Pritam Singh: WP withdrew from Marine Parade, re-strategised in GE2025 after EBRC "reset playing board"

Workers' Party chief and Singapore's Leader of the Opposition, Pritam Singh, has attributed the party’s withdrawal from Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC during the 2025 General Election to a recalibrated strategy following the boundary changes in March 2025. Speaking on a local radio show on 4 August, Singh said the boundary shifts had “reset the playing board,” compelling the WP to re-evaluate its contest plans. The remarks were made during an interview on The Big Show on Kiss92 FM, hosted by DJs Glenn Ong and Angelique Teo under SPH Media. Singh was responding to a question originally raised by a Straits Times reporter regarding the WP’s strategic shift. The question noted that the party had significantly changed its approach and appeared to respond well to the revised boundaries. Singh was asked to elaborate on how these boundary changes had influenced the WP’s electoral strategy during GE2025.

Boundary changes influenced WP’s tactical pivot

In response, Singh explained that the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee’s (EBRC) revisions had reshaped the electoral landscape, notably affecting the WP's long-term planning. “Before the elections, you have the boundary review committee which always sort of resets the playing board, and of course when the playing board is reset, you’ve got to reset your strategy,” Singh told the hosts. The WP had contested Marine Parade GRC in both the 2015 and 2020 general elections, securing 35.93 per cent and 42.26 per cent of the vote share, respectively. However, the constituency underwent significant changes ahead of GE2025. It absorbed MacPherson SMC and part of Mountbatten SMC, while losing Chai Chee and Joo Chiat to East Coast GRC.

"You’ve got only that many cards in your hands"

In discussing the party’s withdrawal, Singh said that the WP took a forward-looking approach to its deployment of candidates. “You’ve got only that many cards in your hands, only that many candidates who are prepared to fly the flag,” he said. “We decided that the strategy for the party was important.” Despite stepping back from Marine Parade-Braddell Heights, Singh noted that the party remained active in the area and was still deeply connected to Singapore’s eastern region. “Generally we are more familiar with the eastern part of Singapore,” he said. The WP’s decision not to contest the Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC resulted in a walkover for the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP), a move that drew criticism from other opposition groups. In June, during a separate podcast hosted by Malaysian former health minister Khairy Jamaluddin, Singh had pointed to what he described as systemic barriers within Singapore’s electoral framework. He identified gerrymandering and institutional exclusion as significant challenges to the opposition’s growth. Describing the redrawing of electoral boundaries just 1.5 months before nomination day as “the original sin in Singapore politics”, Singh argued that such late-stage changes complicate meaningful electoral competition.

Singh: GE2025 was difficult election for WP

Despite fielding 26 candidates, including 14 newcomers, the WP retained its 10 seats in GE2025 but failed to gain additional constituencies. The party held its ground in Aljunied GRC, Sengkang GRC and Hougang SMC but did not succeed in newer battlegrounds such as Punggol GRC, Tampines GRC and Tampines Changkat SMC. “It was a difficult election for us,” Singh acknowledged. “As a small political party, obviously, elections are going to be difficult, but we did our best.”

Positive take on candidate performance and volunteerism

Singh was upbeat about the performance of WP candidates, even though he refrained from naming individuals. He praised those who had stepped forward to run, highlighting the personal commitment required of opposition candidates. “The value proposition we’re providing you is a very difficult journey,” he said. “It speaks a lot for themselves and their character.” He also noted the surge in volunteerism, describing it as encouraging for the party’s future.

Opposition candidates must create their own momentum

Singh stressed that unlike the ruling party, opposition candidates do not benefit from institutional support. “Because you don’t really have much wind behind you to push you forward, you’ve got to create that wind through your own energy and own effort,” he said. Looking back on the election, Singh said he had hoped WP would “tip one or two more constituencies”. “(We) came close, not close enough. But that just tells you there’s still work to do. So we go at it again,” he added. The interview on 4 August was reportedly Singh’s first appearance on a local radio platform.