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Parliament is scheduled to debate and vote on the recommendations by the Committee of Privileges (COP) today (Feb.15).
The recommendations include fining former Workers' Party (WP) MP Raeesah Khan a total of S$35,000 and referring WP leaders Pritam Singh and Faisal Manap to the Public Prosecutor for further investigations.
Leader of the House Indranee Rajah has filed two motions last Thursday (Feb.10) to agree on the committee's findings and to refer Singh and Faisal to the Public Prosecutor.
The motion will also defer any parliamentary sanctions on the two WP leaders and WP chairman Sylvia Lim until the conclusion of the investigations and parliament proceedings.
Here's a recap of the events that lead to today's parliament debates and vote on the COP report.
Aug. 3: Khan made allegations against the police and what happened after
During her speech on the gender equality motion in Parliament on Aug. 3, Khan said that she had accompanied a 25-year-old rape survivor three years ago to make a police report.
Khan also said that a police officer had allegedly made comments about the rape survivor's dressing and the fact that she had been drinking.
Khan declined to provide more details upon request by Minister of State for Home Affairs, Desmond Tan.
She later made a clarification in Parliament about this case that she made reference to in her speech.
TL;DR of the Aug. 3 WhatsApp conversation between Khan and Singh
- Singh was adamant about addressing and clarifying this allegation made against the police.
- Khan wanted to retract her claims initially when Singh asked her for more details. Singh rejected her suggestion to retract her claims, saying Khan will appear to be "trying to fix the police". While Singh's reply stated "I will look very bad if you retract", there is a note on the screenshot clarifying that it should be read as "It will look very bad if you retract".
- Khan said that she met the rape survivor at the bus stop near the police station in Bedok. She only shared the person's nickname with Singh.
- Khan added that she was connected to this rape survivor by a "friend from her radar" who she did not name when Singh asked for more details.
- Khan told Singh that she was stressing out.
- Her clarification was drafted by WP volunteer Yudhishthra Nathan, edited by Singh.
Here are the screenshots included in the report:
Aug. 7: Khan confessed she lied to Singh & her close aide
On Aug. 7, Khan told Singh, her secretarial assistant Loh Pei Ying and Nathan that she had lied in Parliament on Aug. 3.
Loh and Nathan learnt about it on Aug. 7 evening via a Zoom call.
The WhatsApp conversation prior to the Zoom call between Khan and her close aide, Loh and Nathan, was included in the COP Report.
TL;DR of the Aug. 7 WhatsApp conversation between Khan, Loh and Nathan
- Khan, Loh and Nathan discussed briefly about the expulsion of former WP MP Yaw Shin Leong in 2012 after Khan brought it up.
- Khan described the lie as "one of the worst things I've done in my life" and "something stupid and unnecessary"
- Khan told Loh and Nathan that it was something that can be kept internal and easy to contain "if Pritam wishes for it to be"
- When Loh asked if she had tendered her resignation, Khan said she did not
- Khan, Loh and Nathan agreed to meet over Zoom at 7:30pm that day, likely where Khan told the duo about her lie
Aug. 8: Khan met WP party leaders
Screenshots in the COP report show that Khan met up with the party leaders, namely Singh, Faisal and Lim at 11am, Aug. 8.
After the meeting, she texted Loh and Nathan at 12:41pm about being told to "take the information to the grave".
Singh explained why Khan was told to "take the information to the grave" later at the WP's press conference:
"Of immediate concern to me was the fact that Raeesah had not previously informed her family members of her sexual assault, which had traumatised her greatly.
In my judgment, it was important that she did so before she could fully address the reasons behind her untruthful conduct in Parliament, and to correct the record.
In view of her sexual assault and my assessment of her state of mind, I was prepared to give her the space necessary to address the matter with her loved ones."
At around 2:15pm on Aug. 8 after the meeting, Khan spoke to Faisal over WhatsApp on how to address concerns from the Muslim community following her speech in Parliament on Aug. 3.
