SINGAPORE: Workers' Party chief Pritam Singh will remain the Leader of the Opposition with staff and resources to carry out his duties, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
“The WP fielded a strong slate of candidates, and put up a tough fight in this election,” said PM Wong, who added that he had spoken to Pritam.
WP has also consolidated and increased its presence in Parliament, the Prime Minister added in a Facebook post on May 5.
The opposition party retained Aljunied GRC, Sengkang GRC and Hougang SMC, returning 1ten elected MPs to Parliament.
As the “best losers” at the polls - narrowly losing to the ruling PAP in Jalan Kayu SMC and Tampines GRC - the party will be able to take up two Non-Constituency MP seats in Singapore’s 15th Parliament.
In the five constituencies that it did not win, WP candidates polled above 40 per cent.
PM Wong said: “I look forward to the contributions of the Workers’ Party members in Parliament,” he added.
Pritam was appointed Leader of the Opposition by former prime minister Lee Hsien Loong after the last general election in 2020, which saw WP win its second GRC - Sengkang.
The Leader of the Opposition’s role is to lead the opposition in presenting alternative views in parliamentary debates on policies, Bills and motions.
His duties also include leading and organising scrutiny of the government’s positions and actions in Parliament.
On May 3, WP triumphed in its traditional strongholds of Aljunied GRC and Hougang SMC, returning its core leaders - including Pritam, its secretary-general - to Parliament.
Despite a national swing towards the ruling party, the five-member WP team in Aljunied GRC maintained its hold over the constituency, with 59.68 per cent of the vote.
In Hougang, WP polled 62.17 per cent. The party also held on to Sengkang, winning 56.31 per cent of the vote.
While the party did not win any new constituency, it polled above 40 per cent in the constituencies where it lost, namely the Punggol, East Coast and Tampines GRCs, as well as the Jalan Kayu and Tampines Changkat SMCs. - The Straits Times/ANN
