SINGAPORE: Pritam Singh, Singapore's Indian-origin politician scripted history on Monday when Parliament conferred the duties and privileges to him as the city-state's first Leader of the Opposition. Singh's Workers' Party won 10 parliamentary seats out of the 93 it contested in the July 10 general election, making it the biggest opposition presence in Singapore's parliamentary history.
As the House began proceedings on Monday, one of the first orders of business was a ministerial statement by the Leader of the House Indranee Rajah on formally recognising Singh, 43, as the country's first Opposition leader. "With more opposition MPs reflecting a 'strong desire among Singaporeans for a greater diversity of views in politics' as noted by the Prime Minister (Lee Hsien Loong) in his swearing-in speech. It is timely and appropriate that the position of the Leader of the Opposition be more formally recognised," said Indranee, who is also of Indian-origin from the ruling People's Action Party (PAP).
The PAP has an absolute majority in the House with 83 elected members. The House passed a motion to double Singh's speaking time from 20 minutes - which is allotted to backbenchers - to 40 minutes, the duration allotted to office holders. Singh took the seat directly opposite Prime Minister Lee in the chamber. This is similar to the practice in other countries that formally recognise the role of the Leader of the Opposition, Indranee pointed out.
Speaking on the occassion, Singh underlined the need to focus on foreigners and their living conditions. He said how foreign workers are managed and accommodated needs to be improved. "Their (foreigners) presence gives Singapore a vitality that keeps us economically relevant and also provides jobs and opportunities to our fellow Singaporeans. Many of us count the foreigners in our midst - regardless of race, language or religion - as our friends," Singh was quoted as saying.
"It is precisely because we need foreigners to help power our economy that we need to pay more attention to the Singapore worker...some of whom feel excluded from (the) opportunities created in their homeland," Singh said. He called on the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) to publish the names of "recalcitrant" employers who do not give locals a fair chance in hiring and promotion.
