Pritam Singh wins secret vote at WP special cadres conference, re-elected party chief


PUBLISHED ONJune 28, 2026 10:08 AMUPDATED20 minutes agoBYKoh Xing YingDespite murmurs of Workers' Party (WP) cadres being disgruntled and aiming to unseat him at the party's internal elections on Sunday (June 28), Pritam Singh has been re-elected as its leader.
In a news release issued to the media at 5.50pm, Singapore's largest opposition party – with 12 seats in Parliament – announced that the 50-year-old has been re-elected as its secretary-general, with Sylvia Lim, 61, continuing as chairperson.
Meanwhile, 12 other members, including MPs for Aljunied GRC, Gerald Giam and Kenneth Tiong; Sengkang GRC MPs, Louis Chua, He Ting Ru, Assoc Prof Jamus Lim and Abdul Muhaimin bin Abdul Malik; and Hougang SMC MP Dennis Tan, were also elected to WP's Central Executive Committee (CEC).
"A vote was taken on whether Pritam Singh would remain as Secretary-General, and I would say that a supermajority voted for him to remain as the Workers' Party's Secretary-General," Giam said, who was chairman of the Special Cadre Members' Conference.
"I think this reflects the party's commitment to the democratic process and to everybody who wanted to requisition this special meeting."
Describing the meeting, Giam said it was conducted in a respectful manner despite robust discussions.
"It was a robust debate and I would say that it was a very civil discussion. The cadre members had a chance to speak about the concerns that they had, and Pritam answered them all," he said, adding that concerns raised by cadre members were handled with proper accountability.

The only MP not to have been elected to the CEC is Aljunied GRC MP Fadli Fawzi.
Meanwhile, NCMP Eileen Chong also makes the list, although fellow NCMP Andre Low did not.
WP's candidate for Punggol GRC at the 2025 General Election, Harpreet Singh, is a new addition to the CEC.
Former MP and party stalwart Low Thia Khiang and former Aljunied GRC MP Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap also make the list.
49-year-old Tan Kong Soon, who is the WP's deputy organising secretary, and a former legislative assistant to Low Thia Khiang, is the final name on the 14-member list.
In the party's statement, WP chief Pritam Singh said the focus of the party remains squarely on the issues that impact the daily lives of Singaporeans.
"In a time of increasing global uncertainty, we remain more committed than ever to a vision of Singapore that is truly future-ready — a future that works for everybody. We continue to work for Singapore," Singh said.
The party added that the CEC's appointment holders will be announced in due course.
@asiaone WP chief Pritam Singh won a secret vote at the party's special cadres meeting to remain as its secretary-general, and was re-elected to the post as WP chose its new 14-member Central Executive Committee. #sgnews #Singapore #WorkersParty ♬ original sound - AsiaOne
Singh, who has led the Workers' Party since 2018 after succeeding Low Thia Khiang, had previously been returned unopposed in party leadership elections.
The special meeting came two months after the party's CEC formally reprimanded Singh following internal disciplinary proceedings.
In a statement issued on April 30, the CEC said it did not find that Singh had acted with intent to go against the party's principles, describing his actions as judgment calls made under the circumstances.
The disciplinary proceedings followed Singh's conviction on two counts of lying to a parliamentary committee.
He was subsequently stripped of his position as Leader of the Opposition.
Speaking to the media after Sunday's meeting, Singh was asked about cadre members who were unhappy with the outcome of the vote.
"The petitioners asked for a vote, and the chair of the meeting agreed that there would be a vote. I am quite sure they respect the democratic process, as we all do," he said, adding that the party remained focused on its role.
"The party understands that its purpose is to behave in a rational and responsible way and to represent Singaporeans faithfully."
[[nid:738951]]