Following the 2020 general election, in which the WP won ten seats in Parliament, Prime Minister
Lee Hsien Loong announced the formal designation of Singh as
Leader of the Opposition. This marked the first time in Singapore's parliamentary history that the office had been officially established. Prior to this, the role was informal and held no statutory or procedural standing under either the
Constitution or the Standing Orders of Parliament. Singh's appointment was accompanied by provisions for dedicated staff support and resources, including a research team, a secretarial office and facilities commensurate with the responsibilities of leading opposition scrutiny in Parliament. The establishment of the formal office of the Leader of the Opposition also brought with it a revised salary structure. It was announced that the position would carry an annual salary of S$385,000, double that of an ordinary Member of Parliament in recognition of its expanded scope and constitutional significance. Singh later clarified that he would donate half of the salary increment arising from his new designation. He pledged to allocate the funds to a combination of party activities, charitable causes and constituency needs, thereby affirming his continued commitment to both civic service and political accountability. As leader of the opposition, Singh also began to take on a more pronounced policy advocacy role within Parliament. In October 2020, he called for the introduction of a universal monthly minimum wage of S$1,300 to replace the existing
progressive wage model, arguing that a uniform wage floor would better uphold the dignity of low-income workers and address income inequality more effectively. In February 2023, Singh further proposed that an
English language proficiency requirement be introduced for applicants seeking
Singaporean citizenship or
permanent residency, contending that it would aid integration and align with the country's linguistic and civic norms.
Podcast appearance In 2025, during his first podcast appearance on
Keluar Sekejap with Malaysian politicians
Khairy Jamaluddin and
Shahril Hamdan, Singh said that the WP aimed to be ready to govern should the PAP suffer a "serious failure", calling it a form of "political insurance" for Singapore. He stressed that he did not aspire to be Prime Minister, but instead sought to "normalise the idea of an opposition" and grow the party in line with the "pragmatic outlook of Singaporean voters", additionally saying that the WP aimed to stay "relatable and effective" within the incumbent political context of Singapore. Several days after the podcast was released, the PAP criticised Singh for discussing Singaporean politics on a foreign platform, questioning his choice to speak "on foreign soil to a foreign audience". In response, the WP called the interview "well received by Singaporeans" and of "no negative impact on Singapore's national interests". It stated that the Leader of the Opposition did not belong to the executive and was hence not subject to any known restriction on such engagements, while noting that PAP leaders regularly gave interviews to foreign media. In a response, the PAP acknowledged that ministers often spoke to foreign outlets on a range of topics, but called it "unusual" that the Leader of the Opposition had given his first detailed interview after the election, centred on Singaporean domestic affairs, to Malaysian hosts. The PAP also criticised the WP for downplaying concerns over its links to Noor Deros, an Islamist preacher based in Kuala Lumpur who endorsed WP vice-chairperson
Faisal Manap and his contest in
Tampines GRC as well as public endorsements by politicians from the
Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS). It argued that these issues "raise[d] serious questions" about foreign influence in Singaporean politics and defence from it.
Parliamentary unsuitability motion and removal On 14 January 2026,
Parliament approved a motion moved by
Leader of the House Indranee Rajah to declare Singh "unsuitable" as leader of the opposition. The motion came in the wake of Singh's conviction on two counts of providing a false testimony to the COP, a ruling that had been upheld by the
High Court upon appeal. In spite of the conviction, Singh had consistently maintained his innocence. The vote was split along party lines; all PAP and
Nominated MPs in attendance voted in favour, while all WP MPs, including
non-constituency MP (NCMP)
Andre Low (other than NCMP
Eileen Chong, who was absent), voted against the motion despite the party
whip being lifted. During the debate, Indranee said that Parliament could not remove Singh by itself and that the authority to appoint or remove the leader of the opposition rested with the Prime Minister. The following day, Prime Minister
Lawrence Wong removed Singh as leader of the opposition, inviting the WP to nominate another elected opposition MP as a replacement. After deliberation, the WP rejected the offer through its website on 21 January, claiming that the leader of the largest opposition party in Parliament was themself the leader of the opposition. In response, the
Prime Minister's Office (PMO) announced on the same day that it had accepted the rejection and that the position would remain vacant until the party was "ready to nominate someone to take on the responsibility". On 12 March, a case management conference was held and Singh was announced to be under disciplinary proceedings by the
Law Society of Singapore. ==Personal life==