Pritam Singh (Singaporean politician)

The Honourable
Pritam Singh
Singh in 2021
9th Leader of the Opposition
Incumbent
Assumed office
24 August 2020
de facto: 8 April 2018 – 23 June 2020
Prime MinisterLee Hsien Loong
Lawrence Wong
Preceded byLow Thia Khiang[1]
9th Secretary-General of the Workers' Party
Incumbent
Assumed office
8 April 2018
ChairwomanSylvia Lim Swee Lian
(since 2003)
Vice-ChairmanFaisal Manap
(since 2016)
Preceded byLow Thia Khiang
Member of Parliament
for Aljunied GRC
(Eunos)
Incumbent
Assumed office
7 May 2011
Preceded byZainul Abidin
Majority28,485 (19.90%)
Personal details
Born
Pritam Singh

(1976-08-02) 2 August 1976 (age 48)
Singapore
Political partyWorkers' Party
(2011–present)
Spouse
Loveleen Kaur Walia
​
(m. 2012)​
Children2
Alma materNational University of Singapore (BA)
King's College London (MA)
Singapore Management University (JD)
Occupation
  • Politician
  • lawyer
  • author
Military service
Branch/serviceSingapore Army
Years of service1994–2002
RankMajor[2]

Pritam Singh (born 2 August 1976) is a Singaporean politician, author, and lawyer who has been the Secretary-General of the Workers' Party since 2018, and Leader of the Opposition since 2020. A member of the Workers' Party (WP), Singh has been the Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Eunos division of Aljunied GRC since 2011.

Singh graduated from the National University of Singapore in 2000 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history. In 1999, he won the Straits Steamship Prize for being the top undergraduate student in history and political science.[3] He was later awarded the Chevening Scholarship for postgraduate studies at King's College London, where he completed a Master of Arts degree in war studies in 2004.[4][5]

Singh joined the Workers' Party and was elected to Parliament in the 2011 general election, and has retained his parliamentary seat in subsequent elections. That same year, Singh completed a Juris Doctor degree at the Singapore Management University as well as qualifying for the bar. In 2013, Singh joined the litigation and dispute resolution practice at Donaldson & Burkinshaw, Singapore's oldest law firm.

Singh was elected Secretary-General of the Workers' Party on 8 April 2018 as part of a leadership renewal, succeeding Low Thia Khiang. Singh was the de facto Leader of the Opposition between 2018 and 2020. After the 2020 general election, his party emerged as the largest opposition party in Parliament when the party secured Aljunied GRC, Hougang SMC and Sengkang GRC, a total of 10 seats. Subsequently, Singh was appointed as the first de jure Leader of the Opposition by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Early life and education

Singh was born on 2 August 1976 in Singapore.[6][7] He grew up the younger of two children.[8] His father was a former district judge and former military officer.[9]

He attended Woodsville Primary School, Belvedere Primary School, Saint Thomas Secondary School — under the Normal (Academic) stream, and Jurong Junior College.[10] He graduated from the National University of Singapore with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history in 2000 under the Singapore Armed Forces's Local Study Award scholarship.[11]

He also graduated from King's College London in 2004 with a Master of Arts degree in war studies under the Chevening Scholarship.[2]

Singh also completed a diploma in Islamic studies from the International Islamic University Malaysia in 2005.[12] In 2007, Singh founded Opinion Asia, an online commentary syndicate with a focus on issues related to Asia and Asians.[13] He obtained a Juris Doctor degree from the Singapore Management University in 2011.[2][14]

Career

Military career

Singh enlisted in the Singapore Armed Forces in 1994 and served as a commissioned officer between 1996 and 2002. During his service, he was a combat engineer.[15] At present, he is a reservist commander with the rank of Major.[2]

In 2013, Singh joined the litigation and dispute resolution practice at Donaldson & Burkinshaw, Singapore's oldest law firm.[14][16]

Political career

Singh posing with a family at a hawker centre
Singh with an elderly constituent

Singh joined the Workers' Party while completing a juris doctor degree at the Singapore Management University, citing its "level-headedness and leadership" as his primary motivator.[17]

During the 2011 general election, Singh was part of the five-member Workers' Party team which contested in Aljunied GRC. The team included the party's secretary-general Low Thia Khiang, chairwoman Sylvia Lim and members Chen Show Mao and Faisal Manap. They faced the team from the incumbent People's Action Party (PAP), which was led by Foreign Affairs minister George Yeo. The Workers' Party's team defeated the PAP team by 72,289 votes (54.7%) to 59,829 (45.2%),[18] marking the first occasion in Singapore's history in which an opposition party had won an election in a GRC.

