SINGAPORE – In a move that surprised political analysts but not party members, Workers’ Party (WP) chief Low Thia Khiang announced on Friday (Nov 3) he would step down as secretary-general next year.

“We now have a team of younger leaders who are ready to drive the party forward to continue this walk with Singapore. I shall therefore not be contesting the post of secretary-general at the next party election to enable the younger generation of party leaders to take over the party completely,” he told about 1,200 guests at WP’s 60th anniversary dinner.

Mr Low, who turned 61 in September, has been secretary-general since 2001 and a Member of Parliament (MP) since 1991. The party last elected its executive council, a biennial affair, in May last year where Mr Low faced a challenge from fellow Aljunied MP Chen Show Mao.

It was the first time he faced a contest for the position, but saw off the challenge with 61 votes to Mr Chen’s 45.

Mr Low did not speak to reporters after the dinner, which also featured speeches by fellow party leaders Ms Sylvia Lim, Mr Leon Perera, Dr Daniel Goh and Mr Pritam Singh.

Mr Chen, an executive council member, declined to comment on whether he would stand again for secretary-general. “I will continue to play the role I have been playing in the party,” he said.

Party chairman Ms Lim declined to comment on whether she would step down next year. “I’ve been the party chairman for a long time, I’m happy we managed to make progress in the last 16 years I’ve been in the party. Whatever role each of us will be called to play, I think we will do our best,” she said.

With the basic structure for party succession in place, she said it was only “a matter of who steps up to the plate to take some key leadership positions”.

“I think we have come a long way, we have several younger leaders whom we think should be ready to perform a bigger role,” she added.

WP’s younger leaders include assistant secretary-general Mr Singh – touted by some as the next in line – vice-chairman Muhamad Faisal Manap, treasurer Dennis Tan and media team chairman Dr Goh.

Party members told TODAY they were not surprised by Mr Low’s announcement.

“Mr Low has made it very clear that there is a very clear line of succession,” said deputy organising secretary Kenneth Foo. Essentially, everyone in the executive council could put himself or herself up for the role, he said.

“(Mr Low) has been planning towards it for a long, long time, it has always been on his mind, he’s always talking about renewal and success,” said Mr Singh.

He added Mr Low would continue to play an advisory role in the party that may be “public or semi-public”.

“He just wants to take a step back from the leadership,” said Mr Singh. “The longer he stays, the longer he prolongs the renewal process. From that angle, we have to understand why he is doing that.”

In his speech, Mr Low called WP a “political enabler” that has checked the government and made it accountable to citizens.

“The WP has played its role in (making the government more responsive) by being a vehicle for Singaporeans to express our will in concrete terms at the ballot box, and by being the rational and responsible voice in Parliament,” he said.

Mr Low said he had achieved his twin objectives of ensuring party renewal and making electoral progress.

Calling on younger leaders to “step up to the steering wheel”, he urged them to remember the WP is “a vehicle for the voice of the people to be heard”, although “this voice is getting complex and more diverse”.

In her speech, Ms Lim said the Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC) has put in place a new integrated system software “comparable to that of other town councils”. “There has been a lot of adverse news about the AHTC but what are the facts that are not reported? When we took over in 2011, there was no disruption in services,” she said. “If you look around the neighbourhood and ask the residents, you will find that the town is progressively being renewed and improved.”

The party – which wrested the Aljunied group representation constituency from the ruling People’s Action Party in the watershed 2011 General Election – was at the time “denied the use of the town council system software that our residents had paid for”, she added.

Both Ms Lim and Mr Low paid tribute to WP organising secretary Png Eng Huat for being “instrumental” in the new system software.

Ms Lim, Mr Low and Mr Singh are among those caught in an ongoing lawsuit filed by an independent panel representing AHTC over alleged improper payments amounting to some S$33 million. They have maintained they acted in good faith and in accordance with their duties as town councillors.