SINGAPORE - The Workers' Party is ready to work with other opposition parties to play the role of a rational and constructive opposition in Parliament, said party chairman Sylvia Lim on Sunday (July 12).

Speaking at a press conference held over an online video-conference on Sunday, she said: "There will be ample opportunity, I believe, in the coming years for us to work collaboratively as much as possible with any party who should decide to take up the NCMP seats... to move the agenda forward and to play our role as constructive opposition."

Her remarks come as the WP's 10 MPs are expected to be joined in Parliament by two Non-Constituency MPs (NCMPs) from the Progress Singapore Party (PSP). WP chief Pritam Singh will also be formally appointed Leader of the Opposition.

The PSP's West Coast team lost with 48.31 per cent of the vote share, making it the best performing team among the opposition candidates that were defeated. The NCMP scheme guarantees up to 12 seats to the opposition.

WP was the sole opposition presence at the last Parliament with six MPs and three NCMPs. After the 2011 election, the WP was joined in Parliament by one NCMP from the Singapore People's Party but there was no official leader of the opposition at that time and there was minimal coordination between both parties in the House.

Party chief Pritam Singh, also at the same press conference, touched on the point of cooperation when asked how his party would work with the People's Action Party.

Noting that the coronavirus pandemic has caused suffering to the people and resulted in job losses, Mr Singh said: "The whole country has to unite to come out of this situation."

He added: "So I think we should be very focused on what is at stake here, rather than think about the political position that the parties should take or should hedge."