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The Committee of Privileges (COP) has recommended on Thursday (Feb. 10) that the Leader of the Opposition, Pritam Singh, be referred to the Public Prosecutor for further investigations.

It also recommended that former Workers' Party (WP) Member of Parliament (MP) Raeesah Khan be fined a total of S$35,000 for her involvement in lies told by Raeesah in Parliament last year.

The report also recommended that WP MP Muhamad Faisal bin Abdul Manap be referred to the Public Prosecutor.

However, the report noted that while it believed that WP Chairman Sylvia Lim and Faisal have lied about the Aug. 8 meeting, "each been somewhat helpful to the Committee, albeit in a limited way".

Lim's testimony 'useful'

The report noted that there were aspects of Lim’s testimony before the Committee which were useful, and which had been taken into account.

The report also noted that Lim produced the notes of the Disciplinary Panel (DP) voluntarily, as the Committee had not previously been aware of the notes.

Lim's notes 'extremely damaging' to testimony given by Singh

The COP observed that Lim, a lawyer, "would have appreciated the effect of such evidence".

It said that the notes were "extremely damaging" to the testimony given by Singh as it directly contradicted Singh’s evidence that he did not give Khan a choice.

Lim also said in her testimony that a choice to tell the truth cannot be given to the WP MPs.

The COP noted that this was also directly contrary to what Singh had done, and Lim recognised that.

Finally, the report made this conclusion in its view on Lim's involvement and her testimony:

"The fact that Ms Lim was prepared to voluntarily tender this evidence, damaging to the Leader of her Party, would be relevant and should be taken into account (in the Committee’s respectful view), by Parliament, in assessing Ms Lim’s position. Her DP Notes put the position quite clearly."

However, the Committee acknowledged that Parliament may wish to impose "appropriate sanctions" on Lim at a later time:

"The issues regarding (a) Mr Singh’s, Ms Lim’s and/or Mr Faisal’s respective roles as set out above, in relation to the Untruth; (b) Ms Lim / Mr Faisal’s stating of untruths to this Committee on oath/affirmation; and (c) the appropriate sanctions – be deferred until after the conclusion of the investigations and/or criminal proceedings against Mr Singh."

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.

Top image from govsg YouTube.

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