Faisal shared his thoughts on Khan's clarification on the Muslim community's concerns.
During her conversation with Faisal, Khan shared concerns about being asked to substantiate or provide evidence to what she said in her follow-up post.
After her discussion with Faisal, Khan cleared her draft with Singh who edited and gave her the permission to post on Facebook at 3:40pm.
The Facebook post went live at 3:50pm that day:
Aug. 9 - Aug. 10
The WhatsApp conversation on Aug. 9 and Aug. 10 among the trio showed that Loh and Nathan had shared their views with Singh with regard to Khan's lie in Parliament.
Loh said that Singh did not appear to be angry about what happened in Parliament on Aug. 3, in response to Khan who asked about Singh's views.
Khan said that she's glad that Singh still believed her and empathised with her even though she felt "he looks at [her] differently now".
Loh added that Singh felt Khan may not be able to handle questions asked in Parliament on controversial topics. She then advised Khan to start with less controversial topics first in Parliament.
Loh also asked Singh to stop spelling Khan's name as "Ray".
Sep: Khan had shingles, missed Parliament sitting
September's Parliament sitting was the next opportunity for Khan to reveal that she lied in her Aug. 3 speech but she sat out of the session due to medical reasons.
A screenshot of WhatsApp messages on Sep. 6 shows Khan telling Singh she had developed shingles and requested to stay home so that she would not pass the virus to other people.
Singh agreed that she should resume house visits and estate walks not until she had gotten better.
One of the party members that helped cover Khan for the Meet-the-People sessions was former WP chief Low Thia Khiang.
Khan was unable to attend Parliament on Sep.13 as she only recovered from shingles in the week of Sep. 17, according to the COP Report.
Before Oct. 4 Parliament when Khan was asked to substantiate her claims by Shanmugam
The COP Report also included some screenshots which revealed how Singh would guide Khan in filing her October parliamentary questions.
Khan was asked if she had done her own research into her parliamentary questions.
Singh also asked more specific questions such as "do you know if higher costs are being imposed for HDB flats?" and directed her to check the Hansard, the transcripts of past parliamentary debates.
Another screenshot prior to October's parliament sitting shows an email from Singh to all WP MPs.
Singh reminded the WP MPs on "how serious it is to be able to back up and defend what [they] say in Parliament, or risk being hauled up before the Committee of Privileges".
Oct. 4: Khan was pressed to share more details by Shanmugam
Khan was questioned by the Minister for Law and Home Affairs K Shanmugam in Parliament at around 12:30pm on Oct. 4. She was asked if the incident that she had recounted in Parliament on Aug. 3 had in fact taken place.
Khan maintained her lie and said that what she had said on Aug. 3 was true, and that the incident had taken place as described by her.
Screenshots included in the COP Report show Khan asking Singh what she should do about five minutes after Shanmugam started making his statement on Khan's claims against the police.
Singh told her: "Will speak after sitting. Keep Chair and I posted".
At around 2pm, Khan and Lim met at the Leader of Opposition's (LO) office.
According to the COP Report, Lim wanted to ascertain Khan's emotional state and to give her some preliminary views on any requests by the police as Shanmugam said the police would contact Khan.
Meeting between Khan, Singh and Lim after Parliament on Oct. 4
The meeting between Khan, Singh and Lim at LO office happened at around 11:15pm that day, according to the WhatsApp screenshot in the COP Report.
The COP Report noted that it was a short meeting and the conversation happened during this meeting was generally not in dispute.
Singh asked Khan what she planned to do, and Khan replied, "Perhaps there is another way. That is, to tell the truth".
Singh told the Committee that he replied, “But look at the choice you’ve made. You’ve made your choice.”
Lim and Khan recalled Singh saying something to the effect of, “Haven’t you chosen your path by what you said today?”.
According to the report, Khan did not respond to Singh.
Oct. 7
The first email from the police came on Oct. 7.
