Who is Pritam Singh? Indian-origin politician leading Singapore's opposition

Polls opened Saturday in Singapore’s general election, seen as the first major test of support for Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, who became the country’s leader last year.
Wong’s People’s Action Party (PAP) is expected to continue its 66-year rule. However, the election is being closely followed as some voters express concerns about government control and the high cost of living. The opposition, led by Pritam Singh of the Workers’ Party, is hoping to strengthen its presence in Parliament by appealing to voters seeking more political balance.
The PAP is known for its record of governing Singapore for decades. But dissatisfaction has grown over rising living expenses, income inequality, expensive housing, overcrowding, and limits on free speech. These issues have reduced the PAP’s support, especially among younger voters.
In the last general election in 2020, the PAP’s share of the popular vote dropped to 61 per cent , down from nearly 70 per cent in 2015. Although it retained 83 out of 93 seats in Parliament, the opposition made progress by winning 10 seats—a record number.

General elections in Singapore take place every five years, and voting is compulsory. The system includes both single-member wards and group representation constituencies (GRCs). In GRCs, voters choose a team of up to six candidates instead of individual ones. Each team must include at least one person from a minority ethnic group.
The GRC system helps ensure minority representation, but critics say it favors the ruling party and makes it harder for opposition parties to compete. Singapore’s majority population is ethnic Chinese, with Malays and Indians as minorities.
This year, around 2.76 million voters are eligible to choose 97 members of Parliament. However, five seats have already been secured by the PAP without a contest, as the opposition did not field candidates in one GRC.
The opposition has said it does not expect to defeat the PAP but hopes to increase its voice in Parliament.
Wong, a trained economist and former finance minister, warned that a weaker mandate for the PAP could affect the country’s ability to handle economic challenges, especially after U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff actions.
“If the PAP has a weakened mandate, you can be sure there will be people tempted to push us around. It will be harder for us to advance Singapore's interest. But with a clear mandate from you, my team and I can speak up for Singapore confidently,” Wong said while campaigning this week.

Pritam Singh is the leader of the Workers’ Party (WP), the only opposition party with seats in Singapore’s Parliament. He became the country’s first official leader of the opposition after the WP won 10 seats in the 2020 general election.
Singh was born on August 2, 1976. He is a lawyer and author. He studied history at the National University of Singapore and graduated in 2000. He later earned a Master of Arts degree in war studies from King’s College London, supported by the Chevening Scholarship.
He became secretary-general of the Workers’ Party in 2018. Under his leadership, the WP has gained more ground in Parliament. However, the party continues to face challenges such as limited resources, fewer candidates, and fragmented support.
In this election, the WP is fielding 26 candidates. Singh has said that even if the party wins all 26 seats, it will not affect the PAP’s control but will help build a more balanced political system and improve accountability.
In February this year, Singh was found guilty of two counts of giving false testimony to a parliamentary committee. The ruling could affect his political career.
The verdict was delivered by Deputy Principal District Judge Luke Tan, who ruled that Singh had lied to the Committee of Privileges in 2021. The committee was investigating a false statement made in Parliament by former WP Member of Parliament Raeesah Khan.