Workers’ Party reviewing request for special cadre meeting as Pritam Singh’s conviction upheld

The Workers’ Party (WP) has received a request from a cadre member to convene a Special Cadre Members’ Conference, and the party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) will consider the request in accordance with its Constitution.

In a statement on 28 December 2025, WP confirmed that Party Chair Sylvia Lim has acknowledged receipt of the request. The party was responding to media queries received on the night of 27 December.

Under Article 14(2) of the WP Constitution, a Special Cadre Members’ Conference may be called at any time by the Chair, the CEC, or by at least 10 per cent of the cadre membership or 20 cadre members, whichever is higher.

Past media reports have estimated WP’s cadre membership to be slightly above 100, though it remains unclear if the current request meets the required threshold.

Only cadre members are permitted to attend and vote at such conferences. These are distinct from the biennial Cadre Members’ Conferences, where the CEC is typically elected.

If the request is validated, the Secretary-General is required to notify all cadre members one month in advance, including the date, time, and venue of the meeting. The agenda and any resolutions should be included where available.

This internal party development follows the High Court’s decision on 4 December 2025 to dismiss WP chief Pritam Singh’s appeal against his conviction for lying to the Committee of Privileges.

Singh, aged 49, was initially convicted on 17 February 2025 and fined a total of S$14,000 (approximately US$10,700).

Justice Steven Chong, delivering the High Court’s judgment, upheld both charges and described the trial judge’s conclusions as sound and supported by evidence, despite differing on peripheral aspects.

The charges arose from Singh’s role in the handling of a false statement made in Parliament in August 2021 by then-WP Member of Parliament Raeesah Khan. Khan had claimed she accompanied a sexual assault victim to a police station, a statement later revealed to be untrue.

Justice Chong found that Singh had no genuine intention for Khan to correct the untruth for at least two months after becoming aware of it. According to Chong, Singh only took the position that the matter should be addressed during a meeting on 11 October 2021, when party veteran Low Thia Khiang urged that the lie be corrected in Parliament.

Even at its highest, Singh’s own case was that he expected Khan to clarify the falsehood only if it resurfaced in Parliament. Justice Chong remarked that Singh’s approach appeared to be to “let sleeping dogs lie” if the matter did not re-emerge.

“That was not to be,” the judge stated, adding that Singh was later confronted with “an inconvenient truth” when a fellow MP had delivered what he called an unsolicited lie.

Justice Chong concluded that the WP leadership was effectively engaged in “an exercise of risk management and damage control,” and had hoped to avoid dealing with the issue unless it was revived or detected by government scrutiny.

Following the verdict, Singh paid the full S$14,000 fine.

This case will now be addressed in Parliament when it reconvenes on 12 January 2026. Leader of the House Indranee Rajah has stated that Singh’s conviction could have broader implications for the WP leadership, including senior members Sylvia Lim and Faisal Manap.

The WP remains the only opposition party in Parliament following the General Election in 2025.