The police requested for more details about the case cited in Khan's speech three times, on Oct. 7, Oct. 15 and Oct. 18, according to the COP report.
Khan did not reply to any of the requests as she said that Lim and Singh told her not to respond because the police cannot compel her to do so.
Both Singh and Lim said that they told Khan it's okay not to respond because she would be clarifying in Parliament.
Khan's lawyers also advised her to make any clarification in Parliament if she wanted to, but told her to share this view with the police.
Here's the evidence of Khan forwarding the email from the police to Singh, Faisal and Lim. She asked them for direction and thanked them for "guiding [her] through without judgement".
Oct. 12 meeting
Khan, Singh and Lim met again on Oct. 12.
The trio agreed that Khan would have to clarify the truth in the November Parliament sitting.
Khan said this was a change in stance from the leaders while Singh and Lim said that Khan was initially reluctant to correct the record, the report stated.
A screenshot included in the report showed there was a misunderstanding on when to meet before Oct. 12.
Singh asked for the meeting at 10am on Oct. 12 at AHTC office but it was later changed to 2pm at somewhere more private.
Khan also met Loh and Nathan later in the evening on Oct. 12.
Post Oct. 12 meeting
According to a screenshot of the WhatsApp conversation between Khan and Singh, Khan wrote the the draft of her clarification in three days.
Loh, Nathan, Singh and Lim helped edit the draft prepared by Khan subsequently.
While Singh actively chased Khan for the draft, he also showed concern to Khan's well being.
On Oct. 18, he asked: "You keeping ok?" and shared a quote of encouragement: "At the end of any storm is a golden sky. This storm too shall pass".
The messages also showed that Khan met with Singh and Lim again on Oct. 20 evening.
On Oct. 20, Khan informed the media that she will be making a statement in the November Parliament sitting.
A copy of the WhatsApp conversation between Singh and Loh on Oct. 21 showed that Khan had "just told her father" about her draft clarification, and "he's very against it".
Singh responded that "it was not his (Khan's father) call".
On Oct. 21 afternoon, Khan's father also asked Singh for an urgent meet up.
Singh assured that Khan "is doing well by taking full ownership and responsibility" and it is good for her in the long run.
Khan's father did not "think exposing herself like [that] will help her (Khan)" and said he would update Singh on the family's decision.
On Oct. 23, Singh, Lim, Loh, Nathan and Khan met at the WP's headquarters to discuss about the clarification.
Prior to the meeting at the headquarters, Khan asked if she had to bring her father along. Singh rejected.
On Oct. 23, Khan requested Singh to arrange a meeting with her parents. Singh said he would go to Khan's house the following week.
Messages between Loh and Singh showed that Khan's family "strongly opposing" to the issuance of the clarification as of Oct. 26.
Messages between Khan and Singh on Oct. 26 showed the latter asking for the final draft.
Khan also said that fellow Sengkang GRC MP He Ting Ru had read the final draft of the clarification.
Khan's grandmother-in-law passed away and she had to help her mother-in-law.
Singh and Khan arranged to meet on Oct. 27 noon, Oct. 29 and Nov. 1 morning.
Nov. 1: Khan admitted that she lied
In Parliament on Nov. 1, Khan came clean with the lie in her Aug. 3 speech.
After Khan's clarification, Singh told her that "[she] did well. Keep it together."
He also said that he would "pass on some supportive words to [Khan's] father".
Khan said that her father told her he's proud after watching her made the clarification. However she also sought permission from Singh to step out of Parliament for an hour.
The WhatsApp exchange between Loh and Singh revealed that Loh felt that the clarification went better than what she expected and she felt that "right decisions" were made in the process leading up to the clarification.
By around 3pm, Loh got ready a draft message for volunteers that were helping at Khan's ward in Sengkang, Compassvale. She asked Singh to vet the draft before sending it out on behalf of Khan.
