Singapore, May 1 (PTI) Singapore’s opposition-led Workers’ Party (WP) has reprimanded its Secretary-General Pritam Singh for lying to a parliamentary committee, setting the stage for his conviction in the court of law.
WP, which has 12 Members of Parliament out of the 99-seat House, said on Thursday a disciplinary panel convened in January had found that Singh, a former Leader of the Opposition in the Parliament, contravened two articles of the party’s Constitution.
The party’s top decision-making body, its central executive committee (CEC), made the decision. WP chairperson Sylvia Lim, its vice-chair Faisal Manap, and Singh recused themselves from these CEC meetings, WP said in a statement.
Lim and Faisal were also linked to the lying case as witnesses.
The WP, in a letter, said that the CEC separately considered that “at all material times, 49-year-old Singh did not have any intention to act in a manner contrary to the principles, aims, or objects of the party, or prejudicial to the welfare of the party.” It said, “In considering the range of potential actions against Singh, the CEC assessed the totality of the circumstances and issued him a formal letter of reprimand to him.” There are “currently no restrictions on Singh that prevent him from seeking office” at the next party election, reported The Straits Times, citing a separate response to the media.
The party office-bearer election is scheduled later in 2026.
The disciplinary panel was set up by the CEC after the high court upheld Singh’s conviction in December 2025 on two counts of lying to a parliamentary committee.
On April 30, the WP said the panel found that Singh had contravened articles 20(1) and 30 of the party’s Constitution.
“The Central Executive Committee, if satisfied that the conduct of any member is contrary to the principles or aims or objects of the Party or prejudicial to the welfare of the Party, may suspend or expel such member from any post in the Party, and demote him to the status of ordinary member if a Cadre Member, and expel him from membership of the Party,” the Singapore daily cited the party’s Article 20(1) on its website.
Singh’s convictions had triggered a series of actions from both the government and his own party. Singh, who has been WP chief since 2018, was also removed as Leader of the Opposition (LO) by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in January.
Wong cited Singh’s criminal convictions, as well as a January 14 motion in Parliament, which found him unsuitable for the role, making it “no longer tenable for him to continue as the LO.” The prime minister’s ruling People’s Action Party has an absolute majority in parliament with 87 seats. PTI GS VN VN
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