Pritam Singh, Mediacorp apologise after comments on CNA show deemed by AGC to be in contempt of court

Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh has apologised to the court for statements he made on CNA programme.

- Ng Wei Kai

The Assembly about a case where he was found guilty of lying to a parliamentary committee.

In a Facebook post on Dec 13, Mr Singh, who is the Workers' Party (WP) chief, said: "I accept that my statements may be construed to be in contempt of court, including to impugn the integrity, propriety or impartiality of the court.

"Given that, I wholly and unreservedly apologise to the court and will avoid making comments to the same or similar effect in future."

Mediacorp CNA's parent company has also apologised for and taken down the interview after being told by the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) that it was in contempt of court.

The Ministry of Law (MinLaw) said in a Dec 13 statement that Mr Singh's comments "are very wrong, and have no place in a system founded on the rule of law".

The episode aired on Nov 5, a day after Mr Singh's appeal against his conviction was heard, with the court reserving its judgment. His appeal was later dismissed.

When asked by neurodivergent participants on the programme about the case, Mr Singh had said that he believes the court of public opinion can be bigger than any court in the world.

He also said his party's respectable performance at the May general election showed what the public thought of his role in the saga resulting in former WP MP Raeesah Khan's resignation from Parliament.

Ms Khan had resigned in 2021 after admitting to giving a false anecdote in the House.