Workers' Party of Singapore

Workers' Party Of Singapore

The Workers' Party of Singapore (simplified Chinese: 新加坡工人党; traditional Chinese: 新加坡工人黨, often referred to simply as "The Workers' Party" or "WP") is a major centre-left opposition political party in Singapore. The party currently has six elected seats in Parliament, with the party's Secretary-General Low Thia Khiang, Chairman Sylvia Lim, Chen Show Mao, Muhamad Faisal Manap and Pritam Singh serving as Members of Parliament (MPs) for the Aljunied Group Representation Constituency (GRC), and Png Eng Huat as the MP for the single-member constituency of Hougang.

The Workers' Party was founded by Singapore's former Chief Minister, David Marshall, in 1957.

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 parliamentary 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 also held the Hougang seat for the party. Yaw was expelled from the party in February 2012 for a lack of accountability (after it was discovered that he had had an extra-marital affair with another party member). This triggering a by-election in Hougang, which was won by the Workers' Party's candidate, Png Eng Huat.

A number of Workers' Party members have also served as Non-Constituency Members of Parliament (NCMPs). Lee Siew Choh served as an NCMP from 1988 to 1991. Jeyaretnam returned to Parliament as an NCMP from 1997 to 2001, and Sylvia Lim has served as an NCMP from 2006 to 2011. Two members of the party currently serve as NCMPs – Gerald Giam and Yee Jenn Jong.

In recent years, The Workers' Party's candidates have worn a uniform of light blue shirts while campaigning to represent the party's links with the blue collar workers.