Opposition stalwart and People's Power Party founder Goh Meng Seng steps down from party leadership

Veteran Opposition leader Goh Meng Seng is stepping down as secretary-general of the People's Power Party (PPP) which he founded in 2015. 

In a Facebook post on Monday (July 6), PPP said it has completed its central executive committee's (CEC) "renewal plan".

William Lim Lian Chin has been elected as the party's secretary-general, while both Goh and Derrick Sim have decided to step down from their posts and the CEC.

"The party thanks them for their past contributions and leadership with great gratitude. 

"The party under the new leadership will continue to strive on in providing Singaporeans a real voice of truthful concerns and contribute towards the robust development of democracy for Singapore," it added.

Goh, a corporate consultant who is 56 this year, entered politics in 2001, joining the Workers' Party (WP) and was part of its CEC. 

He contested in Aljunied GRC at the 2006 general election as part of the WP's "A Team", alongside Sylvia Lim, James Gomez, Mohammed Rahizan Yaacob and Tan Wui-Hua.

The WP team garnered 43.91 per cent of valid votes — the highest percentage among losing Opposition candidates — and Lim made her parliamentary debut, having been chosen by WP to be non-constituency MP.

Goh left the WP the same year. He joined the National Solidarity Party in 2007 and became its secretary-general.

At the watershed 2011 general election, Goh contested in Tampines GRC, with the NSP team garnering 42.78 per cent of valid votes.

He later stepped down from the CEC and left the party at the end of the same year.

Shortly before the 2015 general election, Goh founded PPP. He said then that he decided to form a new party partly due to the death of founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.

"Now that Mr Lee is gone, there's no one else who has such a strong political morality who can control everyone. Things can go wrong. 

"The only way to provide sustainability is when power is separated into different parties that can act as checks and balances," he told reporters.

PPP contested only in Chua Chu Kang GRC, with Goh leading his team to garner 23.09 per cent of valid votes.

At the 2020 general election, Goh stood against the People's Action Party's Tin Pei Ling in MacPherson SMC, where he garnered 28.26 per cent of valid votes.

In the lead up to the 2025 general election, Goh became organising secretary for the People's Alliance for Reform, which brought together PPP, the Reform Party, Peoples Voice, and the Democratic Progressive Party. But he withdrew PPP from the alliance shortly before the polls, citing "irreconcilable strategic differences".

Goh led a five-member PPP team to a four-way contest in Tampines GRC while another five-member PPP team stood in a three-way contest in Ang Mo Kio GRC. 

Both PPP teams lost their deposits. The Tampines team won just 596 ballots, or 0.43 per cent of valid votes, while the Ang Mo Kio team got 10.2 per cent of valid votes. 

Goh was dispirited after the results, having reportedly sold his property to fund PPP's campaign. He told The Straits Times: "I don't think I have the desire any more. The fire is not there any more. Good luck to Singapore, there's nothing else we can say."

He reportedly added: "For now, I have no plans at all until I can earn enough money."

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esther.lam@asiaone.com