SINGAPORE: Singapore academic Walid J. Abdullah has weighed in on the Workers’ Party’s (WP) leadership contest, saying Secretary-General Pritam Singh has emerged from the party’s internal challenge with his authority strengthened after securing the backing of a large majority of party cadres.
Mr Singh was returned unopposed as WP secretary-general following the party’s internal elections and a special cadres conference that was convened after some members expressed dissatisfaction over Mr Singh’s handling of the Raeesah Khan controversy. The group had called on him to explain his actions, resign from his post, or face a secret vote if he declined to step down.
Mr Singh told the press that the issues raised by the concerned members had been addressed through a democratic process.
Both Mr Singh and party chair Sylvia Lim were re-elected to their respective posts. The party also elected 12 members to its Central Executive Committee (CEC), its highest decision-making body, with most members from the previous committee retaining their seats.
Commenting on the result of the internal vote, Associate Professor Walid said the outcome demonstrated that Mr Singh remained firmly in control of the opposition party, despite speculation in recent weeks about internal dissent.
“Pritam Singh more than survives, he demonstrates that he is fully in charge of the Workers’ Party,” he wrote on Facebook, adding that rumours of a revolt or a schism between Mr Singh and former secretary-general Low Thia Khiang had ultimately failed to materialise.
Citing South China Morning Post journalist Jean Lau, Dr Walid noted that Mr Singh was understood to have secured around 79 to 80 per cent of the cadres’ votes, describing it as an “extremely high number.”
He argued that the result showed the controversy surrounding former WP Member of Parliament (MP) Raeesah Khan had not undermined Mr Singh’s standing.
“Right now, Pritam has shown that whatever has happened due to and since the Raeesah incident, which occurred in 2021 by the way, has not affected his credibility, in the eyes of people,” Dr Walid wrote.
He pointed to several developments that, in his view, reflected continued confidence in the WP chief, including the party’s performance in the 2025 General Election, the backing Mr Singh received from fellow WP MPs in Parliament, and the strong mandate delivered by party cadres.
Dr Walid also expressed agreement with comments made by senior counsel Harpreet Singh, who described the outcome as positive for both the WP and Singapore.
“As an ordinary Singaporean, I want the most capable politicians to be contesting in elections across all parties. Pritam, to me, is in that category,” Dr Walid wrote.
Expressing hope that the Raeesah Khan controversy would finally be put to rest, he quipped, “Because at this point, I am not sure which will happen first: we stop talking abt this 2021 incident or Singapore qualifying for the World Cup.”
Harpreet Singh, who was the sole member newly elected to the WP’s CEC, had expressed similar sentiments as he defended the party’s decision to retain Mr Singh as secretary-general.
Writing on Facebook, Mr Harpreet said the cadres had reached their decision while giving full respect to the recent High Court judgment involving Mr Singh, but had assessed a broader question of whether he remained fit to lead the party based on his overall record.
Mr Harpreet said that Mr Singh had built a highly respected reputation since becoming an Aljunied GRC MP in 2011 and later assuming the party leadership in 2018, citing his years of service, calmness under political pressure and leadership in guiding the WP to significant parliamentary milestones.
While stressing that the court’s judgment should not be dismissed, Mr Harpreet said a person’s entire history should be considered when evaluating character.
He added that the confidence shown by WP MPs, the CEC and the party’s cadres reflected not blind loyalty but the considered judgment of people who had worked closely with Mr Singh over many years.
Mr Harpreet also said the renewed mandate carried significant responsibility, adding that he believed Mr Singh would continue to lead with commitment and humility.
He added that the decision was good for the WP and that he believes “time will prove this decision to be good for Singapore too.”
