ST edited article wrongly claim WP aims to form govt in next GE

SINGAPORE: Singapore’s state media, The Straits Times, corrected a commentary that falsely suggested the Workers’ Party would aim to form the government in the upcoming General Election (GE).

The ST acknowledged this error, issued a correction, and apologized.

This is after the Lader of the Opposition, Pritam Singh, criticized the misinformation on Wednesday (17 April) morning.

Mr Singh highlighted the unsubstantiated nature of the assertions and warned against their potential to influence swing voters towards the People’s Action Party (PAP).

The WP Chief reiterated the party’s medium-term goal of ensuring that at least one-third of Parliament is not under the control of the PAP, underscoring that a better-balanced political system aligns with Singapore’s fundamental interests.

On 15 April, the Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will step down on the 15th of next month and hand the mantle of leadership to Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Lawrence Wong.

On Wednesday, Singapore state media the Straits Times featured an opinion piece by Dr Gillian Koh, a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies at the National University of Singapore, titled  ‘Creating forward momentum for next GE when Lawrence Wong is PM‘.

In this exclusive article for ST subscribers, Dr Koh delved into various aspects of the leadership transition, discussing the anticipated qualities of the new PM, DPM Wong’s immediate priorities, such as forming his first Cabinet and fostering younger political talent, and the socio-economic measures outlined in initiatives like Forward Singapore and the 2024 Budget.

She suggested that DPM Wong should time his first election strategically, taking into account the country’s outlook, global events, and the readiness of the party and its candidates.

In an earlier version, the commentary wrongly claimed that WP would lean towards a strategy of striving to form the government in the next GE.

Dr Koh, along with Singapore Management University’s Associate Professor of Law, Eugene Tan, has frequently contributed to ST’s coverage of Singaporean political affairs, offering insights and analysis on various issues.

In response to Dr Goh’s opinion piece, Mr Singh, also the Member of Parliament for Aljunied GRC, promptly refuted her claim.

He emphasized that until and after the PAP Government announces the formation of the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee, similar unsubstantiated ambitions and agendas attributed to the WP may surface more frequently.

“Perhaps there is a view that such rhetoric will cause swing voters to turn conservative and vote PAP. ”

He reiterated that the WP has openly communicated its electoral agenda for several years, with the medium-term goal of ensuring that at least one-third of Parliament is not under the control of the PAP.

This message has been consistently conveyed by him and other WP MPs both within and outside of Parliament.

“In our view, a better balanced political system is in Singapore’s fundamental interests, and it will play an important role in giving birth to a more united Singapore going forward. ”

“Like many Singaporeans, the WP seeks an evolution, not a revolution of our political system. We will do our best in this endeavour. ”

Dr Gillian Koh personally apologised to Mr Singh

After noticing Mr Singh’s Facebook post, Dr Gillian Koh personally apologised for the issue in a comment on his page.

“I am sorry for any effect you feel it has caused or will cause you and your party’s fortunes. It was certainly not the intent in this article primarily focused on the PAP,” Dr Koh clarified.

In response, Mr Singh expressed gratitude to Dr Koh for the correction.

During the debate on the Singapore President’s speech in April 2023, Mr Singh responded to accusations by DPM Wong, arguing that if the Workers’ Party were merely advocating for populist and unrealistic policies, the Singapore government would not be considering their manifesto ideas on anti-discrimination legislation, minimum wage, and redundancy insurance.

Mr Singh also emphasized the importance of a balanced political system and the necessity for an opposition presence in Parliament.

He clarified that the WP is a small party with a long way to go, and its primary objective is to ensure that at least 1/3 of the seats in Parliament are not in the hands of the ruling party.

He cited an instance from 21 March 2023 when a constitutional amendment was passed with only 67 MPs present, including seven Workers’ Party MPs. Without their presence, the amendment wouldn’t have passed since only 60 PAP MPs were present.

“I want to emphasise that the Workers’ Party’s intention is not to block all changes to the Constitution proposed by a PAP Government. Far from it. ”

“If Constitutional amendments are in the interests of our people, we will support them. But if we assess that proposed changes to the Constitution are detrimental to Singapore and Singaporeans, we will speak against them and vote against them,” said Mr Singh.