Workers’ Party (WP) secretary-general Low Thia Khiang said he expects the members of the opposition in Parliament to be given fair time to speak their views.
At the first session of Singapore’s 12th Parliament on Monday, Low, one of the six elected WP Members of Parliament (MPs), highlighted the fact that the new Parliament contains the highest opposition representation – six MPs and three non-constituent MPs (NCMPs).
“This is the mandate of our people expressed through the watershed election in May,” he said, in a speech congratulating Michael Palmer, MP for Punggol East single-member constituency (SMC), on his election to Speaker that day. “Singaporeans want members of the opposition to speak on their behalf without fear or favour.”
“In this respect I trust that, Mr Speaker, sir, you will allow sufficient opportunity for members of the opposition to express our views and voice the concerns and needs of the people,” he said, adding a word of thanks to the voters in Aljunied and Hougang.
Parliamentary rules state the time that MPs have to speak, which varies according to the purpose behind their speeches.
An MP, for instance, has 40 minutes when advancing a motion, but has just a quarter of that when making an argument during the second reading of legislative bills.
Furthermore, the amount of time allocated to each MP, regardless of which party they are from, is the same.
Low had previously rejected the position of “unofficial leader of the opposition” in Parliament, a title referring to the MP who is the leader of the largest opposition party — in this case, the WP — who is able and prepared to assume office if the government resigns, saying that he found the term “unofficial” derogatory.
The WP has eight representatives in Parliament—Low, Sylvia Lim, Pritam Singh, Chen Show Mao and Muhamad Faisal bin Abdul Manap for Aljunied, Yaw Shin Leong, MP for Hougang, and NCMPs Gerald Giam and Yee Jenn Jong. They are joined by a third NCMP, Lina Chiam, of the Singapore People's Party, who lost Potong Pasir SMC by a slim margin in the May polls.
Hougang By-Election Coverage
- Who are Desmond Choo and Png Eng Huat?Yahoo! Newsroom - 1 hour 57 minutes ago
- Hougang by-election: Straight fight between WP's Png Eng Huat and PAP's Desmond ChooYahoo! Newsroom - 9 hours ago
- Elections Department issues 4 political donation certificatesYahoo! Newsroom - 22 hours ago
- Racism ‘not an issue with WP’Yahoo! Newsroom - Tue, May 15, 2012
- Hougang residents are special: Sylvia LimYahoo! Newsroom - Sun, May 13, 2012
Discover Yahoo! With Your Friends
Explore news, videos, and much more based on what your friends are reading and watching. Publish your own activity and retain full control.
To get started, firstLogin with Facebook
‘Allow sufficient opportunity for opposition’
By Jeanette Tan | Yahoo! Newsroom – Tue, Oct 11, 2011More about the story
- ‘Becoming an opposition MP like being in the deep end’
- Low Thia Khiang ‘surprised’ by timing of Hougang by-election
- Workers' Party fields Png Eng Huat as Hougang by-election candidate
- Hougang residents adopt wait-and-see stance to by-election
- Hougang residents are special: Sylvia Lim
- Hougang, a safe seat for Workers’ Party: analysts
- PAP chooses Desmond Choo as Hougang by-election candidate
- Who are Desmond Choo and Png Eng Huat?
- Hougang by-election to take place on 26 May
- Lina Chiam: SPP’s pillar of strength
How do you feel about this article?
Loading...
Most Popular Stories
Featured Blog Posts
- Why supplementing calcium isn’t enough for healthy bones - Fit to Post Health
- Your office photocopier may not be as harmless as you think - Fit to Post Health
- 4 tips to help you create a healthy eating plan - Fit to Post Health
- Hougang resident not backing down from court case - SingaporeScene
- A tribute to my mother - SingaporeScene
Latest Galleries
1 - 4 of 24
Latest Sports Blog Posts
Daily Deals
Yahoo! Singapore on Twitter
- Who are Desmond Choo and Png Eng Huat? Let's take a closer look: http://t.co/nFwpXR9e #Hougangbyelection
- Why supplementing calcium isn’t enough for healthy bones http://t.co/LnutnOBb
- Your office photocopier may not be as harmless as you think http://t.co/9bjW6FOO






229 comments