At around 3:50pm that day, Singh came out with a statement in response to Khan's admission to the falsehood in her Aug. 3 speech.
Nov. 2: A day after Khan's admission to the falsehood in her speech
On Nov. 2, Singh sought an urgent approval from the CEC to form a disciplinary panel.
Prior to that, he also sought agreement from Faisal and Lim to form the panel that consisted of the three of them.
Here are the screenshots supporting this development:
According to the COP Report, the CEC and members of the public did not know the involvement of Singh, Faisal and Lim in this matter.
A WhatsApp exchange between Khan and Loh on Nov. 2 shows Khan asking about what a disciplinary panel would mean for her.
According to the time stamp, Khan started this conversation with Loh right after she was removed from the CEC WhatsApp chat.
The conversation also revealed that Khan was "told off" and "it was recorded in the minutes" after she was being disciplined for the posts she made during the General Election.
Khan also told Loh that she felt Singh should give her a heads up on whether she would be disciplined.
"He didn't even give me that courtesy," she told Loh.
Later that day, Singh checked in on Khan at around 2:30pm.
Khan said that she's "alright" but it was "difficult" for her to bear the brunt of the public opinion in response to her clarification.
She asked to go home and Singh allowed her to leave Parliament.
Loh had a separate conversation with Nathan after she was being informed by Singh about the disciplinary panel.
Nathan was also informed by Singh.
Nathan said that he felt Singh and Lim "underestimated" the public backlash that had come at Khan's admission to the falsehood in her Aug. 3 speech.
Loh found Singh to be "too reactionary" to set up the disciplinary panel.
Nathan revealed that Khan had also asked him in private about whether she would be asked to resign.
Loh felt Singh was affected from this incident too and expressed her concern that "he'll cut the cord".
Nov. 8 - Nov. 29: Before Khan's resignation
Khan met with the disciplinary panel more than once after the formation of the panel on Nov. 2.
According to the record of WhatsApp exchanges between Singh and Khan from Nov. 8 to Nov. 22:
- Khan met the panel on Nov. 8 morning.
- Khan informed Singh that someone from her family had passed away.
- Khan was conducting her MP duty as per normal on Nov. 20.
- She spoke with other Sengkang MPs during this period.
On Nov. 22 evening, Khan requested to meet the panel again to discuss about her performance as an MP, according to the report.
Here's the message that Khan sent to Singh when she requested to meet the panel one more time on Nov. 22:
A record of the conversation that Khan had with Loh and Nathan the next day morning (Nov. 23) showed that Khan said she was "shocked" by Singh's reply. Loh echoed the same sentiment.
Nathan added, "What happened to 'I won't judge you'??"
According to the report, Khan met with the panel again on Nov. 29.
Lim's notes from the interview between disciplinary panel and Khan on Nov. 29 revealed that Khan said she was "consumed with guilt + own experience" and "thought it wouldn't come up" so she did not tell the truth in October.
Khan said that she would resign if the party asked her to, according to Lim's notes.
Khan said she would own her resignation and asked if WP media team would help draft the resignation. Singh responded, "No, you own it."
Nov. 30: Khan resigned
Khan resigned from WP on Nov. 30 evening.
Dec 2 - 3:
Khan, Loh, Nathan and legislative assistant Lim Hang Ling testified before the committee.
Dec. 8:
WP held a press conference.
Dec 9:
Faisal testified before the committee.
Dec 10:
Singh testified before the committee.
Dec 13:
Lim and Sengkang GRC MP Jamus Lim testified before the committee.
Dec 15:
Singh was called back before the committee to submit further evidence.
Dec 17 and 20:
Khan underwent a psychiatric assessment with Christopher Cheok, who is a psychiatrist and the acting chief of the department of forensic psychiatry at the Institute of Mental Health.
Dec 22:
Khan was called back before the committee. Cheok also testified.
Feb 10, 2022:
The COP report was released.
Top image via screenshots of gov.sg/YouTube