SINGAPORE: Parliament must deliberate on an "appropriate response" to Workers' Party (WP) chief Pritam Singh's actions and convictions, said Leader of the House Ms Indranee Rajah on Wednesday (Dec 17).
"Lying under oath is a serious matter. In some countries, leaders who have lied, cheated or flagrantly broken the law still escape any legal or political consequences. We cannot accept such standards in Singapore," said Ms Indranee in a media statement.
She described the facts of the case as "disturbing".
"The courts’ findings and Mr Singh’s convictions are a solemn reminder to all Members of Parliament that we have a sacred duty to uphold the rule of law and maintain honesty and integrity in our conduct."
Singapore cannot have a first-world parliament or provide robust checks and balances unless MPs on both sides of the aisle hold themselves to high standards of conduct, added Ms Indranee, who is MP for Pasir Ris-Changi GRC and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office.
"Whatever course of action the Workers’ Party may take, it is necessary for parliament to take notice of Mr Singh’s actions and convictions, and deliberate on an appropriate response," she said, adding that the matter will be raised at the January sitting.
Her statement follows a High Court judge’s decision earlier this month to dismiss an appeal by the WP chief against his conviction for lying to a parliamentary committee, regarding the case of ex-MP Raeesah Khan.
Mr Singh, who is MP for Aljunied GRC, was convicted in February and sentenced to a total fine of S$14,000 (US$10,700).
As the fine of S$7,000 per charge did not meet the threshold for disqualification, he remains a Member of Parliament. He led his team to victory in Aljunied GRC in May’s General Election.
In her statement, Ms Indranee said that after Ms Khan confessed to lying, Mr Singh formed a disciplinary panel with WP leaders Sylvia Lim and Faisal Manap to investigate her conduct.
“This was a travesty, given that the three of them already knew about the lie months earlier, and it was in fact Mr Singh who guided Ms Khan to continue with the lie. None of these facts were disclosed when the Disciplinary Panel was formed,” said Ms Indranee.
The WP has its own processes to deal with members who are untruthful, she said, citing the examples of Ms Khan and ex-MP Leon Perera, who had lied to the party leadership about an extramarital affair.
“It is up to the Workers’ Party to decide what it intends to do in light of the court judgment (that he had lied under oath), and Mr Singh’s acceptance of the judgment, fully and without reservation,” she said.
In August 2021, then-WP member Khan, who was MP for Sengkang GRC, lied in parliament about accompanying a rape survivor to make a police report. She later doubled down on the lie when questioned by Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam.
Ms Khan confessed to it a few months later in November 2021, and was referred to the Committee of Privileges to investigate her conduct in parliament. Mr Singh testified before that committee in December 2021.
In March 2024, Mr Singh was given two charges for falsely testifying to the committee that he wanted Ms Khan to clarify her lie in parliament.
He contested his charges in a trial and was found guilty on both charges in February this year. He then appealed against his conviction, which was dismissed on Dec 4 this year.
Mr Singh told reporters outside the court that he was disappointed with the appeal verdict but respected it. He said he took responsibility for taking "too long" to respond to Ms Khan's lie, but said he remains committed to his responsibilities to parliament and to Singaporeans.
He also said his focus is to continue serving Singaporeans and to speak up for them, and thanked Singaporeans for their support.
In a statement posted on Facebook following the hearing, the WP said that it is studying the court's verdict and grounds of decision, adding that it has "weathered many challenges over the years" and that “our commitment to serving the people of Singapore remains unwavering”.
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"Lying under oath is a serious matter. In some countries, leaders who have lied, cheated or flagrantly broken the law still escape any legal or political consequences. We cannot accept such standards in Singapore," said Ms Indranee in a media statement.
She described the facts of the case as "disturbing".
"The courts’ findings and Mr Singh’s convictions are a solemn reminder to all Members of Parliament that we have a sacred duty to uphold the rule of law and maintain honesty and integrity in our conduct."
Singapore cannot have a first-world parliament or provide robust checks and balances unless MPs on both sides of the aisle hold themselves to high standards of conduct, added Ms Indranee, who is MP for Pasir Ris-Changi GRC and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office.
"Whatever course of action the Workers’ Party may take, it is necessary for parliament to take notice of Mr Singh’s actions and convictions, and deliberate on an appropriate response," she said, adding that the matter will be raised at the January sitting.
Her statement follows a High Court judge’s decision earlier this month to dismiss an appeal by the WP chief against his conviction for lying to a parliamentary committee, regarding the case of ex-MP Raeesah Khan.
Mr Singh, who is MP for Aljunied GRC, was convicted in February and sentenced to a total fine of S$14,000 (US$10,700).
As the fine of S$7,000 per charge did not meet the threshold for disqualification, he remains a Member of Parliament. He led his team to victory in Aljunied GRC in May’s General Election.
"A TRAVESTY" OF INTERNAL DISCIPLINE
In her statement, Ms Indranee said that after Ms Khan confessed to lying, Mr Singh formed a disciplinary panel with WP leaders Sylvia Lim and Faisal Manap to investigate her conduct.
“This was a travesty, given that the three of them already knew about the lie months earlier, and it was in fact Mr Singh who guided Ms Khan to continue with the lie. None of these facts were disclosed when the Disciplinary Panel was formed,” said Ms Indranee.
The WP has its own processes to deal with members who are untruthful, she said, citing the examples of Ms Khan and ex-MP Leon Perera, who had lied to the party leadership about an extramarital affair.
“It is up to the Workers’ Party to decide what it intends to do in light of the court judgment (that he had lied under oath), and Mr Singh’s acceptance of the judgment, fully and without reservation,” she said.
HOW THE CASE UNFOLDED
In August 2021, then-WP member Khan, who was MP for Sengkang GRC, lied in parliament about accompanying a rape survivor to make a police report. She later doubled down on the lie when questioned by Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam.
Ms Khan confessed to it a few months later in November 2021, and was referred to the Committee of Privileges to investigate her conduct in parliament. Mr Singh testified before that committee in December 2021.
In March 2024, Mr Singh was given two charges for falsely testifying to the committee that he wanted Ms Khan to clarify her lie in parliament.
He contested his charges in a trial and was found guilty on both charges in February this year. He then appealed against his conviction, which was dismissed on Dec 4 this year.
Mr Singh told reporters outside the court that he was disappointed with the appeal verdict but respected it. He said he took responsibility for taking "too long" to respond to Ms Khan's lie, but said he remains committed to his responsibilities to parliament and to Singaporeans.
He also said his focus is to continue serving Singaporeans and to speak up for them, and thanked Singaporeans for their support.
In a statement posted on Facebook following the hearing, the WP said that it is studying the court's verdict and grounds of decision, adding that it has "weathered many challenges over the years" and that “our commitment to serving the people of Singapore remains unwavering”.
Continue reading...