WP leaders kept prior knowledge of former MP’s lie from party members: Judge
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Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh speaking to the media after leaving the State Courts on Feb 17.
ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI
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SINGAPORE – Workers’ Party (WP) leaders knew former WP MP Raeesah Khan had lied in Parliament in August 2021, but they kept this from party members for months.
Deputy Principal District Judge Luke Tan, who on Feb 17 found WP chief Pritam Singh guilty of lying to the Committee of Privileges, said that Singh and WP chair Sylvia Lim also kept this knowledge from Mr Low Thia Khiang, the former secretary-general of the party and current central executive committee (CEC) member.
Mr Low found out only in August 2023,
In a 150-page judgment, Judge Tan described as concerning the conduct of Singh, Ms Lim and WP co-chair Faisal Manap in not revealing to the CEC and other members their prior knowledge of the lie and that Singh was directly involved in guiding Ms Khan after discovering the untruth.
He pointed out conflict of interest issues as well, noting that the disciplinary panel (DP) formed in November 2021 to deal with Ms Khan comprised Ms Lim, Mr Faisal and Singh, the three leaders who had known for some months about the lie.
“Such behaviour suggested that these leaders, in particular the accused (Singh) who was the most senior leader and the one most involved in guiding Ms Khan on her behaviour after discovering her lie, were trying to cover up their own involvement in the matter, and doing so through their membership in, and management of, the DP,” said the judge.
Ms Khan had lied in Parliament on Aug 3, 2021,
She repeated the claim before the House on Oct 4 the same year, before admitting to her lie on Nov 1, 2021.
Judge Tan noted that Singh, Ms Lim and Mr Faisal had known as early as Aug 8, 2021, about the lie. They did not reveal this knowledge to the CEC, even when they recommended her expulsion in November that year.
The judge said the “lackadaisical attitude” of Singh towards Ms Khan’s lie in Parliament showed that he did not want the truth to come out after considering its ramifications.
“The potential grave and negative impact on the party of Ms Khan admitting that she had lied in Parliament... would not have been lost on political veterans like the accused, Ms Lim and Mr Faisal,” Judge Tan added.
The judge noted that after Ms Khan admitted to the other WP leaders that she had lied, there was no follow-up by Singh or by the other two WP leaders about what to do about the lie.
Judge Tan said nothing was done by Singh for almost two months to get her to reveal the truth, after Ms Khan met them on Aug 8, 2021.
“It can only be inferred that as at (Aug 8, 2021), the WP leaders still thought things would blow over, and that the truth may not be found out,” said Judge Tan, who added that there was no evidence that Singh discussed with his fellow leaders what to do about the lie, nor did he follow up with them after the meeting.
This must have been because he never wanted, or never expected, her to clarify the lie in Parliament, said Judge Tan.
“Hence, there would have been no embarrassing exposure, and no damaging impact for which his fellow WP leaders had to be concerned with or need to address,” said the judge.
Judge Tan said that as Singh was the highest-ranking WP member at the meeting, “one would have expected that he would be well placed to communicate to Ms Khan any instruction(s) to specifically address the lie if that was really his intention”.
The judge said it was Mr Low, who he described as a person trusted and respected by both prosecution and defence witnesses, who played a pivotal role in the ultimate decision for Ms Khan to confess to the lie in Parliament.
Singh was convicted of two counts of lying under oath to a parliamentary committee
Parliament had indicated in 2022 that it will defer decisions on parliamentary sanctions on Mr Faisal and Ms Lim