Since the election, Singh has represented the Eunos ward within the constituency in Parliament.[19] Singh was appointed as the assistant secretary general on the party's executive council.[20] Singh was also previously the chairman of the Aljunied–Hougang Town Council (AHTC) from 2016 to 2020.

Leadership of the Workers' Party

In 2017, after Low Thia Khiang announced that he was contemplating retirement as well as wanting to rejuvenate the party for "younger blood", Singh was widely regarded to be the next chief of the Workers' Party before the general election that would have been scheduled to be held by 2021.[21] Subsequently, Singh was eventually confirmed as secretary-general of the Workers' Party on 8 April 2018 after Low stepped down for a leadership self-renewal.[22]

2020 general election

The results of the 2020 general election saw Singh, together with Sylvia Lim, Faisal Manap and former NCMPs Gerald Giam and Leon Perera, being re-elected to represent the Aljunied GRC constituents, with an increased share of the vote of 59.95%, defeating the PAP team that received 40.05%.[23] The Workers' Party had also won Hougang SMC, its stronghold which has been held since 1991,[24] and the newly created Sengkang GRC,[23] the first time the Workers' Party had won a general election in a second GRC.[25]

Singh is the Town Councillor of the Public Relations Committee in the Aljunied–Hougang Town Council (AHTC).

Leader of the Opposition

Following the 2020 general election in which the Workers' Party won ten seats, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong decided to formally designate Singh as Leader of the Opposition, and said that he would be "provided with appropriate staff support and resources" to carry out his new parliamentary appointment role.[1][26] Prior to this, the leader of the opposition was an unofficial de facto position in Parliament as the Constitution and standing orders of Parliament did not provide for such a position. With the creation of the formal office, Parliament announced that the appointment holder will draw an annual salary of S$385,000, double the salary of a regular Member of Parliament. Singh decided to donate half of the allowance increase from his new appointment for his party, charitable causes as well as his residents' needs.[27]

Prosecution for allegedly falsely testifying to Committee of Privileges

Following Raeesah Khan admitting to lying to Parliament in November 2021, in February 2022 the Committee of Privileges (COP) recommended that Singh (as well as Faisal Manap) be referred to the Public Prosecutor for review so as to determine if criminal proceedings ought to be brought against them for their conduct before the COP. On 15 February 2022, Parliament voted to proceed with this referral to the Public Prosecutor.[28]

On 19 March 2024, two years after the police originally initiated investigations into his conduct before the COP, the Public Prosecutor charged Singh in the State Courts with two counts of lying to a parliamentary committee, under Section 31(q) of the Parliament (Privileges, Immunities and Powers) Act 1962. Singh was unrepresented when he was charged, and pleaded not guilty, claiming trial.[29][30]

On April 17, it was reported that Singh had appointed Andre Jumabhoy and Aristotle Emmanuel Eng Zhen Yang as his defence counsel.[31]

On 31 May, it was reported that Singh's trial had been scheduled to begin on 14 October, lasting 16 days, until 13 November, and that the presiding judge would be Deputy Principal District Judge Luke Tan.[32]

Political positions

In 2020, Singh recommended a universal monthly minimum wage of S$1,300 in place of progressive wage.[33] In 2023, Singh advocated for a mandatory knowledge of the English language when assessing aspirants of citizenship or permanent residency in Singapore.[34]

Personal life

Singh is of Punjabi ancestry and is a practising Sikh.[35][36] He married Loveleen Kaur Walia, a Singaporean theatre practitioner, in 2012.[8][37] The couple have two daughters.[38]

