Latest news with #PritamSingh
Independent Singapore
2 days ago
- Politics
- Independent Singapore
Where's Michael Thng? Commenters ask after WP announces CEC update
SINGAPORE: The Workers' Party's (WP) announcement of updates to its top decision-making body was generally met with positive responses in online spaces, although a number of commenters had one question in common: 'Where's Michael Thng?' Mr Thng, who was fielded by the WP as part of its slate at Tampines GRC in last month's General Election, appears to have made quite a good impression with many in Singapore, to the point that some expected him to take a more visible place within the party. On Wednesday (June 18), the WP announced that its four new Members of Parliament— Sengkang MP Abdul Muhaimin, Aljunied MP Kenneth Tiong, and Non-Constituency MPs Eileen Chong and Andre Low—had been co-opted into its Central Executive Committee (CEC). The party also said that Ms Chong was its new Youth Wing head, taking over from Sengkang MP Jamus Lim. Many of the commenters online praised the WP for its leadership renewal, especially since party chair Sylvia Lim turned 60 earlier this year, and speculation has spread that she may only contest in one more GE. See also Pritam Singh: PAP's One-dimensional perspective A lot of netizens expressed approval of Ms Chong's new role in the party, saying that the 33-year-old is in the right place to represent the youth and begin to get ready for even bigger leadership roles. However, across different social media platforms, and even on the WP's Facebook account, netizens have been looking for Mr Thng, 37, who had made a splash during the campaign period when he said at a rally, 'We don't want to be told that the sky is white when we see it is blue.' He had also performed well during a televised debate prior to the May 3 polls. 'What about Michael Thng?' a commenter asked. 'Why didn't (the WP) include Michael Thng into the CEC,' another wanted to know, opining that Mr Thng is 'brilliant in talking.' 'I think Michael Thng should be with Eileen Choong to promote more youth to join the WP,' wrote a Facebook user. On Reddit, one asked, 'Michael Thng no more?' A commenter answered that 'Historically, the WP has voted their sitting parliamentarians into their CEC,' but added, 'have to follow their socials to see if Michael is still on the ground, I hope he is. The ground game for GE2030 has already started.' When one wondered if he had gone back to the United States, another replied that Mr Thng had just helped out at the Meet the People Session of Sengkang MP He Ting Ru the night before. Mr Thng, the chief operating officer of a tech start-up, has been volunteering with the WP for at least 15 years. 'I was always struck by his passion for Singapore, for our democratic processes, and how despite spending much time in the US, he would always fly back to be involved in election campaigns,' wrote Ms He in a social media post in April , adding that Mr Thng had gone with her when she contested at Marine Parade for GE2015 and then again at Sengkang for GE2020./TISG Read also: WP's Michael Thng: 'We don't want to be told that the sky is white when we see it is blue'
Free Malaysia Today
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Singaporean PM asks voters to re-elect ministers who face rare close races
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong (centre) takes a selfie with residents during an election campaign walkabout session in Singapore. (EPA Images pic) SINGAPORE : Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong called on Thursday for voters to re-elect all members of his cabinet, on the final day of campaigning before an election on Saturday in which some ministers face unusually close fights to keep their seats. Addressing the country's main labour union, Wong warned of economic turbulence and job losses if US tariffs slow global growth, and said he needed to keep his team intact. His government has warned the trade-reliant economy may face a recession. 'It will take people in government who have built up trust and close relationships with their counterparts in both America and China,' Wong said. The ruling People's Action Party, in power since 1959, is all but guaranteed a majority, with the main opposition Worker's Party contesting just 26 of 97 seats in parliament. Nevertheless, the government is facing a groundswell of discontent in the face of a rising cost of living. Some members of the cabinet may face tough battles. The Worker's Party's secretary-general, Pritam Singh, told his final rally it was necessary to elect alternative voices to parliament for the sake of democracy. 'The opposition makes its contribution by checking the government of the day, the same thing Lee Kuan Yew did when he was in opposition,' said Singh, referring to the country's founding father. A northeastern ward has shaped up to be a hotly contested constituency, where deputy prime minister Gan Kim Yong could lose his seat. Wong has strongly backed Gan, calling him indispensable. Singh said this showed it was irresponsible to have Gan stand in a closely contested seat. This is the first electoral test for Wong, who took over from long-time premier Lee Hsien Loong last year as leader of the People's Action Party. Six political parties and an independent candidate held final rallies on Thursday night before 2.76 million voters go to a compulsory poll on Saturday after a short nine-day campaign. Friday is designated as a 'cooling off' day when parties are forbidden from campaigning.
