Jean Iau,Kolette Lim Singapore’s government has reinforced its bottomline of zero tolerance for the politics of race and religion as well as foreign interference, arguing that such elements should be rejected swiftly. In parliament on Tuesday, Workers’ Party (WP) chief Pritam Singh and Coordinating Minister for National Security K. Shanmugam disagreed on the “timing” and “substance” of the WP in rejecting election endorsements by a self-styled Islamic preacher Noor Deros and Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS)... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3329017/singapore-doubles-down-zero-tolerance-identity-politics-foreign-interference?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3329017/singapore-doubles-down-zero-tolerance-identity-politics-foreign-interference?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Oct 2025 13:51:39 +0000 CNA CNA While Singaporeans rejected calls to vote along racial and religious lines in the May General Election, the temptation to play this card will grow as polls become more tightly contested, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said on Wednesday. He said the country’s unity depends on how it conducts its politics, and that a constructive way forward must include welcoming opposition views in parliament. The government will also do more to engage and involve Singaporeans outside the House, Wong added. He was... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3326699/singapore-pm-lawrence-wong-warns-unity-stake-racial-and-religious-divides-rise?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3326699/singapore-pm-lawrence-wong-warns-unity-stake-racial-and-religious-divides-rise?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Sep 2025 09:57:02 +0000 Jean Iau Jean Iau The gap in the credibility scores separating Singapore’s People’s Action Party (PAP) and main opposition the Workers’ Party (WP) is narrowing, while an uptick in young conservative voters contributed to the PAP’s triumph at the May election, a survey has revealed. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s first general election as PAP chief on May 3 bucked the trend of new leaders in the city state seeing a decline in the ruling PAP’s popular vote, with his party enjoying a vote-share swing in its favour... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3324098/gap-between-singapores-pap-wp-credibility-scores-narrows-survey?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3324098/gap-between-singapores-pap-wp-credibility-scores-narrows-survey?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Sep 2025 14:06:27 +0000 SCMP’s Asia desk SCMP’s Asia desk Singaporean politicians are leading their constituents on sold-out tours across the causeway to indulge in Malaysia’s peak durian season, with itineraries featuring all-you-can-eat buffets, shopping and multi-course dinners. At least seven members of parliament (MPs) have organised trips this month for Singaporean citizens to get their fill of the spiky and pungent fruit in neighbouring Malaysia, where prices are expected to fall this month in light of abundant supply. The outings, some lasting... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3317539/singapore-politicians-lead-sold-out-durian-tours-malaysia-peak-season-hits?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3317539/singapore-politicians-lead-sold-out-durian-tours-malaysia-peak-season-hits?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Jul 2025 08:20:56 +0000