Workers' Party (WP) Sec-Gen Pritam Singh responded to Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's call for a rejection of "negative politics" during the WP's East Coast GRC rally at Bedok Stadium on Apr. 29, 2025.
Earlier on Apr. 29, PM Wong had criticised the WP's "negative attacks on individuals" and called the tone of the GE2025 campaign "regretful", after speakers at a WP rally on Apr. 28 criticised Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong and other members of PAP's Punggol team.
PM Wong said that the WP was "angry" and "engaging in negative politics" due to DPM Gan's having been fielded to the newly-created Punggol GRC.
"Justice and fairness"
Pritam's speech, which rounded off the night, included how he and his WP colleagues were motivated by feelings of "justice and fairness", and were frustrated by "how the people of Hougang were treated like pawns by the PAP".
He said:
"My peers and I didn't feel like this was a Singapore we can be proud of. We didn't feel such affinity to a country ruled by people with such small hearts."
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Pritam said that while time and age has "mellowed" his outlook on life, his "feelings towards what was done to the people of Hougang and Potong Pasir by the PAP never mellowed".
Pritam went on to say that reduced vote shares and continuous advocacy by opposition MPs have reversed "undemocratic" processes relating to estate improvements for opposition-held wards.
"Voters of East Coast GRC, today PAP and opposition wards get upgrading at the same time. In some cases, opposition wards get HDB upgrading, such as HIP (Home Improvement Programme) earlier," he said.
Singh said that this was not always the case, and that in his view, the PAP changed its strategy because "their bullying sticks and disrespectful carrots did not work."
Singh claimed that the PAP only "changed its strategy" because the policy lost them votes, and received backlash in other constituencies:
"Why do you think Lee Hsien Loong and Lawrence Wong are going to Tampines, going to Punggol, and I'm sure they'll be here in East Coast also? Have they abandoned the other constituencies?
PAP only listens when it loses vote share and parliamentary seats to the Workers' Party."
"Is this negative politics?"
Singh answered PM Wong's call to reject "negative politics" with a series of rhetorical questions.
Referring to comments made by former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong about "fixing the opposition", Pritam said:
"Previous Prime Minister said that he would have to spend his time fixing the opposition if it gains five, 10, or 20 seats. This, he said this when the opposition only had two seats in parliament. This is the PAP DNA.
I wonder what Prime Minister Lawrence Wong would say about this. Is this negative politics?"
Singh later alleged that, during the Covid-19 pandemic, People's Association (PA) grassroots advisors, including unelected ones, were given information about which residents were recovering from residents, and were thus in a position to deliver care packs to them.
WP MPs, he said, were not given access to this information.
He also alleged that "democratically elected opposition MPs" are kept away from citizenship ceremonies, which he said are "presided over by losing PAP candidates".
Referring to the above-mentioned two instances, Singh rhetorically asked:
"So let me ask Lawrence Wong again, isn't this a textbook example of negative politics?"
Singh called for such policies to be changed, and said that a "new generation of Singaporeans, young people, deserve to inherit a better Singapore without the artificial lines drawn by the PAP that can breed divisive politics".
Access to CCs
Singh stated that WP has not had access to community clubs (CC) since 1981, but "but the CCs remain open, PA programmes continue to run".
He then cited an instance where a group of Aljunied residents, participating in a PA exercise programme held on PA-managed land, asked him whether they could use a HDB void deck managed by Aljunied-Hougang Town Council in the event of rain:
"I said, go ahead. You really don't need to ask this question.
So I would like to ask the PAP, would you allow a Workers' Party MP to use the centrally located community clubs in his or her name as a democratically elected person for food donation or distribution drives for low income households? This one can or not?
Please say yes or no before Polling Day. Let me know so I can go and debate with PM Lawrence Wong in Parliament, what is the real meaning of negative politics."
Pritam exhorted voters to support the WP in East Coast GRC, and said:
"Our little red dot will shine bright when our hearts are large. East Coast GRC voters, cast your vote with this in mind — when your hearts are large, the future is bright."
Top photo by Swarnobho Sarkar
