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The Committee of Privileges (COP) announced on Thursday (Feb. 10) that former Workers' Party Member of Parliament Raeesah Khan should be fined S$35,000 for lying in Parliament.

In its report, the COP said that it recommends a fine of S$25,000 be imposed on Khan for the untruths she told on Aug. 3, 2021.

As for the repetition of the untruth on Oct. 4, 2021, by Khan, the COP recommends an additional fine of S$10,000 be imposed on her.

In paragraph 215 of the report, the COP said lying in Parliament is "a serious matter".

"This undermines the integrity of the parliamentary process and system. Privileges are accorded to every Parliamentarian, but it is a serious breach of that privilege to lie.

In the present case, Ms Khan spoke the Untruth on two occasions, on 3 Aug and 4 Oct. Each of these occasions is a breach and must be considered in turn by this Committee."

Recommended sanctions for WP leaders

The COP has also suggested that WP leaders Pritam Singh and Muhamad Faisal bin Abdul Manap be referred to the Public Prosecutor.

As for WP leader Sylvia Lim, the report suggested that any appropriate sanctions be deferred until after the conclusion of investigations against Singh.

"Parliamentary privilege is sacrosanct"

In a press release on Feb. 10, the COP Chairman and Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan Jin said:

"Parliamentary privilege is sacrosanct, and the Committee takes a serious view of any MP who abuses this privilege in the Chamber. Having thoroughly and carefully reviewed all the evidence and acting within the ambit of the Parliament (Privileges, Immunities and Powers) Act, the Committee has proposed penalties and other recommendations commensurate with the offences and unbecoming conduct involved.

I thank each and every Committee member for their assiduous attentiveness and the open sharing and discussion of views during our deliberations for the Report. While the findings can also serve as useful lessons and deterrence against future breaches, I would like to remind all Members of the House that the onus should always be first and foremost on us to exercise parliamentary privilege diligently and responsibly.

Let us continue to uphold our citizens’ and constituents’ trust and confidence in the sanctity and integrity of Singapore’s parliamentary rules and processes."

What happens next?

Unlike a court judgment, which can be appealed to a higher court, whatever the COP comes out with cannot be appealed.

Instead, it is up to Parliament to decide whether the COP's findings and recommendations are to be accepted.

At a future Parliament sitting, the Leader of the House puts forward a motion in Parliament on the matter of the COP's report and recommendations.

Before the matter is put to a vote, MPs can then rise to speak in support or dissent.

Background

On Aug. 3, Raeesah gave a speech, saying that she accompanied a 25-year-old rape survivor to make a police report three years ago. She said the survivor emerged from the police station crying as an officer had allegedly made comments about her dressing and the fact that she had been drinking.

Raeesah was subsequently pressed by Minister for Law and Home Affairs K Shanmugam on Oct. 4 to divulge more information pertaining to the claim, and police later stated that they could not identify such a case or the officers allegedly involved.

In a speech in Parliament on Nov. 1, Raeesah admitted that she had not been present with the woman whose anecdote she had shared, and rather had heard the survivor share it in a women's support group of which Raeesah herself had been a part.

Leader of the House Indranee Rajah raised a complaint with Parliament's Committee of Privileges, who conducted a series of hearings with Raeesah, members of the Workers' Party, and others in Dec. 2021.

The various Special Reports from those hearings, and links to the relevant videos for full context, can be found at this site.

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Top images via govsg/YouTube.