Pritam responds to criticism from opposition parties about moving out of Marine Parade to Tampines

Amidst criticism from smaller opposition parties that the Workers' Party did not consult the wider opposition body before deciding to embark on a four-cornered fight in Tampines GRC, Workers' Party chief Pritam Singh had this to say:

"Well, it's not as if some of these opposition parties—and full respect to them because they have the right to contest elections—but they don't approach us when they say, 'Can I stand here? Can I stand there?'

So I think we respect them. We respect their agency. And they make decisions in their enlightened self-interest."

On Apr. 24, Pritam Singh was at Kopitiam Square in Sengkang with Sengkang GRC candidates He Ting Ru, Jamus Lim, Louis Chua and Abdul Muhaimin.

Reporters asked Singh, who is also Leader of the Opposition, about his thoughts on the backlash from non-WP opposition parties on the Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC walkover.

Singh had explained in a Facebook post that WP made the decision in order to give candidates the best electoral success, adding that they had a "difficult choice" as a "small opposition party" with "limited resources".

Is WP a small opposition party?

When pressed by reporters on why he would refer to WP as a "small opposition party" given its presence in parliament, Singh asked, "Would you disagree if I said it was compared to the PAP?"

On the backlash from Marine Parade-Braddell Heights walkover

Singh said he felt there was "nothing untoward about their planning" and WP has put forward "the best slate of candidates" as possible for Singapore.

Singh added that he had met with Marine Parade residents on Apr. 23, and "acknowledged and validated their disappointment" that WP was not standing for election there.

"But after I explained it to them, after I shared with them the reality of boundaries being redrawn, the reality of our own calculations as a party as to what is a better strategy, I think they understood where I was coming from," Singh said.

On whether WP could have informed other opposition parties of the decision to contest in Tampines GRC instead of in Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC beforehand, Pritam reiterated that WP has not been approached by other opposition parties for discussions to avoid three-cornered fights.

Singh also reasoned that increasingly, constituencies are seeing multiple parties mount challenges:

"Look, three- or four-cornered fights are going to be the norm. I mean, just mean, just look at Ang Mo Kio GRC. Opposition parties are having a three-cornered fight there. So this is going to be the norm in Singapore's political scene."

Goh should focus on PPP's campaign

The opposition People’s Power Party (PPP) sec-gen Goh Meng Seng told the media on Wednesday (Apr. 24) that his party would have contested in Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC had the WP not been "mum about their deployment".

"It is very ironic that the slogan of Workers' Party is working for Singapore. But do you really work for Singapore when you deprive 130,000 voters [of] their right to vote?", Goh said.

In response to Goh's comments, Singh said: "Mr Goh should focus on the campaign in Tampines".

WP vs new PAP slate

At a media doorstop with the WP Sengkang GRC team, Mothership asked how the incumbent WP team plans to take on a new-look PAP Sengkang slate, comprising younger candidates like Theodora Lai, Elmie Nekmat, Bernadette Giam and led by former political office holder Lam Pin Min.

Sengkang GRC team leader He Ting Ru responded that her team intends to focus on the work they have been doing so far in the estate and parliament, as well as ramping up their engagements with residents through rallies and social media.

"We just continue doing our work. We continue putting forward our vision for Singapore. I think voters who want to find out a bit more about us can follow us on the various social media channels and platforms, but our work continues," she said.

Separately, former party chief Low Thia Khiang made an appearance at the walkabout.

He was seen interacting with residents at Kopitiam Square in Sengkang along with party heavyweights Pritam Singh, Sylvia Lim, and Sengkang GRC candidates He Ting Ru, Jamus Lim, Louis Chua and Abdul Muhaimin.

https://mothership.sg/2025/04/low-thia-kiang-sengkang-ge-2025/

Top image: Workers' Party/Facebook