You might have heard about the Committee of Privileges’ final report, whereby former Sengkang GRC MP Raeesah Khan might be fined $35,000 while two WP Leaders, Secretary-General Pritam Singh and Vice-Chairman Faisal Manap, might be referred to the Public Prosecutor.
Take note of the word “might”, because all along, those are merely recommendations by the COP for the Members of Parliament, who will then vote on whether to accept them or not.
Well, today is the day whereby the report is debated and voted upon, and it’s now confirmed after a 4-hour debate: the COP’s final report is accepted as the votes are in.
The votes are actually about two motions (i.e. kind of like actions to be taken): the first is the COP’s finding that Ms Khan was guilty of abusing parliamentary privilege by lying in August and October last year, and its recommendation that she be fined $35,000.
The second is to refer Mr Singh and Mr Faisal to the Public Prosecutor, and to defer any parliamentary sanctions on the both of them.
You can watch this video to understand more about the recommendations:
A 4-Hour Debate With 10 MPs Speaking
A total of 10 MPs, including Mr Singh and PM Lee, spoke about the report.
Mr Singh rejected the COP’s findings, and insisted that he had not lied. He accused the COP’s intentions and said that if needed, he would defend himself in court (which, in this case, he would need to).
PM Lee urged MPs to vote with their conscience, saying that “if Parliament condones lying among its own members, how can Singaporeans trust the institution of Parliament?
“If we let flagrant, egregious transgressions pass, it will erode trust in our leaders, respect for Parliament and support for our whole political system and Singapore would be heading for trouble.”
In addition, he also touched on the issue of people claiming that it’s a political move, saying, “Regrettably, pro-Workers’ Party voices on social media have taken quite a different tack. Before the matter can be conclusively determined—if necessary in court—they are doing their best to confuse the issues and arouse sympathy. They are asking the public to clear the names of the three MPs, suggesting that referring the case to the public prosecutor is political persecution.
“What they are really saying is this: Don’t look too carefully at what Mr Singh did. Just remember who he is. He is the Leader of the Opposition. By virtue of his position, he should not be referred to the public prosecutor and any action against him must by definition be politically motivated, because who he is is more important than what he has done, even if he may have committed a crime.
“Some people may be taken in and sympathise with the story. They say: ‘Why not just let the matter rest. Can we find a compromise solution?’
“After all, it would be easier for the Government not to have to pursue this matter against the three MPs. We have a full enough agenda.
“But Mr Speaker, as long as the PAP is the Government, we will not shy away from doing whatever is necessary to uphold the right norms in this house and to imbue Singaporeans and their leaders with the values critical to sustain trust in the system and critical to our success.”
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What’s Next
With the votes, it’s now certain that Ms Khan would be fined $35,000, while Mr Singh and Mr Faisal would be referred to the Public Prosecutor.
The two WP Leaders might be charged, and they would have the chance to defend themselves in court or plead guilty.
Should any one of them is found guilty and fined more than $2,000, he will have to vacate his MP seat.
However, technically speaking, even though they’re from the same GRC, there’s no need for a by-election unless all MPs in the GRC leave their seats.
Simply put, there’s going to be a new season of the WP Saga and this blue cat would have more things to talk about:
Read Also:
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Featured Images: YouTube (govsg + CNA)
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