Workers’ Party to hold special cadre conference after disciplinary review of Pritam Singh

The Workers’ Party (WP) announced on 3 January 2026 that it will convene a Special Cadre Members’ Conference (CMC) following an internal disciplinary review into the conduct of party leader Pritam Singh.

This decision comes after the party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) met on 2 January to deliberate on the 4 December 2025 High Court judgment and a prior request for a Special CMC.

The CEC has directed that a disciplinary panel be formed to assess whether Singh breached the party’s Constitution. The party committed to concluding the process within three months, with a notice for the Special CMC to be issued within two weeks thereafter.

The High Court had dismissed Singh’s appeal against his February 2025 conviction for lying to the Committee of Privileges (COP), which investigated his handling of a falsehood told in Parliament by former WP MP Raeesah Khan in August 2021.

Singh was fined S$14,000 (approximately US$10,700) — a sum below the threshold that would disqualify him from Parliament. He accepted the ruling and paid the fine in full.

Justice Steven Chong, in delivering the High Court’s judgment, noted that Singh had no intention for Khan to correct her false statement until a meeting on 11 October 2021. At that meeting, WP veteran Low Thia Khiang urged that the matter be addressed publicly.

The judge remarked that Singh’s stance appeared to be to “let sleeping dogs lie”, and that the WP leadership had approached the issue as one of “risk management and damage control”.

Singh has acknowledged the verdict and expressed responsibility for not responding to Khan’s account earlier. He reaffirmed his commitment to serving Singaporeans in Parliament.

The WP has reiterated its commitment to due process through its internal mechanisms, reflecting a stance that it is capable of managing its own leadership accountability. The party’s actions suggest an effort to maintain transparency and procedural integrity without pre-empting or dismissing public concern.

Parliament had previously agreed in February 2022 to defer further action until legal proceedings were concluded. With the Court of Appeal’s decision now final, Parliament is expected to resume debate on the matter.

Parliament is scheduled to reconvene on 12 January 2026 to deliberate on the implications of Singh’s conviction. Leader of the House Indranee Rajah has previously stated that the matter could impact other senior WP figures, including Sylvia Lim and Faisal Manap.

Indranee’s remarks, however, sparked significant online debate. Many members of the public questioned the need for Parliament to revisit an issue already resolved by the judiciary. Some described the move as unnecessary political pressure on the WP — currently the only opposition party represented in Parliament after the 2025 General Election.

Social media commentary reflected a growing sentiment that the legislative focus should return to national issues such as housing, cost of living, and employment, rather than what some viewed as repeated efforts to target opposition figures.

One commenter wrote, “Still deliberating on this even after the court case is over and the defendant has accepted and paid the fine. Can move on and concentrate on national issues.” Others questioned if this was part of a broader attempt to discredit Singh and the WP.