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CNA
03-07-2025
- Politics
- CNA
PAP questions WP chief Pritam Singh for discussing Singapore politics 'on foreign soil, to foreign audience'
SINGAPORE: The decision by Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh to speak about Singapore's politics on a Malaysian podcast 'raises serious questions' as to why he chose to address the topic "on foreign soil to a foreign audience", the People's Action Party (PAP) said on Thursday (Jul 3). 'Strikingly, he chose not a local media outlet, but a podcast hosted by Malaysians and recorded in Malaysia to share his views on our domestic political landscape', the party said in a statement. In a video released on YouTube on Jun 24, the Workers' Party (WP) secretary-general spoke to Keluar Sekejap, a popular Malaysian political podcast hosted by former health minister Khairy Jamaluddin and Mr Shahril Hamdan, previously UMNO's information chief. It was Mr Singh's most in-depth interview since the May 3 General Election, in which the PAP retained power with 65.57 per cent of the vote. The PAP said the issue was not "merely a matter of platform preference". "It touches on a fundamental principle - that Singapore's domestic affairs should be debated and decided by Singaporeans, within Singapore." Quoting former opposition stalwart Chiam See Tong, the party added: "The opposition must be 'truthful … good patriotic Singaporeans…and not go around the world denouncing Singapore'.' During the interview, which lasted more than one-and-a-half hours, Mr Singh addressed a wide range of topics, including the WP's electoral strategy, and the intersection of race, religion and politics. Asked by Mr Khairy if he aspired to be prime minister, Mr Singh said no. Mr Khairy also asked if there was a 'lack of ambition' from the WP and if it should have pivoted from the goal of winning one-third of the seats in parliament, to which Mr Singh said that Singaporean voters were not seeking a change in government. "PATTERN OF MISREPRESENTATION" The PAP also challenged Mr Singh's claim that his party does not 'score political points based on race or religion'. It referenced the WP's interactions with Mr Noor Deros, a self-styled religious teacher in Malaysia known for 'views that are at odds with Singapore's commitment to multiracialism and religious harmony'. In the lead up to the elections, the religious teacher, who is Singaporean, had published a list of demands for Singaporean politicians and claimed to have met the WP's Malay candidates. He also called on his followers to vote for WP candidates, such as Mr Faisal Manap, who contested in Tampines GRC. 'Despite public interest, the WP has not explained what transpired in that meeting, or why Mr Deros subsequently expressed public support for WP candidates during GE2025,' said the PAP. In addition, it said WP's Punggol GRC candidate Harpreet Singh had made 'misleading statements about the PAP's stance on a minority prime minister'. The claims were later disproven with public records of PAP leaders speaking on the issue, including Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Coordinating Minister for National Security K Shanmugam, it said. 'This pattern of misrepresentation is worrying,' PAP said. It also cited endorsements of WP candidates by Malaysian politicians from Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) on social media during the election. 'Their messages contained racial and religious overtones, designed to encourage segments of Singaporean voters to vote along racial and religious lines,' it said. "POLITICS SHOULD STOP AT THE WATER'S EDGE" The PAP said that Mr Singh remained silent until the Singapore government 'called out these acts of blatant foreign interference'. 'Even then, his response left many critical questions unanswered,' said the party. Mr Singh had told reporters during the election campaign that a member of the Muslim community at an Aljunied mosque had asked to speak to Mr Faisal and WP's Malay members. 'There was no indication that this individual would be joining the meeting,' Mr Singh said then. He also said the WP did not agree to any demands made by Mr Noor. But the PAP said in its statement that Singaporeans should question the WP chief's consistency: 'Does Mr Singh truly stand by the principles he has stated? Or are they only invoked when convenient? Does he believe foreign involvement is acceptable when it benefits his party?' The party said that while Singapore and Malaysia share close ties, they have long refrained from commenting on each other's politics and from using each other's media to influence public opinion, especially after the racial unrest of the 1960s. This understanding has served both countries well, and maintaining it requires 'political leaders of integrity who place national interest above partisan gain', said the PAP. 'As a sovereign nation, we must be clear: Politics should stop at the water's edge,' it said. 'Singapore's affairs are for Singaporeans to decide, based on what is best for our national interests.'
Malay Mail
29-06-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
Elections Dept: Singapore's GE2025 campaign bill tops S$13m, up 42pc from 2020
SINGAPORE, June 29 — Candidates contesting Singapore's 2025 General Election collectively spent more than S$13 million (RM43 million), with close to half of the expenditure going towards traditional, non-digital advertising such as banners and posters, according to final figures released by the country's Elections Department (ELD) on Friday. Physical rallies, which returned this year after being suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic, accounted for about S$1.7 million — or 13 per cent — of total spending. Online advertising made up around 16 per cent, while the remainder went towards logistical and operational costs such as office rentals, transport and supplies. Overall spending surged by 42 per cent compared to the 2020 General Election, where candidates spent a total of S$9.2 million. The ruling People's Action Party (PAP), which fielded candidates in all 97 seats, spent the most — S$9.4 million. In contrast, the 10 Opposition parties and two Independent candidates collectively spent S$3.6 million. Among the Opposition, the Workers' Party was the top spender, declaring S$1.6 million for its 26 candidates. The Singapore Democratic Party followed with S$583,440 for 11 candidates, and the Progress Singapore Party spent S$441,548 for its slate of 13. All parties remained within the legal spending cap of S$5 per voter, a limit that was raised from S$4 in 2020 to account for inflation. A total of 211 candidates contested the May 3 election. The complete set of expense declarations was made available for public inspection on the ELD website on June 27.
