CNA Explains: The secretive world of Singapore’s political party cadres

Asst Prof Ong said: “We should expect party leaders to only select members who profess to believe in the party’s mission to be cadres.

“Promoted cadre members who are entrusted with the voting rights are, in turn, expected to be more loyal to the party and less susceptible to defection than ordinary members.”

Cadres are also expected to act in accordance with instructions from the party leadership, and “be less fickle than ordinary members”, said Asst Prof Ong.

“This will help the party be more resilient to electoral setbacks in the short term and survive over the longer term.”

What does a cadre do?

The constitutions of some political parties here provide an insight into what a cadre member does.

Cadre members have the right to cast votes for the party’s central executive committee (CEC). This means they hold the power to decide who enters the party’s highest decision-making body.

They are also eligible to stand for election to the CEC themselves.

“Members who have proved their loyalty and service to the principles and objectives of the party and members who, in the opinion of the central executive committee, are fit and proper persons, shall be eligible for appointment as cadre members,” the PAP’s constitution states.

At its most recent party conference in November 2022, more than 3,000 cadres gathered at the Resorts World Sentosa Convention Centre.

Similarly, the WP’s constitution lets its CEC appoint cadres, emphasising that the member must be deemed “a fit and proper person”.

Its Cadre Members’ Conference is held at least once in two years, during which cadres will elect the party’s executive body, while “guided by the need for diverse representation”.

Special conferences can also be called at any time by the chairman or a CEC member, or “10 per cent of the cadre membership or at least 20 cadre members of the party (whichever is higher)”, it states.

“One was expected to contribute to the cause by participating and volunteering actively in party grassroots activities, party-building work, supporting the MPs for their parliamentary work and election campaigns,” said Assoc Prof Goh.

Workers’ Party has around 100 cadres, according to former members. Assoc Prof Goh estimated that about a third of the party members are cadres.

In the SDP, cadres are appointed by the CEC “typically in small, carefully curated batches once every two years, in tandem with the Ordinary Party Conference cycle”, a spokesperson told CNA.

The party currently has slightly over 50 cadres, forming around 15 per cent of the party’s membership, the spokesperson added.

There are no publicly available lists of cadres for any of the parties. 

“It is confidential and quite closely held, and understandably so, as it represents the inner circle of the party,” said a PAP member, who has been a cadre for about six years.

“It is possible that some members do not even know that another is a cadre.”

Those who become cadres do not have to pay additional membership fees.