Workers' Party: Difference between revisions

'''The Workers' Party''' (abbreviation: '''WP'''; 工人党, 工人黨; Parti Pekerja; பாட்டாளிக் கட்சி), is a centre-left opposition political party in Singapore. The party currently has nine elected seats in Parliament, with the party's Secretary-General Pritam Singh, Chairman Sylvia Lim, Chen Show Mao, Muhamad Faisal Manap and Low Thia Khiang serving as Members of Parliament (MPs) for Aljunied Group Representation Constituency (GRC), Png Eng Huat as the MP for the single-member constituency of Hougang. Since 2011, the Workers' Party has been the only opposition party in Singapore to have elected MPs in Parliament.

In 1981, the party's then-leader J. B. Jeyaretnam became the first opposition MP to be elected to Parliament since Singapore's independence in 1965, when he defeated the candidate of the governing People's Action Party (PAP) at a by-election in the constituency of Anson. He was re-elected at the 1984 general election, but subsequently lost his seat in Parliament in 1986 following a conviction for falsely accounting the party's funds, a conviction Jeyaretnam has always maintained was politically motivated. Since the 1991 general election, the party has held the seat of Hougang. Low Thia Khiang was elected as MP for Hougang in 1991 and re-elected at the 1997, 2001 and 2006 general elections. Low moved to Aljunied GRC for the 2011 general election where he led the first team from an opposition party to win a GRC, while Yaw Shin Leong held the Hougang seat for the party. Yaw was expelled from the party in February 2012, which triggered a by-election in Hougang. The seat was retained by the Workers' Party's candidate, Png Eng Huat. On 12 December 2012, Speaker of Parliament and incumbent PAP MP for Punggol East, Michael Palmer, resigned from his seat. After the Prime Minister issued the writ of election for the Punggol East by-election, the Workers' Party announced on 14 January 2013 that Lee Li Lian, who stood in Punggol East in the 2011 general election, had been chosen to represent the party. On 26 January 2013, Lee Li Lian made history as the first woman to win a by-election. However, she narrowly lost her seat in the 2015 general election amid the massive swing towards the PAP.

In 1956, Singapore's first Chief Minister, David Marshall, resigned following the failure of the Merdeka Talks that had sought self-governance for Singapore. Initially he remained a backbencher in the Legislative Assembly for the Labour Front (the largest party in the assembly at the time), but he left the party in 1957 and founded the Workers' Party of Singapore. Marshall lost his seat in the assembly at the 1959 general election (in which the People's Action Party (PAP) became the majority party and the Workers' Party did not win any seats).

=== WP under Low Thia Khiang ===

At the 1991 general election, Low Thia Khiang, who was then the Workers' Party's Organising Secretary, was elected as the MP for Hougang. He defeated the PAP's Tang Guan Seng by 10,621 votes (52.8%) to 9,487 (47.2%).

Low Thia Khiang became the Workers' Party's Secretary-General in 2001 following the resignation of Jeyaretnam. The transfer of party leadership took place in bitter acrimony as Jeyaretnam later accused Low of not doing enough to help him pay the damages from the libel suit. In response, Low claimed that he had always looked upon Jeyaretnam as an elder and had done everything possible to help him.

 

The manifesto for the General Election 2011 was entitled "Towards a First World Parliament". This was also used as a slogan during campaigning. One key proposal was for more affordable public housing such that Housing Development Board (HDB) lessees should be able to pay off their mortgage loans within 20 years rather than 30 years. On 27 April 2011, Low Thia Khiang announced his candidacy for the Aljunied Group Representation Constituency along with Lim and three other "A-list" candidates, vacating his seat of Hougang and leaving it to Yaw Shin Leong.

On 7 May 2011, six Workers' Party candidates were returned as Members of Parliament. Yaw successfully retained the party stronghold of Hougang with a majority slightly under 65%, while Low, Sylvia Lim, Chen Show Mao, Muhamad Faisal Manap and Pritam Singh were victorious in Aljunied Group Representation Constituency, claiming 54.71% of the votes to unseat the incumbent PAP team which included two cabinet ministers, including the Foreign Minister George Yeo. Including overseas votes, the percentage of valid votes cast in favour of the Workers' Party team was 54.72%.

The MP for Aljunied GRC, Low Thia Khiang announced that he will remain in the same GRC, quashing rumours that he might lead a team to contest in other GRCs.

On 29 May 2016, Low Thia Khiang successfully fended off an unprecedented challenge for his Secretary-General post by fellow MP Chen Show Mao for the first time in the party's history. Chen was re-appointed by Low in his previous position as Treasurer for another three months from 7 June 2016 until 9 September 2016, as he had already served two terms in the post.

On 3 November 2017, an anniversary dinner was held on Harbourfront Centre, marking a milestone of 60 years since the founding of the party on 3 November 1957. On the same night, Low Thia Khiang announced on his speech that he would step down from his role of Secretary-General and as well in the next party election the following year. A commemorative biographical book for the party, ''Walking With Singapore'', was launched at bookstores the following day.