WP Chief Pritam Singh affirms MP commitment amid renew legal challenges

SINGAPORE: After facing two charges of providing false information to a parliamentary committee, Pritam Singh, Leader of the Opposition and the Secretary-General of the Workers’ Party (WP) pleaded not guilty to both charges at the State Court on Tuesday (19 March) morning.

He affirmed his commitment to fulfilling his parliamentary and town council duties, including Meet-the-People sessions, estate walks, house visits, and Hammer outreaches, “until the legal process comes to a complete close”.

In a statement shared on his Facebook page on Tuesday afternoon, he stated, “I was charged with two counts under the Parliament (Privileges, Immunities and Powers) Act for providing a “false answer” to the Committee of Privileges in December 2021, on the morning of 18 March 2024, and was issued a notice to attend Court on 19 March 2024 at 11 am. ”

Reflecting on his political journey, he expressed a clear awareness of the challenges in fostering a more balanced and democratic political landscape in Singapore.

“Even as the work continues, it has been my privilege and honour to be part of a Workers’ Party team that advances this cause. ”

“I will continue to play my part in this endeavour and I thank all Singaporeans for your continued support for the efforts of the Workers’ Party. Let’s press on.”

Mr Singh had requested a four-week adjournment for his case to secure legal representation. A pre-trial conference has been scheduled for 17 April.

Ms Khan, a former MP of the WP, confessed to providing false information in parliament in 2021 regarding a rape case that she claimed was mishandled by the police.

Consequently, she was referred to the Committee of Privileges for breaching parliamentary privilege.

Several witnesses, including Ms Khan, Mr Singh, and prominent figures from the WP, testified during the hearings held in late 2021 and early 2022.

As outlined in a joint statement by the Singapore Police Force and Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC), Mr Pritam Singh faces specific charges:

1. On 10 December 2021, Mr Pritam Singh falsely testified that as at the conclusion of his meeting with Ms Raeesah Khan, WP Chairman Ms Sylvia Lim and vice-chairman Mr Faisal Manap on 8 August 2021, he wanted Ms Raeesah to, at some point, clarify in Parliament that what she told Parliament on 3 August 2021 about having accompanied a rape victim to a police station was untrue.
2. On 10 and 15 December 2021, Mr Singh falsely testified that when he spoke to Ms Raeesah on 3 October 2021, he wanted her to admit to having lied to Parliament on 3 August 2021 about having accompanied a rape victim to a police station, if this issue were to come up in Parliament on 4 October 2021.

The joint statement also noted that the Prosecution, having considered the totality of the evidence, has decided not to prefer any charges against Mr Faisal Manap, WP MP for Aljunied GRC for his refusal to answer relevant questions that had been put to him by the COP.

“Nonetheless, the Police have, in consultation with the Prosecution, issued an advisory to Mr Faisal Manap on 18 March 2024 to advise him to familiarise himself with the conduct expected of Members of Parliament under the Act and to refrain from any act that may be in breach of it. Mr Faisal Manap has acknowledged the advisory.”

Mr Singh disclosed in December 2021 that the party leadership was aware of Ms Khan’s falsehood in a parliamentary speech, a week after she delivered it on 3 August.

However, she reiterated her false statement in October 2021 and did not correct the record in parliament until a month later, on 1 November, when she confessed to lying and apologized in the House.

In its final report on 10 February 2022, the Committee of Privileges recommended that Mr Singh and Mr Faisal Manap be referred to the public prosecutor for giving false testimony under oath.

The committee determined that Singh played a role in advising Ms Khan not to retract her initial falsehood and found him untruthful in claiming he urged her to correct the record during the hearings.

Singh has consistently denied the allegations and asserted that he afforded Ms Khan time to clarify her statements due to her past trauma as a sexual assault survivor.