About Low Thia Khiang
Low Thia Khiang (born 5 September 1956) is a Singaporean former politician who has served as the secretary-general of the Workers' Party (WP) between 2001 and 2018 and the de facto leader of the opposition between 2006 and 2018. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Hougang Single Member Constituency (SMC) from 1991 to 2011, he was succeeded by Yaw Shin Leong and the Bedok Reservoir–Punggol division of Aljunied Group Representation Constituency (GRC) from 2011 to 2020, he was succeeded by Gerald Giam. Throughout his political career, Low was widely recognised for his tenacity and measured pragmatism. As one of only two opposition MPs in Parliament between 1997 and 2011, he played a pivotal role in maintaining parliamentary opposition representation during a period dominated by the governing People's Action Party (PAP). His leadership style, often characterised by consensus-building and party discipline, was credited with transforming the WP into a cohesive and electorally credible force. In 2011, he led a landmark victory that saw the WP secure the first GRC won by an opposition party, representing the Bedok Reservoir–Punggol division of Aljunied GRC until his retirement. His tenure in Parliament, spanning 29 years, remains the longest of any opposition MP in Singapore's post-independence history. In 2018, as part of a leadership renewal strategy, Low stepped down as secretary-general and was succeeded by Pritam Singh. He did not seek re-election in the 2020 general election but remained an influential presence within the party, continuing to serve on its Central Executive Committee (CEC) from 2022. Low was well known for giving speeches in Teochew, which won him much support from a large number of Teochew-speaking residents in Hougang SMC. In 1991, Low, as the Workers' Party's assistant secretary-general, won the Hougang SMC in the 1991 general election and entered Parliament. At the 2006 general elections, Low won his fourth straight term for the Hougang constituency.
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