SINGAPORE: The People’s Action Party (PAP) will not seek the suspension of Pritam Singh as Member of Parliament (MP) while legal proceedings over his charges are ongoing.
The Workers’ Party chief was handed two charges on Tuesday (Mar 19) for making false statements before a parliamentary committee that was looking into the conduct of his party’s former lawmaker Raeesah Khan, who lied in the House in 2021.
PAP organising secretary Ms Grace Fu said that there have been queries about whether the party will, through its MPs, be seeking to suspend Singh given that he has been formally charged.
Ms Fu said that PAP MPs will not be doing so and that the party will not comment on the merits of the case as it is now before the courts.
“This is in line with parliament’s resolution to defer any sanctions in respect of Mr Singh’s, Ms Sylvia Lim’s, and Mr Faisal’s respective roles in the matter of former MP Raeesah Khan’s untruth, until after the conclusion of the investigations and criminal proceedings (if any) against Mr Singh,” she said in a statement.
“This is also consistent with PAP’s position to a motion filed by Non-Constituency Member of Parliament and Secretary-General of the Progress Singapore Party, Ms Hazel Poa, in September 2023.
"Parliament must deal rigorously with any MP who has committed wrongdoing, but suspending an MP is a serious action that must be done in accordance with due process of the law and natural justice. Parliament should not prejudge the outcome of the proceedings.”
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The Workers’ Party chief was handed two charges on Tuesday (Mar 19) for making false statements before a parliamentary committee that was looking into the conduct of his party’s former lawmaker Raeesah Khan, who lied in the House in 2021.
PAP organising secretary Ms Grace Fu said that there have been queries about whether the party will, through its MPs, be seeking to suspend Singh given that he has been formally charged.
Ms Fu said that PAP MPs will not be doing so and that the party will not comment on the merits of the case as it is now before the courts.
“This is in line with parliament’s resolution to defer any sanctions in respect of Mr Singh’s, Ms Sylvia Lim’s, and Mr Faisal’s respective roles in the matter of former MP Raeesah Khan’s untruth, until after the conclusion of the investigations and criminal proceedings (if any) against Mr Singh,” she said in a statement.
“This is also consistent with PAP’s position to a motion filed by Non-Constituency Member of Parliament and Secretary-General of the Progress Singapore Party, Ms Hazel Poa, in September 2023.
"Parliament must deal rigorously with any MP who has committed wrongdoing, but suspending an MP is a serious action that must be done in accordance with due process of the law and natural justice. Parliament should not prejudge the outcome of the proceedings.”
Continue reading...