'My vote is not secret, I'm going to support Pritam': WP's Yee Jenn Jong at book launch

"My vote is not secret, I'm going to support Pritam", said Yee Jenn Jong, addressing the crowd who gathered to watch him launch his new book, "Step Up: The Workers’ Party of Singapore 2.0 — The Road to GE2025 and Beyond".

The book, co-authored by Loke Hoe Yeong, a political historian, examines the evolution of the Workers’ Party (WP) of Singapore and its road to GE2025 and beyond.

Yee, who was the WP's candidate in East Coast GRC in GE2025, was a former Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) after GE2011.

The launch event was held at the Book Bar on Duxton Road on the evening of Jun. 3 and featured an interview with the authors by academic Walid Jumblatt Abdullah, associate professor at NTU, followed by a question-and-answer segment.

It was also livestreamed on Walid's Instagram under his Teh Tarik with Walid series.

'My vote is not secret'

In the Q&A, Walid addressed the elephant in the room, WP secretary-general Pritam Singh's future, and asked Yee point-blank, "So will Pritam stay on as the leader?"

This question came after the news broke that WP is set to hold a special cadres conference on Jun. 28.

Singh, the party’s secretary-general, will face a secret vote on his position if he does not offer to step down from his position.

Yee said, "Although it's a secret vote, my vote is not secret. I'm going to support Pritam because I feel that number one, he is not disqualified by law."

"Let's face it this way, every leader from the opposition side as long as you make some significant breakthrough and you're of a significant threat, you will face that sort of big challenge."

Pritam Singh should stay for 'orderly transition'

Singh faced two charges in a district court and was fined S$7,000 fine for each charge, lying to a parliamentary committee and contempt of Parliament, respectively.

This was the maximum fine imposed for each charge.

In a Feb. 17, 2025, statement, the Elections Department confirmed that to be disqualified, an MP must be convicted of a single sentence upwards of a year's jail, or a S$10,000 fine.

As multiple sentences cannot be added together, Singh's fine did not meet the threshold for MP disqualification.

Yee also expressed his wish for Singh to stay so that an "orderly transition" could take place.

In the book, Loke noted: "The issue of Pritam Singh being found guilty by the district court of lying under oath had no discernible effect in denting the WP’s vote share in the constituencies it held".

'Too early'

When asked what the fifth generation of WP leadership looks like and if Yee has anyone in mind to be that leader, Yee said, "I think it is really too early because anybody who wants to be a leader must prove their stripes".

He cited Singh's age and experience, saying, "You only have how many in that age range? Probably only two in parliament."

Yee added, "There are others waiting in the wings," and said if there was a "10-year transition", he was sure someone would emerge.

In response to Mothership's question on the lack of a direct challenger to contest the position of Secretary General, Yee said he felt that the question should be posed at the People's Action Party (PAP).

"Has there ever been a challenge, you know, a direct challenge in their current meeting for the Sec-Gen position? Never before, I believe."

Yee added that if "there's a challenge from within the rules, it's definitely not strange".

"If anybody wants to challenge Pritam, then let it be; there's nothing in the books that says it cannot be challenged."

Book's contents

The book has 21 chapters and is split into four sections: a brief history of the WP, the 2025 General Election, a peek into the WP of Singapore, and concluding words.

It is a successor to Yee's previous effort, "Journey in Blue: A Peek into the Workers' Party of Singapore" and provides a behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of the WP.

It provides historical and analytical insights as well as Yee's personal experiences at the frontlines of electoral politics as an opposition candidate and parliamentarian.

This includes analysis of WP's wins and setbacks, such as former Sengkang group representation constituency (GRC) Member of Parliament (MP) Raeesah Khan's admission to lying, and WP MP Leon Perera and former WP East Coast GRC candidate Nicole Seah's past affair.

In his book, Yee said he wanted to capture his 15-year journey with the WP.

Yee was active in electoral politics since 2011, running in four elections, and retired after the 2025 general election.

According to the book, he remains with the WP and remains ready to quietly contribute if needed.

Where to purchase?

The book is available at bookstores including Kinokuniya, Popular, and Book Bar.

Mothership readers can enter the code WSAOC20 for 20 per cent off when purchasing the book directly through World Scientific Connect.

For more details on the book, check out the publisher, World Scientific Connect's website here.