Singapore’s new opposition leader vows both scrutiny and support of PAP, cites Hong Kong, South China Sea

Pritam Singh says Workers Party will strive to keep People’s Action Party government in check; says it is up against the entire civil service machinery

He says city state should welcome businesses relocating due to Hong Kong’s ‘seismic political changes’, backs government on foreign and defence policies

Reading Time:4 minutes

The promenade at Marina Bay in Singapore. Photo: AFP

Published: 7:45pm, 31 Aug 2020Updated: 9:15pm, 31 Aug 2020

Pritam Singh, Singapore’s newly appointed Leader of the Opposition, on Monday sought to temper expectations that his Workers’ Party could immediately go toe to toe with the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) in formulating alternative policies and stressed that it would back the government if it was in the national interest.

In particular, the party – which made historic gains in July’s election – supported efforts to finalise a code of conduct in the South China Sea, said Pritam. In a wide-ranging speech, he also asked the government to seize opportunities amid the downturn including those borne out of Hong Kong’s political crisis.

Speaking in parliament, Singh emphasised that while the Workers’ Party would do its best to scrutinise the government with the added official resources handed to it, it was facing off with a ruling party that had the entire civil service at its disposal.

Pritam Singh of the Workers’ Party. Photo: Reuters

“The Workers’ Party intends to raise matters in parliament that are important to the people of Singapore that the government and PAP backbenchers may not,” Singh said on the first day of a debate on an address by President Halimah Yacob last week. “We intend to scrutinise policies to the best of our abilities.”

Singh’s speech was his first in a major debate following Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s decision to name him the official Leader of the Opposition after the July 10 election.