Singapore opposition parties' leadership changes

SINGAPORE – Two political parties that contested at the 2025 General Election have had recent changes to their leadership teams, according to announcements made on July 6.

Progress Singapore Party (PSP) central executive committee (CEC) member Stephanie Tan, a political newcomer who contested Pioneer SMC, has left the opposition party.

Separately, People’s Power Party (PPP) said that its secretary-general Goh Meng Seng and chairman Derrick Sim have stepped down from their posts and a new party chief had been appointed.

Tan, who was the PSP representative for a televised roundtable discussion during the hustings, said she was leaving because of differences in opinion in PSP’s direction.

In a social media post, she reflected on her political journey which started in August 2023, when she signed up to be a PSP volunteer. She wanted then to contribute to greater vibrancy and discussions on important issues which matter to Singaporeans, she said.

“It has been such a fulfilling journey and while I remain hopeful to continue contributing to Singapore, it will no longer be through PSP due to differences in opinion in the direction of the party,” said Tan, 38.

Tan, a homemaker and former lawyer, thanked PSP founder Tan Cheng Bock for understanding and respecting her decision, and for his encouragement.

She said that she will be taking some time to evaluate her next steps.

At GE2025, Tan garnered 34.55 per cent of the votes against the PAP incumbent Patrick Tay – she was PSP’s best performer in a single member constituency out of the four it contested.

Overall, PSP fielded 13 candidates in six constituencies at the polls and suffered a decline in vote share compared with its first electoral outing in 2020.

Tan was later co-opted into the PSP CEC in July 2025 following a leadership renewal.

She told The Straits Times then that the changes represented the first step of the party’s plans to come back from the disappointing performance and that it intends to update its image by putting more of its younger members in the public eye.

She has in the past year been spotted at PSP’s activities in the west of Singapore, such as at market walkabouts and home visits.

ST has approached PSP for comment. Tan declined to provide further details when contacted.

People’s Power Party changes its leaders

In a Facebook post, PPP said it has completed its plan to renew its CEC, with Goh, 56, and Sim, 45, stepping down.

William Lim Lian Chin has been elected as the secretary-general of the party, it said. Lim contested in Ang Mo Kio GRC in GE2025.

Goh said in his own Facebook post that he and Sim had decided to step down from their leadership positions right after GE2025, but that “as responsible leaders, we held back and allowed the party to reorganise and determine its new leadership and direction before we officially stepped down”.

The pair was part of the PPP slate that stood in a four-way contest in Tampines GRC. The team received 0.43 per cent of the vote and lost their deposits.

Goh, who founded the party in 2015, said he bears “full responsibility for the party’s showing in the last GE”.

The party had also contested Ang Mo Kio GRC where it won 10.2 per cent of the vote in a three-way fight.

Goh did not make clear his next steps but said that he considered himself “no longer suitable to lead a political party in this new era whereby values are no longer the primary consideration of voters”.

He told ST that he will be helping PPP in the background and that he would remain an active member.

He would comment on policy issues and provide an alternative perspective to what the ruling PAP and opposition Workers’ Party raise, he added.

Goh first contested a general election in 2006, when he was part of a WP team fielded in Aljunied GRC.

He later joined the National Solidarity Party, became its secretary-general and contested in Tampines GRC in the 2011 general election.

He contested under the PPP banner in the 2015, 2020 and 2025 elections.

Thanking Goh and Sim for their past contributions and leadership, PPP said that the party will continue to strive on in “providing Singaporeans a real voice of truthful concerns and contribute towards the robust development of democracy for Singapore”.

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