Younger slate of key office-bearers elected for Workers’ Party
New Workers' Party secretary-general Pritam Singh will work with fellow younger key office bearers such as treasurer Gerald Giam and deputy treasurer Lee Li Lian for the next two years.
SINGAPORE – A younger slate of key office bearers – all in their 40s, save for chairman Sylvia Lim, 53 – has been picked to lead the opposition Workers’ Party (WP) for the next two years.
Aside from newly minted secretary-general Pritam Singh, 41, others stepping up to key roles include Mr Gerald Giam, 40, who was elected treasurer, and Ms Lee Li Lian, also 40, who was elected deputy treasurer.
New central executive committee (CEC) entrant Terence Tan Li-Chern, 46, is WP’s new deputy organising secretary.
WP’s Non-Constituency Members of Parliament (NCMP) Dennis Tan, 47, and Daniel Goh, 44, are the new organising secretaries, while its third NCMP Leon Perera, 47, is president of its Youth Wing. Dr Goh is also the chair of the party’s media team while Mr Perera is his deputy.
Ms Lim and Mr Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap, 42, retain their respective positions as chairman and vice-chairman.
The roles were determined at the 14-member CEC’s first meeting on Thursday evening (April 12). They were elected by WP party cadres on Sunday (April 8).
Notably, the role of assistant secretary-general – which Mr Singh held before he was elected to succeed veteran chief Low Thia Khiang – has been left vacant. The roles of webmaster and deputy webmaster also do not feature in the latest CEC.
Mr Low, 61, stays on the central executive committee as a member, along with Mr Png Eng Huat, Mr Chen Show Mao, Dr John Yam Poh Nam and Mr Firuz Khan, who are in their 50s.
This means that half of the WP’s six elected MPs - Mr Low, Mr Png and Mr Chen - do not hold any post in the CEC.
Mr Singh had said on Sunday (Apr 8) the opposition party will build on the work of Mr Low and continue to be “rational, responsible and respectable”, as it seeks to work with all Singaporeans to “take on the form and the shape of a loyal Opposition”.
Mr Low, meanwhile, had said the WP’s “current phase of leadership renewal” — which was started in 2001 when he became party chief — is now complete.
At his Meet-the-People Session at Bedok Reservoir Road a day before the CEC meeting, Mr Low told reporters that he hopes Singaporeans will give his successor, Mr Singh, a chance as party’s new leader.
He declined to answer questions about why he had decided to remain in the CEC and what role he will play in the party.
“Everyone will be able to see and know. I don’t need to speculate on what will happen,” said Mr Low.