Independent Singapore
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Independent Singapore
‘Where were the local fact-checkers?' — WP leaders call out FB page that spread falsehood during GE
SINGAPORE: Earlier this week, Workers' Party (WP) chief Pritam Singh took issue with a particular Facebook post from a page linked to another that had been fact-checked in the lead-up to the May 3 polls. Mr Singh wrote on May 18 (Sunday) that he had done a double-take upon seeing a post that day from the SG Matters Facebook page that dealt with national interest and foreign policy. The WP chief explained how Lee Kuan Yew, Goh Keng Swee, and S Rajaratnam, widely considered to be among the 'brightest foreign policy minds in Singapore,' did not have the same opinion concerning Israel. He ended his post by writing, 'For some positions are worth standing up for, while an overly ritualistic resort to pragmatism may operate to dilute the resilience, commitment and unity of those who stand up for what is (morally) right.' Mr Singh noted that the post from SG Matters did not contain falsehoods, a previous one from its sister site, Singapore Matters, did. He wrote that it had been the only local site 'singled out by the international media for peddling falsehoods' during the last GE and asked, 'Where were the local fact-checkers?' See also Asia cracks down on virus 'fake news' This was in reference to AFP fact-checking Singapore Matters for mischaracterising statements from WP candidate Alia Mattar. 'At no point does she say the conflict is 'more important' than local Singapore issues. AFP could find no other evidence of such a statement from Siti Alia,' AFP wrote on May 5. Singapore Matters has long held unapologetically pro-government views. The question is whether it, as well as other social media pages, are being legitimised when high-profile or influential individuals share posts from these pages . On Wednesday (May 21), Jackson Au, who had also been part of the WP slate at Punggol Group Representation Constituency (GRC), called out the Singapore Matters Facebook page, which had issued 'A Note of Clarification and Accountability' the day before, 15 days after the AFP published its fact check. Mr Au wrote, 'I want to focus on a related issue: the (so far) conspicuous lack of scrutiny from our so-called mainstream media and regulators.' He summarised Singapore Matters' note as 'sorry, not sorry,' adding, 'This response stands in stark contrast to the swift and decisive correction orders we've seen meted out to other online platforms or opposition politicians for their transgressions.' He also pointed out that the falsehoods about Ms Mattar's remarks had been posted right before Cooling-Off Day, which means that the candidate had no chance to respond or defend herself. Mr Au added, 'In my view, this instance of disinformation may have fallen afoul of the Elections (Integrity of Online Advertising) (Amendment) Bill, or ELIONA, first passed in October 2024. If indeed it is, then it should be a major news story in its own right, and warrant further investigation by our media and electoral authorities.' He expressed disappointment that in spite of the AFP fact-check and the post having been flagged by Facebook's parent company Meta, 'not a single voice from the mainstream media or any government regulators has publicly addressed this digitally manipulated content, nor used this episode to raise awareness about the dangers of targeted disinformation under ELIONA. No one has sought to speak truth to power and call this out for what it is: fake news,' added Mr Au. /TISG Read also: Ho Ching shares post defending Chan Chun Sing
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
YAHOO POLL: Do you agree with Ng Chee Meng's decision to not be a part of the Cabinet?
