Workers’ Party (WP) chief Pritam Singh said the party did not make any promises or commitments to individuals in exchange for political support, following claims by a Singaporean religious teacher Mr Noor Deros.
Speaking to reporters on April 26, Mr Singh clarified that Mr Noor had attended a meeting between the WP and Malay/Muslim religious leaders, but there was no prior indication that he would be present.
“There’s no situation of if the WP pushes forth this agenda, I would support you. I’m sorry, we don’t work politics like that in Singapore,” said Mr Singh.
Earlier, Malay-language newspaper Berita Harian reported that Mr Noor claimed he had spoken to all Malay candidates from WP and that the party had agreed to raise issues related to the Malay/Muslim community, oppose the normalisation of LGBTQ+ issues, and advocate for recognising Palestine.
In response, the WP issued a statement on April 26:
“The party confirms there were no promises, commitments or agreements made to any individual, including Noor Deros, in exchange for political support.”
The WP added that it is committed to separating religion and politics, a principle “well established” in Singapore’s political system.
Mr Singh emphasised that none of WP’s Malay/Muslim candidates, including Tampines GRC candidate Mr Faisal Manap, will represent only one community.
“Every candidate has to represent all Singaporeans equally and fairly,” said Mr Singh.
The situation comes amid increased scrutiny from the authorities about foreign interference in Singapore’s elections. The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) recently directed Meta to disable Singapore users’ access to Facebook posts by foreign individuals supporting certain opposition candidates.
Mr Singh reiterated his support for the Government’s stance:
“Our political scene is for our people… we persuade Singaporeans regardless of race, language or religion.”
Former WP chief Low Thia Khiang also commented during a walkabout at Tampines Round Market, stressing that WP has consistently avoided racial politics and that Singapore must be careful about foreign influence.
WP’s statement noted that while the party engages with religious leaders of all faiths, it remains firmly committed to Singapore’s secular, multiracial framework.
