SINGAPORE: Fresh from being sworn in two days earlier, three Nominated Members of Parliament (NMPs) on Wednesday (Jan 14) spoke in support of a motion that said Workers' Party (WP) chief Pritam Singh was unsuitable to continue as the Leader of the Opposition, with one calling on him to step down from the position voluntarily.
Ms Kuah Boon Theng, Mr Mark Lee and Dr Neo Kok Beng added their voices to the three-hour debate on a motion tabled by Leader of the House Indranee Rajah.
The motion also called for Members of Parliament (MPs) to express regret at Mr Singh's conduct, which was "dishonourable and unbecoming of an MP", after he was convicted for lying to a parliamentary committee.
Parliament passed the motion, with 11 dissenting votes from WP MPs present in the House.
Eight of the nine NMPs who were sworn in on Monday were present at the debate, with all eight backing the motion.
Ms Kuah, a senior counsel, introduced herself as an advocate and solicitor with over 30 years of practice.
She asked Mr Singh if he would "respond appropriately" by voluntarily stepping down as Leader of the Opposition, saying that this would be the "clearest sign" he could offer that he has "learnt the error of his ways".
Citing her experience in disciplinary matters for the legal and medical professions, she said the standards of conduct for parliamentarians could not be lower than those of these occupations.
"It is not enough for any profession to simply claim to have standards of conduct and declare itself an honourable profession," she added.
"To retain the trust and confidence of the public, we must be prepared to call out behaviour and conduct that has fallen short of those standards, hold people to account and consider appropriate sanction or measures that must be taken."
Second-term NMP Mr Lee also spoke in support of the motion, affirming that no member of the House stands above the law, and that honesty before parliament and its committees is "non-negotiable"
"When trust fails, political risks rise. Investors and businesses price in uncertainty, and growth slows," he added.
"This reinforces a simple reality. Trust is not an abstract ideal, it is a foundational economic asset. Singapore's attractiveness as an investment hub and as a hub for trade and innovation rests on the confidence that our institutions are fair, reliable and accountable."
The businessman said he felt compelled to speak because of this "centrality of trust".
He said that if an NMP were to lie to parliament, and be convicted in a court of law, the proper course would be for that NMP to step down from a position of responsibility within the House. It would not be "a matter of punishment, but as a matter of integrity".
It was difficult to argue that lower expectations should apply for the Leader of the Opposition, said Mr Lee.
Dr Neo, an engineer, said that he relied on the factual findings of the court in Mr Singh's case.
"In my work, whether it is professional opinion or judgment, we rely more on the court findings, so these are factual stuff and not disputable," he added.
"Then what is the action? We address members in this chamber as honourable members.
"The public does expect us, and in particular office holders, to have the highest integrity and honesty. And it is just not really tenable for the Leader of the Opposition to carry on in this role as it is."
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Ms Kuah Boon Theng, Mr Mark Lee and Dr Neo Kok Beng added their voices to the three-hour debate on a motion tabled by Leader of the House Indranee Rajah.
The motion also called for Members of Parliament (MPs) to express regret at Mr Singh's conduct, which was "dishonourable and unbecoming of an MP", after he was convicted for lying to a parliamentary committee.
Parliament passed the motion, with 11 dissenting votes from WP MPs present in the House.
Eight of the nine NMPs who were sworn in on Monday were present at the debate, with all eight backing the motion.
Ms Kuah, a senior counsel, introduced herself as an advocate and solicitor with over 30 years of practice.
She asked Mr Singh if he would "respond appropriately" by voluntarily stepping down as Leader of the Opposition, saying that this would be the "clearest sign" he could offer that he has "learnt the error of his ways".
Citing her experience in disciplinary matters for the legal and medical professions, she said the standards of conduct for parliamentarians could not be lower than those of these occupations.
"It is not enough for any profession to simply claim to have standards of conduct and declare itself an honourable profession," she added.
"To retain the trust and confidence of the public, we must be prepared to call out behaviour and conduct that has fallen short of those standards, hold people to account and consider appropriate sanction or measures that must be taken."
Second-term NMP Mr Lee also spoke in support of the motion, affirming that no member of the House stands above the law, and that honesty before parliament and its committees is "non-negotiable"
"When trust fails, political risks rise. Investors and businesses price in uncertainty, and growth slows," he added.
"This reinforces a simple reality. Trust is not an abstract ideal, it is a foundational economic asset. Singapore's attractiveness as an investment hub and as a hub for trade and innovation rests on the confidence that our institutions are fair, reliable and accountable."
The businessman said he felt compelled to speak because of this "centrality of trust".
He said that if an NMP were to lie to parliament, and be convicted in a court of law, the proper course would be for that NMP to step down from a position of responsibility within the House. It would not be "a matter of punishment, but as a matter of integrity".
It was difficult to argue that lower expectations should apply for the Leader of the Opposition, said Mr Lee.
Dr Neo, an engineer, said that he relied on the factual findings of the court in Mr Singh's case.
"In my work, whether it is professional opinion or judgment, we rely more on the court findings, so these are factual stuff and not disputable," he added.
"Then what is the action? We address members in this chamber as honourable members.
"The public does expect us, and in particular office holders, to have the highest integrity and honesty. And it is just not really tenable for the Leader of the Opposition to carry on in this role as it is."
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