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It is "proper and correct" for the Committee of Privileges (COP) to refer Workers' Party (WP) Members of Parliament (MPs) Pritam Singh and Faisal Manap to the Public Prosecutor, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said on the sidelines at an event he attended at Woodlands Health Campus on Feb. 12.
Ong added that should the matter proceed to trial, both Singh and Faisal will be able to furnish evidence before the judge, argue their case, defend themselves and clear their name.
"The issue of being outnumbered by PAP members doesn't arise in a court of law," he said.
"The judge is independent, the judge is objective and further, if no wrong is done, there is no fear of the Leader of Opposition losing his seat."
Ong: Prospect of opposition losing parliamentary seats appears to have concerned many
The minister further noted that Singh had raised in his Facebook post the prospect of losing his parliamentary seat and that has appeared to have concerned "a lot of people".
Ong added: "Yesterday's Workers' Party statement alluded to the fact that in Parliament, they are outnumbered by PAP members. So any vote they will lose, I think that's what they are trying to drive at."
"And today I saw some other comments by their former candidates who mentioned that with this, maybe democracy will take a beating, people may not dare to come out to support (an) opposition party or run as opposition candidates," he said.
The minister further stated that he was of the view that the "general narrative" which is emerging is about democracy.
Raeesah Khan's lie and WP's handling of matter have "stained" Parliament
Ong also gave his overview of the lie made by former WP MP Raeesah Khan in Parliament and the WP's handling of the matter.
He noted that Khan had repeated her lie and that "for three months", there was no concrete action from the WP in addressing or investigating the matter.
Ong said: "In the course of this whole saga, we now see two contradicting stories coming up within WP. So, Parliament has been stained and diminished through this whole episode. That is why we treat this with utmost seriousness."
Hence, the matter was referred to the Committee of Privileges because of its severity, he said.
Building up democracy must be premised on integrity and honesty
Ong also raised the point that building up democracy must be premised on "integrity and honesty" as its foundation, instead of contestation.
He also asked: "What's the use of having a democratic system where there are so many political parties constantly at odds with each other? Constantly in rigorous or fierce arguments and debates but they contain lies, contain falsehoods? Repeated falsehoods?"
"Party leaders not correcting the falsehoods? Or empty promises? That I don't feel serves our people well. It's not the kind of democracy we want to have."
He added: "So therefore, I think that is why for the PAP, honesty and integrity is the only and absolute starting point in building democratic institutions in Singapore."
He said: "Be very mindful in today's politics, every lie, every repeated lie, every neglect of the line, not correcting it, it weakens the foundation (of democracy). And we must be mindful of that."
In addition, the manner in which a political leader confronts and corrects a mistake that has been made is also a mark of the standard of integrity for the leader, for the party he represents, for Parliament and for Singapore's democratic institutions, he said.
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Left photo via Mothership, right image via gov.sg/YouTube