He Ting Ru? Jamus Lim? Singaporeans are guessing who'll be WP chief if Pritam Singh steps down - Singapore News

03 Jun 2026, 01:30 · The Independent

SINGAPORE: After it was reported that the Workers’ Party (WP) will be holding a special cadres conference on Jun 28 to determine the party’s leadership moving forward, Singaporeans online have been hazarding guesses as to who might take secretary-general Pritam Singh’s place.

The conference, to be chaired by the party’s policy research head Gerald Giam, is being held in the wake of a requisition from 25 cadre members, and if Mr Singh does not step down, there will be a secret vote concerning his position.

The WP chief was found guilty of two counts of lying to a parliamentary committee on Feb 17, 2025. And while Mr Singh appealed the verdict, the appeal was dismissed by the High Court on Dec 4.

In the aftermath of the High Court decision, the party announced that it had begun internal processes regarding the judgment.

According to reporting from CNA, there are three parts on the meeting’s agenda, which are for Mr Singh to account to the cadre members on the charges for which he had been convicted, the call for him to step down immediately from his position, and, should he refuse, a vote to decide if he should retain his position or step down.

Later that day, the WP will hold its biennial ordinary cadre members’ conference, wherein elections for the secretary-general, chairperson, and the 12 members of the central executive committee will be held.

What Singaporeans are saying

Based on comments online, many netizens appear to believe that Mr Singh will remain in his position, and some have pointed out that he has been instrumental in taking the WP as far as it has gone.

Since he became party chief in 2018, the WP’s presence in Parliament has expanded, especially after winning its second GRC, Sengkang, in 2020.

Others, however, have said they believe Mr Singh’s time leading the party is done, citing the loss of trust due to his conviction.

In this light, commenters have been mentioning the names of WP leaders whom they think may replace the current secretary-general.

“I would personally say He Ting Ru is the frontrunner,” wrote a Reddit user, adding that Sengkang MP Ms He, 42, is experienced enough, but not too old.”

Others expressed a preference for Ms He’s fellow Sengkang MP Jamus Lim, who has been both popular and well-respected since joining politics in 2020.

“Let’s vote in our favourite Jamus. He is the next leader,” wrote a Facebook user.

“It is better to let Jamus Lim be the new Sec-Gen,” another agreed.

“We want a capable, honest, and no-lie party member like Jamus Lim to take over as The Workers’ Party General Secretary to bring the party forward,” added a third.

There were even some who said they wished Mr Singh’s predecessor, Low Thia Khiang, would make a comeback. Mr Low, now 69, had served as part chief from 2001 to 2018 and was the de facto leader of the opposition between 2006 and 2018. /TISG

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