Pritam Singh rejects premiership, ‘My role is to normalise the idea of an opposition in Singapore'

Online Citizen​

3 days ago

SINGAPORE: Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh has made clear that he has no intention of becoming Prime Minister of Singapore.
Speaking on the YouTube podcast 'Keluar Sekejap' on 24 June 2025, he described his primary political mission as 'normalising the idea of an opposition in Singapore'.
The podcast was hosted by former Malaysian health minister Khairy Jamaluddin and Shahril Hamdan, a former United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) leader.
When Khairy asked Singh directly whether he aspired to become Prime Minister, Singh responded with a firm 'no'.
Explaining his stance, he said, 'We all have a role in our minds and in our heart of hearts. And I think my role is to normalise the idea of an opposition in Singapore. That's my role.'
He further added, 'And I hope to be able to bring more like-minded people on board. So, being a Singaporean and being in a Singapore which has a functioning and effective parliamentary democracy is my life mission. And that's how I see my role.'
Pritam Singh stressed that the opposition must be prepared to govern if needed
Pritam also underlined the importance of preparing the Workers' Party (WP) as a ready and rational opposition force.
'I'm not saying me and my colleagues today will be in that position, but we certainly want to put the party in that position.'
He characterised this preparation as essential 'insurance' for Singapore in case the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) experiences serious setbacks.
'And if the PAP really suffers a major malfunction, then if push comes to shove, you want to be in a position where you can say, 'Look, we're ready because we've got these years of experience under our belt.' And I think that's a great insurance for Singapore,' Singh stated.
Singapore: currently more of a 'one-and-a-half party system'
Singh acknowledged that Singapore does not yet have a two-party democracy and instead functions under what he termed a 'one-and-a-half party system'.
He asserted that no political party should be considered larger than the nation and expressed concern that Singaporeans may feel overly reliant on the PAP.
'And equally, you're going to have an opposition that has to take elections seriously.'
'You cannot have opposition parties showing up one month, one week before elections and saying, 'Look here, I'm standing and I want to be your Member of Parliament.' I mean, this is a very long-term investment.'
He expressed hope that opposition parties would commit to consistent and serious engagement with constituents, moving beyond symbolic electoral participation.
Pritam Singh: There are no safe seats for opposition
In the podcast, Khairy revisited his earlier critique of the WP's electoral strategy during the May 2025 General Election.
He argued that the party's modest target of winning 30% of parliamentary seats lacked the ambition needed to challenge the PAP effectively.
Khairy also commented on what he saw as a lack of boldness in Pritam's campaign choices.
He questioned why Singh did not step out of his traditional constituency, Aljunied GRC, to contest in a more challenging ward, such as Punggol, where he could have taken on Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong directly.
Pritam responded by dismissing the idea that Aljunied was a political 'bunker'.
'There are no safe seats for us (opposition). And there's no safe bunker. Anything can change, and before you know it, you are at the forward edge and you've got to fight your battle there.' he said.
He elaborated that the party's strategy is shaped by public sentiment.
'If we accept that Singaporeans are pragmatic and there's no demand for a change of government, then going out there flying a flag which says 'I'm your Prime Minister in waiting' is probably, with respect, an act of foolishness — in my view at least.'
Singh explained that to succeed in opposition politics in Singapore, one must consistently engage with residents on the ground to understand their sentiments.
He emphasised that political messaging should be grounded in the public's concerns, rather than driven by ideological agendas.
'If not, it's a gamble. And gambles don't work very well in Singapore politics,' Singh added.
'Singaporeans are in serious trouble if only Gan Kim Yong can negotiate with US'
Khairy raised another point of contention from the General Election campaign, specifically Singh's focus on DPM Gan Kim Yong.
Singh clarified that this focus was not personal.
Rather, it was a reaction to Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's assertion that Gan was indispensable due to his role in negotiating trade agreements with the United States.
Singh challenged this justification, stating, 'Singaporeans are in serious trouble if only Gan Kim Yong can negotiate with the United States.'
He noted that Gan is not part of the PAP's Central Executive Committee and is likely serving his final term. Therefore, portraying him as politically untouchable was misleading.
Singh emphasised that his political approach is rooted in issues, not personalities.
He argued that this principled stance has contributed to the Workers' Party's credibility and increasing political relevance.