Singapore’s Parliament on Tuesday Wednesday a motion declaring Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh unsuitable to continue as Leader of the Opposition, following his criminal conviction for lying to a parliamentary committee.
Moving the motion, Leader of the House Indranee Rajah said the issue before Parliament went beyond partisan politics and concerned the integrity of parliamentary processes.
“This is not about who sits on which side of the House,” she said.
“It is about the standards we expect of Members of Parliament, and especially of someone holding a leadership position in this Chamber.”
Ms Indranee said that when a Member provides false evidence to a parliamentary committee, “the harm is done not only to the committee, but to Parliament as an institution.”
Referring to the office of the Leader of the Opposition, she added: “That role depends on moral authority and trust. Once those are compromised, the position cannot be effectively discharged.”
Referring specifically to the office of the Leader of the Opposition, Ms Indranee said the role carried heightened responsibility, adding that it required “moral authority and trust, without which the position cannot function as intended.”
The motion followed Mr Singh’s conviction for providing false testimony to the Committee of Privileges during its inquiry into former Workers’ Party MP Raeesah Khan. His appeal against the conviction was dismissed in December, prompting the government to bring the issue to Parliament.
Several People’s Action Party MPs and Nominated Members of Parliament spoke in support of the motion, arguing that Parliament had a duty to act once a serious breach of conduct had been established.
One MP said the debate was “not about silencing opposition voices”, but about whether Parliament could “look the public in the eye” if it failed to respond to misconduct within its ranks.
Workers’ Party MPs rejected the motion, arguing that it amounted to political overreach.
WP chair Sylvia Lim said Parliament was being asked to impose “a political penalty on top of a judicial one,” and warned that the move risked blurring the separation between the courts and the legislature.
“This House should be careful not to blur the line between legal accountability and political judgment,” she said, adding that voters should ultimately decide who is fit to lead an opposition party.
Another WP MP said the motion would “send a chilling signal” about how opposition figures are treated, and argued that voters, not Parliament, should ultimately judge political leadership.
Mr Singh addressed the House in his defence, maintaining that he had not acted dishonestly.
“My conscience remains clear,” he said, adding that he had acted in good faith throughout the process.
He said he disagreed with the characterisation of his conduct as dishonourable and cautioned that Parliament should be careful about setting precedents that could weaken political pluralism.
“I will continue to serve my constituents and Singaporeans to the best of my ability,” Mr Singh said, regardless of the outcome of the vote.
When the motion was put to a vote, it passed with the support of the ruling PAP MPs and all Nominated Members of Parliament.
All Workers’ Party MPs present voted against it.
The motion does not automatically remove Mr Singh from Parliament, but formally states that he is unsuitable to hold the position of Leader of the Opposition — a role created after the 2020 General Election when the Workers’ Party secured a record number of seats.
Aside from the opposition leader debate, Parliament also dealt with other legislative business, including brief discussions on recognising non-traditional sports and remarks related to upcoming cultural events. These matters, however, received limited attention amid the focus on the motion against Mr Singh.
THE TIMELINE
- August 2021
Former Workers’ Party MP Raeesah Khan admits in Parliament that she lied about accompanying a sexual assault victim to a police station.
- November–December 2021
Parliament’s Committee of Privileges investigates the Raeesah Khan case, including testimony from Workers’ Party leaders, among them Pritam Singh.
- February 2022
The Committee of Privileges submits its report. Raeesah Khan resigns as a Member of Parliament.
- March 2023
The Attorney-General’s Chambers charges Pritam Singh with two counts of lying to Parliament during the Committee of Privileges inquiry.
- October 2024
Pritam Singh is convicted on two counts of giving false testimony to a parliamentary committee.
- November 2024
Pritam Singh is fined and retains his parliamentary seat, as the conviction does not trigger automatic disqualification.
- December 2025
The High Court dismisses Pritam Singh’s appeal, making the conviction final.
- January 2026
Singapore’s Parliament debates and passes a motion stating that Pritam Singh is unsuitable to continue as Leader of the Opposition.
PAP MPs and all Nominated MPs support the motion.
Workers’ Party MPs vote against it.Pritam Singh says his “conscience remains clear” and says he will continue serving as an MP.
Image via YouTube
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