Parliament to discuss response to Pritam Singh's conviction; facts of case 'disturbing': Indranee

Parliament will discuss an “appropriate response” to Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh’s conviction for lying to a parliamentary committee when the House meets in January, said Leader of the House Indranee Rajah.

- Ng Wei Kai Correspondent

In a statement on Dec 17, Ms Indranee said whatever course the WP may take on its own, it is necessary for Parliament to take notice of the Leader of the Opposition’s actions and convictions for lying under oath.

She added that 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.”

She noted that Mr Singh was convicted of two charges of lying under oath on Feb 17 - a decision that was upheld by the High Court on Dec 4 after an appeal. He was fined $14,000.

The facts of his case are “disturbing”, said Ms Indranee, who is Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for Finance.

She added that the courts’ findings and Mr Singh’s convictions are a solemn reminder to all MPs that they have a sacred duty to uphold the rule of law and maintain honesty and integrity in their conduct.

“We cannot talk about having a First World Parliament or providing robust checks and balances unless MPs on both sides of the aisle hold themselves to high standards of conduct.”

In a statement posted to Facebook later on Dec 17, the WP confirmed it has started the party’s “internal processes” in the light of the Dec 4 High Court judgment.

It added that it will give further updates on the matter in due course.

In her statement, Ms Indranee said the WP has its own processes to deal with members who are untruthful, referencing two cases of former WP MPs who had resigned after misconduct.

She noted that in both instances, Mr Singh had said the former MPs would have been expelled from the party had they not resigned.