4 days ago
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SINGAPORE: The top decision-making body of the Workers’ Party (WP) has directed that a disciplinary panel be formed to determine if party chief Pritam Singh has contravened the WP’s constitution, following his recent court conviction for lying to a parliamentary committee.
In a media statement on Saturday (Jan 3), the WP said its central executive committee (CEC) met on Jan 2 to discuss matters arising from Mr Singh’s conviction after the High Court dismissed his appeal against it on Dec 4.
Party cadres had also requested that a special conference be held on the matter.
“The CEC has concluded that it is appropriate to call the Special CMC (Cadre Members' Conference) after the disciplinary panel has completed its work, considering the need for due process,” the WP said.
“To prevent undue delay, the CEC has set a timeline that the disciplinary process be concluded within three months. The Notice of the Special CMC will be issued within two weeks after the conclusion of the disciplinary process.”
CNA previously reported that over 20 cadres had signed a letter calling for the special conference to be held in February, and that Mr Singh's position as the party chief could be among the topics discussed.
Mr Singh's case is also set to be discussed in parliament, which sits on Jan 12.
Leader of the House Indranee Rajah said last month that parliament must deliberate on an "appropriate response" to the WP chief's actions and convictions.
"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," Ms Indranee said.
The matter goes back to Aug 3, 2021, when then-WP MP Raeesah Khan lied in parliament about accompanying a rape survivor to make a police report.
After Ms Khan publicly admitted to lying, she was referred to the Committee of Privileges (COP) to investigate her conduct in parliament.
Mr Singh, the Leader of the Opposition, testified before the committee in December 2021 about how he dealt with the aftermath of her lie.
In March 2024, he was charged with two counts of lying to the committee. He contested the charges and was found guilty in February 2025. His appeal was dismissed on Dec 4.
The conduct of WP chair Sylvia Lim and vice-chair Faisal Manap, who had also testified before the committee, will be raised in parliament as well.
Ms Indranee pointed out that Mr Faisal’s refusal to answer the COP’s queries had been referred to the public prosecutor for possible contempt of parliament, adding that he was then issued a police advisory after investigations.
She also noted the COP's report that if the three senior WP leaders - Ms Lim, Mr Faisal and Mr Singh - had guided Ms Khan to repeat her lie, then such conduct would be a contempt of parliament.
"The COP’s findings have been borne out by the court judgments," Ms Indranee said.
"The COP was of the view that if Mr Singh, Ms Lim and Mr Faisal had guided Ms Khan to repeat her lie in parliament, then such conduct would be unbecoming of a parliamentarian, and would amount to contempt of parliament."
