LiveWP cadres to vote on Pritam Singh’s leadership
14:56
First meeting looks to be wrapping up
There’s been some activity around the venue. Some cadres are seen leaving the meeting room for a break.
Lawyer Remy Choo who arrived ahead of the first meeting has also just left. He is here in his “professional capacity”, he says, declining to comment further citing duties of confidentiality.
Earlier at about 2.15pm, vice-chair Faisal Manap left, telling reporters that he had a family event to attend.
At about 2.30pm, former Hougang MP Png Eng Huat arrived. Png was the third member of the disciplinary panel alongside Sengkang GRC MPs Jamus Lim and He Ting Ru.
The next meeting, the party's internal election, is scheduled to start at 3pm.
ST PHOTOS: NG SOR LUAN, CHONG JUN LIANG
12:54
The meeting has started
The cadres are in the venue and the first meeting has started.
It is scheduled to run until 3pm and will be followed by the party’s internal elections.
These are scheduled to run until 6pm. The meetings are closed-door.
We will bring you the updates as and when they come.
12:40
Quick take
Low’s surprise backing could strengthen Singh’s position
If Low Thia Khiang’s comments mean that he will not support a challenger to Pritam Singh, it is unlikely that the unhappy cadres – which number about 30 – will have the votes to challenge Singh.
There are about 110 cadres, and Singh just needs a simple majority at both meetings to retain his position.
Low’s comments are surprising given rumours that have been swirling in the party that the former secretary-general has ceased support for Singh.
12:08
Low Thia Khiang arrives for WP meetings, says yes when asked if he will support Singh
Former WP chief Low Thia Khiang says he still supports Pritam Singh.
He arrives in the carpark and is asked in Mandarin whether he still supports Singh, and replies yes.
He is one of the last to arrive before the meeting starts at noon.
Asked if he will still run for the party’s CEC, he replies: “I don’t know”.
Low, who was secretary-general between 2001 and 2018, still sits on the party’s CEC although he has no portfolio.
Low himself had faced a leadership challenge at the 2016 party elections by then-Aljunied GRC MP Chen Show Mao.
ST PHOTOS: CHONG JUN LIANG
11:58
Jamus Lim is here
Sengkang GRC MP Jamus Lim has arrived.
He is one of the three members of a disciplinary panel that found Singh had contravened the WP’s Constitution over his convictions, and is said to be one of the MPs the unhappy faction is looking to nominate to run against Singh.
His Sengkang GRC colleague Louis Chua is also at the venue.
ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
11:50
Pritam Singh arrives
WP chief Pritam Singh is here for the 12pm meeting.
There, he will be asked to account for his actions and resign, and if he does not, will face a secret vote for his leadership of the party.
ST PHOTOS: CHONG JUN LIANG
11:49
Several of WP’s GE2025 candidates are here
A number of GE2025 candidates are here, including Punggol GRC candidate Harpreet Singh, East Coast GRC candidates Jasper Kuan and Paris Parameswari and Tampines Changkat candidate Kenneth Foo.
ST PHOTOS: CHONG JUN LIANG, NG SOR LUAN
11:44
Faisal Manap arrives
WP vice-chair Faisal Manap has arrived. Faisal was MP for Aljunied GRC from 2011 to 2025, and has been vice-chair since 2016.
During GE2025, he led a team of new faces to stand in Tampines in what was the closest contest for a GRC.
Faisal has also been implicated in the saga surrounding former Sengkang GRC MP Raeesah Khan. He was questioned by the same parliamentary committee where Singh lied but unlike Singh, he was not charged.
In March 2024, the police issued him an advisory to “familiarise himself with the conduct expected of Members of Parliament under the Parliament (Privileges, Immunities and Powers) Act and to refrain from any act that may be in breach of it”.
ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
11:33
He Ting Ru arrives
He Ting Ru is here.
The Sengkang GRC MP is said to be one option being considered by unhappy cadres searching for a challenger to run against Singh at the party’s internal election.
She was one of the three members of a disciplinary panel that found Singh had contravened the WP’s Constitution over his convictions.
GE2025 Tampines GRC candidates Michael Thng, Ong Lue Ping and Eileen Chong are here as well.
Chong is a Non-Constituency MP and is part of the CEC as youth wing president.
ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
11:23
Remy Choo arrives
Lawyer Remy Choo has arrived at the venue.
Choo, who is known for taking on prominent cases such as representing Bloomberg against ministers K. Shanmugam and Tan See Leng in a defamation trial, has been seen at party activities but is not a member.
ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