CNA
26-06-2025
- Politics
- CNA
WP chief Pritam Singh says he has no aspirations to be Singapore prime minister
Scroll up for the next video X WP chief Pritam Singh says he has no aspirations to be Singapore prime minister
Independent Singapore
22-06-2025
- Business
- Independent Singapore
Seah Kian Peng nominated for re-election as Speaker of Parliament
SINGAPORE: Mr Seah Kian Peng will be nominated for re-election as Speaker of Parliament when the House reconvenes on Sep 5 , the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) announced on Jun 20 . Mr Seah, 62, has held the position since Aug 2, 2023 , becoming the 11th Speaker of Parliament since the formation of Singapore's First Legislative Assembly in 1955. He will continue to be supported by the two Deputy Speakers, Mr Christopher de Souza and Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo , both of whom assist in presiding over parliamentary proceedings when the Speaker is unavailable. In a Facebook post, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong described Mr Seah as having brought 'a steady hand and thoughtful leadership to the House' over the past year, presiding over debates 'with fairness' and maintaining 'dignity and decorum' during proceedings. Mr Seah has served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Braddell Heights in Marine Parade GRC since 2006, having been successfully re-elected in 2011, 2015, and 2020. Between 2011 and 2015 , he served as Deputy Speaker of Parliament and chaired the Estimates Committee . Outside of Parliament, Mr Seah has held various board positions in both the public and private sectors, including SingTel , National Parks Board , Health Promotion Board , ST Logistics , Income Insurance , and Trust Bank , among others. He also served as the founding chairman of the Harvard Business School Club of Singapore . Mr Seah was awarded the Outstanding CEO of the Year at the Singapore Business Awards 2019/2020 , recognising his leadership in the cooperative and social sectors. Educated at Raffles Institution , Mr Seah was a Colombo Plan Scholar and graduated with First-Class Honours from the University of New South Wales in Australia. Role of the Speaker of Parliament The Speaker presides over House sittings and ensures order during debates in accordance with the Standing Orders of Parliament . Although the Speaker may be elected from outside Parliament, the individual must meet the qualifications required to stand for a parliamentary election. The Speaker manages debates by deciding which Members of Parliament (MPs) may speak, oversees voting on motions, and provides rulings on procedural issues. The Speaker does not participate in debates and may vote only if they are an elected MP with an original vote. There is no casting vote in the event of a tie. In addition to parliamentary duties, the Speaker represents the House in engagements with other legislatures and during official events. The Speaker also oversees the administration of Parliament and its secretariat.
CNA
20-06-2025
- Politics
- CNA
Seah Kian Peng to be appointed Speaker of Parliament, Indranee Rajah will remain House Leader
SINGAPORE: Mr Seah Kian Peng will be nominated for re-election as Speaker of Parliament when the House convenes on Sep 5 in the first sitting since the May General Election. Mr Seah, who is Member of Parliament for Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC, has served as Speaker since 2023. Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Indranee Rajah will remain Leader of the House, while Senior Minister of State Zaqy Mohamad will continue as Deputy Leader, the Prime Minister's Office announced on Friday (Jun 20). All three positions were nominated by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, but the Speaker will be elected by MPs at the start of a new parliament. The Speaker presides over the sittings of the House and enforces the rules prescribed in the Standing Orders of Parliament for the orderly conduct of parliamentary business. Although the Speaker need not be an MP, he or she must possess the qualifications to stand for election as an MP. In carrying out his or her duties, the Speaker must remain impartial and fair to all MPs. The Speaker regulates and enforces the rules of debate, deciding who has the right to speak and putting the questions for the House to debate and vote on. The Speaker does not take part in the debates of the House, but can abstain or vote for or against a motion if he or she has an original vote as an elected member. He or she has no casting vote. The Speaker is overall in charge of the administration of parliament and acts as the representative of the House. In order duties, the Speaker also welcomes visiting dignitaries and represents parliament at national events and during official visits abroad. Ms Indranee, who is also Second Minister for Finance and National Development, has been House Leader since 2020. Senior Minister of State for Defence and Sustainability and the Environment Zaqy Mohamad has also been Deputy Leader since 2020. The Leader of the House is responsible for the arrangement of government business and the legislative programme of parliament. He or she also proposes appropriate actions to be taken on any procedural matters arising in parliament. House Leaders also move procedural motions relating to the business of the House during sittings, such as to extend the times of sittings beyond the usual time as set out in the Standing Orders. The 15th parliament will have 97 elected MPs and two non-constituency MPs. The new session will kick off with the election of the Speaker and the swearing-in of MPs at 5pm on Sep 5.