References

  1. ^ a b "GE2020: Election results a clear mandate for PAP but also reflects desire for more diversity of voices in Parliament, says PM". The Straits Times. 11 July 2020. Archived from the original on 11 July 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d "The Workers' Party's new Secretary-General: 10 things to know about Pritam Singh". Channel NewsAsia. Archived from the original on 8 April 2018. Retrieved 8 April 2018.
  3. ^ Exclusive Interview with Pritam Singh, Univantage, SMU, October 2011
  4. ^ 2011's Chevening Scholars Archived 18 July 2012 at archive.today, British High Commission Singapore website, retrieved 8 April 2012.
  5. ^ News from our alumni Archived 25 August 2012 at the Wayback Machine, kcl.ac.uk, retrieved 8 April 2012.
  6. ^ Koh, Jamie. "Sikh community". Infopedia. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  7. ^ "MP | Parliament of Singapore".
  8. ^ a b "Lunch With Sumiko: WP chief Pritam Singh on the need to keep calm and stay grounded". Straits Times. 17 January 2021. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
  9. ^ "WP chief Pritam Singh reveals his father wasn't against him joining an opposition party". mothership.sg. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
  10. ^ Teo, Melissa (17 September 2021). "Dropouts, neighbourhood schools and Normal stream: These people made it big without going to 'elite schools'". AsiaOne. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  11. ^ "Pritam Singh is Singapore's first formally designated Leader of the Opposition". Tatler Asia. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  12. ^ Pritam Singh Archived 26 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine, wp.sg, retrieved 6 April 2012.
  13. ^ "Pritam Singh" (PDF). law.smu.edu.sg. The Straits Times. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 September 2019. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
  14. ^ a b "SINGH Pritam". Archived from the original on 2 May 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2013., Donaldson & Burkinshaw website, retrieved 3 February 2013.
  15. ^ "'Loss of fellow NSman hits close to home': WP's Pritam Singh on Aloysius Pang's death". CNA. 24 January 2019. Archived from the original on 10 December 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2021.
  16. ^ "Pritam Singh elected as new Workers' Party chief". sg.news.yahoo.com. 8 April 2018. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  17. ^ Hussain, Zakir (2 May 2011). "Postgraduate law student is potential WP candidate" (PDF). The Straits Times. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
  18. ^ Parliamentary General Election 2011: Aljunied GRC[usurped] , singapore-elections.com, retrieved 6 April 2012.
  19. ^ MP for Aljunied GRC, Eunos Division Archived 6 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine , aljunied.wp.sg, retrieved 6 April 2012.
  20. ^ Executive Council Archived 28 July 2013 at the Wayback Machine , wp.sg, retrieved 6 April 2012.
  21. ^ "Pritam Singh tipped to be next WP chief". The Straits Times. 14 November 2017. Archived from the original on 11 December 2017. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  22. ^ "Pritam Singh elected new WP chief, succeeding Low Thia Khiang". Channel NewsAsia. Archived from the original on 8 April 2018. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  23. ^ a b Chew Hui Min (11 June 2020). "GE2020: Workers' Party retains Aljunied GRC with wider margin against PAP". Channel News Asia. Archived from the original on 20 April 2021. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  24. ^ Yeoh, Grace (11 July 2020). "GE2020: Workers' Party retains Hougang SMC with 61.19% of votes". Channel News Asia. Archived from the original on 16 July 2020. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  25. ^ Toh, Wen Li; Lim, Yan Liang (11 July 2020). "GE2020 official results: WP wins Sengkang GRC with 52.13% of votes, clinching its second GRC". The Straits Times.
  26. ^ "PM Lee Hsien Loong on GE2020 results: 'We have a clear mandate'". YouTube. Archived from the original on 12 July 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  27. ^ "WP's Pritam Singh clarifies he will donate half his salary increase as Opposition Leader, not half his entire salary". The Straits Times. 1 August 2020.
  28. ^ Abdullah, Ahmaz Zhaki (29 April 2022). "Committee of Privileges report: Public prosecutor refers case against Pritam Singh, Faisal Manap to police for investigations". CNA. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  29. ^ Tham, Yuen-C; Chua, Nadine (19 March 2024). "WP chief Pritam Singh charged with lying to Parliament over Raeesah Khan's case, pleads not guilty". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  30. ^ "AGC-SPF Joint Statement On Completion Of Investigations Into Conduct Before The Committee Of Privileges". Singapore Police Force. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  31. ^ Devaraj, Samuel (17 April 2024). "Pritam Singh appoints ex-prosecutor to defend him in court over his alleged lies to Parliament". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  32. ^ Wong, Shiying (31 May 2024). "WP chief Pritam Singh's trial over alleged lies to Parliament set to start on Oct 14". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  33. ^ Ho, Grace (12 October 2020). "WP chief Pritam Singh calls for universal minimum wage with $1,300 base". www.straitstimes.com. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
  34. ^ Tang, Louisa (27 February 2023). "Pritam Singh advocates for English test in Singapore citizenship, PR applications". CNA. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
  35. ^ "Want new citizens who know Singapore; not here for powerful passport: Opposition leader Pritam Singh". The Economic Times. 28 February 2023. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  36. ^ Kor, Kian Beng (26 April 2011). "Chen: I never stopped being a Singaporean" (PDF). The Straits Times. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  37. ^ "WP's Pritam Singh ties the knot in colourful ceremony". Archived from the original on 11 December 2017. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
  38. ^ Sim, Royston (17 August 2018). "WP chief Pritam Singh now father of 2; baby girl delivered by emergency caesarian". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 2 January 2019. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
Parliament of Singapore
New office Leader of the Opposition
2020–present 		Incumbent
Preceded by Unofficial Leader of the Opposition
2018–2020 		Position abolished
Preceded by Member of Parliament
for Aljunied GRC
(Eunos)
2011–present 		Incumbent
Party political offices
Preceded by Secretary-General of the Workers' Party
2018–present 		Incumbent