SINGAPORE – The Workers’ Party (WP) election committee has engaged commercial parties to help in candidate screening and personality review, in preparation for the general election in 2025.

The party’s secretary-general Pritam Singh, who is Leader of the Opposition, said this in what he described as an “election speech” delivered at the WP annual members’ forum on Jan 11. The transcript of the speech was shared on WP’s Facebook page on Jan 17.

But such screening measures are not fool-proof, and cannot guarantee that all previous infractions of an individual will come to light, he said.

“It is important that I set this expectation. But the party will do our best,” Mr Singh added.

He did not reveal the party’s slate of candidates, but said the WP has been looking carefully at possible candidates. He also said they will be a mix of individuals who have walked the ground extensively, as well as new members.

As with previous elections, the WP will carefully consider candidates and the configuration of the team, if a GRC is being contested, Mr Singh added.

“It would not make sense to field individuals with similar attributes in one GRC, and we will do our best to deploy a balanced team, in terms of youth, experience and value-add, amongst other criteria,” he said.

The next general election must be called by November 2025.

In his speech, Mr Singh said that even as the party looks to field credible individuals for the next general election, it also needs to keep an eye on party renewal.

He added: “We need to bring newer, younger candidates on board. None of us here are getting any younger, and we need to work in a dedicated way to encourage and bring more Singaporeans on board.”

The individuals being sought are those motivated in wanting a more balanced political system in Singapore. “If we are not successful in bringing in new people, the WP will have a big problem in the years to come. It will run a real risk of becoming irrelevant to Singaporeans,” he said.

Mr Singh said the WP believes in a more balanced political system for Singapore, where the opposition is active and provides a choice for Singaporeans. 

“Given today’s political context in Singapore, we believe that at least one-third of the elected Members of Parliament must be opposition MPs,” he said.

Mr Singh also pointed to Singapore’s multiracial political system, saying that the party cannot adopt a political stance that is communal, reaching out for the support of only one community to win at the ballot box.

“Today, that is a sure way for any opposition party to lose an election,” said Mr Singh. “We represent all Singaporeans.”

The party’s political advocacy must be mindful of the laws and guard rails that protect Singapore’s multiracialism, he said, adding that the WP must always play its role to strengthen Singapore’s multiracialism.

But that does not mean the party will shy away from debating issues with racial or religious overtones, Mr Singh said, pointing to how WP MPs had raised questions in Parliament on such topics.

The year 2025 will be a critical one, he said.

“The opposition movement, as defined by elected opposition MPs in Parliament, is still in its infancy,” he said. “At this stage of Singapore’s political development, there is a real risk of a wipeout of elected opposition MPs.”

“Such a development will set back the evolution of a more balanced political system,” said Mr Singh. “In my view, this will have significant, negative implications for Singapore’s solidarity, and by extension, national unity.”

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.