Pritam Singh moved from seat opposite PM as Workers’ Party declines to name new opposition leader
Pritam Singh is no longer seated opposite PM Lawrence Wong in Parliament, following his removal as Leader of the Opposition. The Workers’ Party has declined to nominate a replacement, asserting the role stems from electoral mandate, not executive discretion.
- Parliament’s updated seating plan shows Pritam Singh no longer seated directly opposite Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
- Singh was removed as Leader of the Opposition on 15 January 2026 following the dismissal of his appeal against a conviction.
- The Workers’ Party has declined to nominate a replacement, challenging the premise that the LO role is appointed by the government.
Parliament’s updated seating plan, published on 3 February 2026, confirms that Pritam Singh, Secretary-General of the Workers’ Party (WP), has been moved from his seat directly opposite Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
The change follows Singh’s removal as Leader of the Opposition (LO) on 15 January 2026, one day after Parliament voted to consider him unsuitable for the position due to his conviction for lying to a parliamentary committee.
The updated seating plan shows Deputy Speaker of Parliament Christopher de Souza now occupying the prominent seat opposite the Prime Minister. He is flanked by fellow People’s Action Party (PAP) MPs Xie Yao Quan and Vikram Nair, both chairpersons of Government Parliamentary Committees.
Singh is now seated to the left of Mr Xie, who is also Deputy Speaker.
The update was posted at around 10:30am on 3 February, ahead of the Parliament session that day.
Singh was first appointed as LO in July 2020, following the General Election 2020, in which the WP won 10 elected seats. Then Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced on 11 July 2020 that Singh would be formally designated Leader of the Opposition.
This was the first time Singapore had formally recognised the LO position, mirroring Westminster-style parliamentary systems such as those in Australia and the United Kingdom.
Singh’s appointment came with official recognition and resources, including dedicated staff support.
In August 2020, Leader of the House Indranee Rajah stated that the LO would sit directly opposite the Prime Minister in the Chamber, in keeping with practices in comparable parliamentary systems.
Following General Election 2025, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong reaffirmed Singh’s LO role, maintaining his position after the WP retained its status as the largest opposition party.
However, Singh was later convicted of lying to a parliamentary committee. His appeal was dismissed by the High Court, after which a motion was passed by the PAP-majority Parliament that Singh should no longer hold the LO position.
On 15 January 2026, PM Wong announced Singh’s formal removal as LO and invited the WP to nominate a replacement.
Workers’ Party response
The WP declined to nominate a new LO, stating that the role “reflects the political composition of Parliament and should not be viewed as an appointment at the government’s discretion”.
In a public statement, the party reiterated that the creation of the LO position in 2020 was a response to electoral outcomes and signalled a milestone in Singapore’s political maturity.
The WP emphasised that in Westminster parliamentary systems, the LO is recognised by law and arises from the democratic process rather than executive appointment.
“It is the people’s vote that explains the presence of opposition MPs in Parliament,” the WP said. “The legitimacy of the LOO role flows from electoral success.”
The party also highlighted that the LO position is typically assigned to the leader of the largest opposition party or decided by that party, rather than by the Prime Minister or the ruling government.
“As such, the Workers’ Party has conveyed to the Prime Minister that we will not be nominating another Workers’ Party Member of Parliament to the LOO post,” the statement concluded.
