Punjab-origin MP elected leader of Singapore’s main oppn party
SINGAPORE: Pritam Singh, a Punjab-origin lawmaker in Singapore, was on Sunday elected unopposed as the new secretarygeneral of the city-state’s main opposition Workers’ Party.
Singh, 41, a lawyer, took over from veteran member of parliament (MP) Low Thia Khiang, 61.
Elected to Parliament in May 2011, Singh moved up from the assistant secretary-general post unopposed when cadres elected their party chief at the biennial Central Executive Council elections, in the first change of leadership in 17 years. Singh is also a town council chairman.
He is an MP for Aljunied Group Representation Constituency, a five-member group representation constituency in the north-eastern and eastern region of Singapore.
Low, who held the party’s top post since 2001, had announced in November that he would not contest the party-post election to make way for new blood.
Singh was seen as the frontrunner for the secretary-general post after Low’s announcement. The election of Singh means that the Workers’ Party will have a new leader when Parliament reopens next month after a mid-term break.
MP Sylvia Lim retained the party’s chairmanship unopposed. Singh’s was the only name nominated for the position - to unanimous and rousing applause, party sources told The Straits Times. Since fellow Aljunied GRC MP Chen Show Mao, 57, had challenged Mr Low for the post unsuccessfully in 2016, there was speculation about whether he would do so again this time.