Labour chief and Jalan Kayu MP Ng Chee Meng recently responded to a series of controversies he's involved in. He also asked PM Lawrence Wong not to assign him a position in government. (PHOTO: Dhany Osman / Yahoo News Singapore) Labour chief, and Jalan Kayu MP, Ng Chee Meng return to politics been rough, to say the least. During the hustings for the 2025 General Election, the Income-Allianz deal became a topic of huge interest between the ruling party PAP and opposition parties. The deal resulted in public backlash as questions arose over whether Income could continue its social mission after the acquisition. It was eventually blocked by the Singapore government. The Workers' Party (WP) chief Pritam Singh said that not a single labour PAP MP raised the issue in Parliament. SM Lee Hsien Loong, in response, defended Ng and said it wasn't his fault while pointing out that six non-labour MPs questioned it. ADVERTISEMENT Ng contested the Jalan Kayu SMC and won with a slight margin over WP candidate Andre Low with 51.47% of the votes. After the elections concluded, photos of Ng at a dinner with Fujian gang member Su Haijin surfaced. There were also photos of ministers Ong Ye Kung and Chee Hong Tat with Su. In a Facebook post on Tuesday (6 May), Ng clarified that the dinner took place "some time back" and he had no further interactions with Su after the police investigations and subsequent criminal charges against him. In the same post, Ng also addressed his conduct at an MOE dialogue in 2017. He said, "I do not remember the exact words I used that day as close to a decade has passed since the dialogue. I regret if any of my remarks came across as disrespectful, especially when the participants had raised questions in good faith. ADVERTISEMENT "I could have handled the situation better. I sincerely apologise. I have received and accepted the feedback, and will continue to do better." Other polls YAHOO POLL: Have you attended a rally for this year's General Election? YAHOO POLL: Do world leaders need to adhere to dress codes? YAHOO POLL: Do you prefer getting a day off or an off-in-lieu? He then openly said that he has asked Prime Minister Lawrence Wong not to assign him any position in the government. So, we want to hear from you: Do you agree with his decision? Related: Man at dinner with Fujian gang member Su Haijin wrongly identified as Wilmar chairman Ong Ye Kung, Chee Hong Tat don't know Fujian gang member Su Haijin personally: Statement Allianz pulls $1.7 billion bid to buy stake in Singapore insurer
Independent Singapore
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Independent Singapore
PM Wong confirms Pritam Singh to remain as leader of the opposition
Screengrab from Featured News Singapore Politics SINGAPORE: In a Facebook post on May 5, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong confirmed Workers' Party (WP) chief Pritam Singh would stay as the leader of the opposition in Singapore. The role, which comes with improved governmental privileges, extra staffing, and access to private consultations, was first conferred to Singh after the general election in 2020. According to the latest CNA report, PM Wong recognised the WP's performance in the May 3 elections, saying the party 'fielded a strong slate of candidates and put up a tough fight.' Aside from an office, Singh will have institutional support essential to accomplishing his obligations, such as conference amenities in Parliament House and a yearly stipend of S$385,000, double that of a regular Member of Parliament (MP). WP holds ground, retains 10 elected seats and poised to add two NCMPs The WP upheld its parliamentary existence with 10 elected MPs, effectively protecting the Aljunied Group Representation Constituency (GRC), Sengkang GRC, and Hougang Single Member Constituency (SMC). In Aljunied, the WP team, directed by Singh, held a compact 59.68% of the vote. Hougang, a long-time opposition stronghold, saw the WP slash 62.17%, while Sengkang returned a 56.31% vote share. While the party did not seize new electorates, it recorded robust performance in numerous areas, including Tampines and Jalan Kayu, whose contenders came within a prominent distance of triumph. WP newcomer Andre Low got 48.53% in Jalan Kayu SMC, while the Tampines GRC team, controlled by vice-chair Faisal Manap, gathered 47.37% in a four-cornered contest. These outcomes enable the WP to two Non-Constituency MP (NCMP) seats in the city-state's 15th Parliament, guaranteeing no less than 12 opposition voices under the NCMP structure. Although the group has yet to affirm who will assume the NCMP roles, Singh stated that a decision will soon be announced. Within the Tampines team, members are distinguished experts, such as clinical psychologist Ong Lue Ping, former diplomat Eileen Chong, and technology entrepreneur Michael Thng. A competitive political landscape amid PAP dominance Notwithstanding the People's Action Party (PAP) getting 87 of 97 seats and attaining 65.57% of the general vote, the WP's sustained polling strength indicates a tough opposition within the ever-changing political environment. PM Wong articulated his sincerity to 'the contributions of the Workers' Party members in Parliament,' stressing the value of healthy and vigorous deliberations in Singapore's lawmaking process. The May 3 outcomes strengthen the WP's tactical grip and fortify Pritam Singh's leadership and management as a feature in Singapore's political processes. With official support and a revitalized mandate, Singh is expected to continue influencing nationwide discourse from the opposition worktable.
