Gaps in WP's evidence consistent with Raeesah Khan's version of events: Janil

The gaps and omissions in the submission of evidence and documents by the Workers' Party (WP), taken with what has been provided to the Committee of Privileges (COP) during its hearings, are more consistent with former WP MP Raeesah Khan's account of events, said Dr Janil Puthucheary.

He was speaking during the debate on the committee's report following its probe into Ms Khan's lies in Parliament last year.

Yesterday, Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh stated that he rejected the findings of the committee and that he intends to clear his name if referred to the Public Prosecutor.

Speaking right after Mr Singh, Dr Janil, who is Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information and Health, said: "The questions, gaps and omissions that he began his statement with are still present... These questions on the facts do go to the very heart of the matter as to whether or not Mr Singh has been honest in his dealings, including with Ms Khan."

Dr Janil said there was a question of why there were no steps taken to prepare Ms Khan to come clean and tell the truth from August - when she first told the lie in Parliament - till Oct 3, the day before she was pressed in Parliament on the matter by Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam and lied again.

He said this gap, taken with the other statements and evidence, is consistent with Ms Khan's account that the truth could remain buried if the matter did not come up.

He added: "Mr Singh should explain clearly why no steps were taken if indeed it was important, and it remains important, for Workers' Party MPs to come clean, to tell the truth, to clarify an untruth told in Parliament as he claims."

Dr Janil said: "One untruth is a problem. The second time, worse. And why not, at that point, ensure that the second lie in Parliament, the one which he, Ms (Sylvia) Lim and Mr Faisal (Manap) were aware of to be a lie, be clarified immediately?"

He asked: "The Workers' Party stands for honesty, integrity, accountability, where was all of that when Mr Singh was privy to a lie being told again, in Parliament?

Dr Janil also asked why there was no contemporaneous communication between Mr Singh, party chair Sylvia Lim and party vice-chair Faisal Manap on this topic.

He said: "Between me and my colleagues, just to settle what time we should meet, in order to go through our parliamentary questions, we would exchange various pages of e-mails.

"But this, for a most important matter, nothing - deafening silence. If it is so, it is hard to believe."

Speaking after all three WP leaders, Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and National Development Sim Ann said that when faced with an honest ruling party with a proven track record, every opposition party can choose between two paths.

The first path is to deal only with the truth, point out where the incumbent has genuinely fallen short and propose workable alternatives, while the second path is to opportunistically and cynically distort the truth and inflame emotions, all for the sake of winning more support and votes.

A responsible opposition party should commit only to the first path and reject the second, said Ms Sim in Mandarin.

She said that the WP leadership leaned towards the second path.

"They have demonstrated an opportunistic and cavalier attitude towards the truth, when it came to deciding whether Ms Khan should own up, and when and how it should be done," said Ms Sim.

Condoning lies and being cavalier with the truth undermine the foundation of honesty and trust that Singapore's democracy is built on, she said.

She added: "It is wrong to lie, and worse for an MP to do so. But if party leaders (including the Leader of the Opposition) lie, then it must be looked into seriously."