Workers’ Party Shakes Things Up: Sylvia Lim & Pritam Singh Re‑seated
The Workers’ Party (WP) handed a firm thumbs‑up to Sylvia Lim as the party chair and Pritam Singh as the secretary‑general last Saturday (Nov 12). It’s the latest episode in the WP’s two‑year election cycle, where members from the inner circles (the cadres) cast the votes.
Retiree & New Blood
- Former MP Png Eng Huat stepped down from the central executive committee (CEC). It’s a big‑gie move, because the CEC is the top decision‑making arm of the party.
- Three fresh faces were sworn in to fill the gap: Ang Boon Yaw (40), Nathaniel Koh (39) and Tan Kong Soon (45).
Ang, a lawyer, has been volunteering with the WP since 2012, while Nathaniel was the candidate in Marine Parade GRC in GE 2020. Tan, meanwhile, had a prior stint on the CEC back in 2016.
Re‑electing the Rely‑On‑Seniors
Looking back to the last 2020 election, 15 members were chosen—including Raeesah Khan, who left the party and the House in November 2021 after admitting to a parliamentary lie. The other ten were re‑elected: Louis Chua, He Ting Ru, Jamus Lim (all Sengkang GRC MPs); Gerald Giam, Faisal Manap, Leon Perera (Aljunied GRC MPs); and Dennis Tan (Hougang MP).
Also in the mix were former party chief Low Thia Khiang, Kenneth Foo and Nicole Seah—the trio that contested East Coast GRC in GE 2020.
Back‑to‑the‑Future Court Drama
Just a few days after the re‑elections, the Court of Appeal weighed in on a simmering case concerning how the WP ran the Aljunied‑Hougang Town Council—something that started when the party won Aljunied GRC back in 2011. The apex court found that Lim, Singh, and Low acted in good faith when they decided to waive the tender for a managing agent. However, they fell short on managing payment processes and handling potential conflicts of interest.
Bottom line: the WP’s leaders are on the record saying that, while their intentions were right, their execution was a bit sloppy. Classic “good intentions, bad paperwork” moment.
TL;DR
- Sylvia Lim & Pritam Singh kept their titles.
- Png Eng Huat retires.
- New CEC members: Ang Boon Yaw, Nathaniel Koh, Tan Kong Soon.
- Re‑elected senior MPs and ex‑leaders stay in the mix.
- Court of Appeal points out missteps in town council management.
This piece originally came out in The Straits Times. Reproduction needs permission.
