SINGAPORE: Workers’ Party (WP) chief Pritam Singh said the opposition party has played its part as a “loyal opposition” in parliament in 2024 and will work hard to secure people’s support ahead of the General Election next year.
In his New Year message posted on the WP Facebook page on Tuesday (Dec 31), Mr Singh said the WP has taken its parliamentary responsibilities seriously, raising matters such as the cost of living and housing policies in this term of government.
The WP, which has eight MPs in the House, is the only party other than the People’s Action Party with elected Members of Parliament.
“The Workers’ Party has played its part to promote a more stable political arrangement for Singapore, where alternative views do not just have a voice, but a vote in parliament,” said Mr Singh, who is also Leader of the Opposition.
“The Workers’ Party firmly believes that constructive parliamentary debates and the diligent responsiveness of policymakers to inquiries results in improved policy outcomes to the benefit of Singapore and Singaporeans. Towards this aim, we worked and played our part as a loyal opposition in parliament in 2024.”
WP’S PARLIAMENTARY RECORD IN 2024
Reflecting on the party’s record in parliament in the past year, Mr Singh noted the robust debate on a motion on digital safety, during which WP MPs called for stronger customer protections and measures to address the imbalance of power between banks and customers.
After one of Singapore’s largest money laundering cases, the anti-money laundering Bill was debated on and passed in August. Among the issues raised, He Ting Ru (WP-Sengkang) suggested oversight to include single family offices, fine art and cryptocurrencies.
During debates on the Income-Allianz deal – which would later be scrapped after being blocked by the government – WP MPs, including Mr Singh, echoed several key concerns shared by Singaporeans on social media regarding the proposed deal. These included questions on financial management and controls in Allianz, as well as Income’s social mission.
The WP also made itself heard during the lengthy debates on the Platform Workers’ Bill in September.
A sharp exchange took place between ruling party MPs and Mr Gerald Giam (WP-Aljunied) after he questioned the independence of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and its effectiveness in advocating for workers.
