ST reports on claims of rift between Low Thia Khiang and Pritam Singh as internal meeting looms

SINGAPORE: Singaporeans online have expressed surprise after The Straits Times (ST) reported on Thursday (June 25) that rumours are swirling within the Workers' Party (WP) that opposition giant Low Thia Khiang has ended his support for his handpicked successor and current party chief, Pritam Singh. 

The report was published just three days before the WP's highly anticipated internal meeting on June 28, when party cadres will gather for two conferences that could determine whether Mr Singh continues as the party's leader.

The first meeting will be a special conference requested by 25 cadres in December 2025. During the conference, Mr Singh is expected to account for his actions leading up to his conviction on Feb 17 over two charges of lying to the Committee of Privileges (COP) regarding the role he played in advising former WP MP Raeesah Khan to continue concealing a false statement she had made in Parliament.

Mr Singh unsuccessfully appealed against his conviction in court and was ordered to pay a fine of S$14,000. His Leader of the Opposition title was also stripped from him, and the WP leadership later issued a formal letter of reprimand for breaching the party's Constitution.

The cadres who requested the special conference, reportedly including former members of the party's Central Executive Committee (CEC) and former election candidates, have called on Mr Singh to step down. Should he refuse, they are seeking a secret ballot to determine whether he should remain as party chief.

Following the special conference, the party will hold its biennial ordinary cadres' conference, during which cadres will elect a new leadership team, including the secretary-general.

Ahead of the meetings, ST published an article detailing grievances raised by several WP cadres who spoke to the paper on the condition of anonymity.

ST reported, "Talk in the party is that Low voted against Singh during the CEC meeting on the disciplinary panel's findings, sparking speculation that he may back another candidate for secretary-general."

While the report said cadres do not expect Mr Low himself to challenge Mr Singh, it added that attention has shifted to whether the veteran opposition politician could endorse another candidate instead.

Party insiders allegedly told the paper that Mr Low continues to command significant influence among the party's cadres and that his backing could provide enough support for an alternative candidate to defeat Mr Singh.

The report also claimed that the group seeking to unseat Mr Singh has stepped up efforts to find a challenger, with overtures reportedly made to MPs Gerald Giam, Dennis Tan, He Ting Ru and Jamus Lim.

Under the party's rules, any cadre in good standing may contest or nominate another cadre for the position of secretary-general. Whether anyone ultimately steps forward is expected to hinge in part on the outcome of the special conference.

Besides dissatisfaction over Mr Singh's handling of the Raeesah Khan controversy, the 25 cadres who signed the December 2025 letter are also allegedly unhappy that the party failed to win additional constituencies at the most recent general election.

Some are also said to be frustrated by Mr Singh's decision to withdraw the party from contesting Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC on Nomination Day. The decision led the ruling party to win the ward by walkover, without contest.

Mr Singh had previously explained that the party made the difficult decision to redeploy its limited resources strategically following electoral boundary changes. However, the move reportedly disappointed members and volunteers who had spent years building the party's presence in the constituency.

Despite the criticism, party cadres also told ST that Mr Singh continues to enjoy strong support within the WP.

Supporters pointed to the party's historic victory in Sengkang GRC during the 2020 General Election and its improved overall vote share in the 2025 General Election under Mr Singh's leadership as evidence of his electoral success and political leadership.

The report quickly attracted widespread discussion online, with many Singaporeans expressing surprise at the suggestion that there could be tensions between Mr Low and Mr Singh.

Some urged caution, stressing that the claims remain unverified.

One commenter wrote that the reports remain "rumours for now" and argued that only Mr Low himself could either confirm or deny them. The commenter also questioned the credibility of the claims, saying readers should think critically and "take all of this with a grain of salt."

The same individual argued that if Mr Low were to publicly confirm the rumours, it could seriously undermine Mr Singh's authority as party chief. However, the commenter believed this was unlikely, noting that both men had worked closely together during the WP's landmark victory in Aljunied GRC in 2011 and suggesting that Mr Low would be reluctant to damage both Mr Singh's leadership and the party's future.

The commenter also pointed out that the individuals challenging Mr Singh are not current Members of Parliament, while all existing WP MPs have continued to back him publicly. They added that although Mr Singh's tenure has seen more "self-goals" than Mr Low's, the party is also attempting to evolve into a broader opposition that appeals to a changing electorate.

Others similarly dismissed the speculation, with one person saying Mr Low may disagree with Mr Singh on certain issues but would never act in a way that would hand victory to the ruling People's Action Party.

Several commenters accused unnamed individuals of attempting to stir controversy using unverified rumours and predicted that Mr Singh would ultimately retain the secretary-general post.

Others criticised ST for publishing what they described as hearsay, with one commenter questioning why a national newspaper would report on political "rumours" without verification.

Some also questioned whether similar reports based on anonymous rumours would be published if they concerned the People's Action Party, while others described the national broadsheet as "state media" and urged readers not to read too deeply into the report or its motives.

Despite the speculation surrounding the upcoming cadres' meeting, a number of commenters remain confident that Mr Singh would survive the leadership challenge. One simply remarked: "Anyway, Pritam will still stay la."