The Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh said that he will respond more extensively in Parliament next week to the report released by the Committee of Privileges on Thursday Feb 10.
Quick Timeline Of The Case : Former Workers’ Party MP Raeesah Khan made a false claim about a sexual assault case in Parliament in August 2021 and a committee was assigned to look into this issue.
In Parliament, On Aug 3, 2021: Ms Raeesah claims that she accompanied a 25-year-old victim of sexual assault to a police station and alleges that the police treated the victim insensitively. When asked for details on the case by Minister of State for Home Affairs Desmond Tan, MP Ms Raeesah replies that the incident happened 3 years ago and she does not want the victim to have to relive the trauma.
On Oct 4, 2021 : During an exchange in Parliament, Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam asks Ms Raeesah for more details about the case, so that the police can investigate the incident. She refuses by saying there are confidentiality concerns.
In November, Raeesah confesses to her lie and apologises in the parliament. She discloses that she was a survivor of sexual assault herself. The leader of the House Indranee Rajah refers Ms Raeesah’s case to Parliament’s privileges committee.
Mr Singh says that Ms Raeesah should not have lied in Parliament and that setting the record straight was the correct thing to do.
In November, Workers Party forms a disciplinary panel to look into the matter. Again in the last week of November, The Workers Party announces that Ms Raeesah has resigned from the party.
In December, The Committee of Privileges continues to look into Ms Raeesah’s conduct despite her resignation.
The Workers Party holds a press conference and Mr Pritam Singh reveals that party leaders knew that Ms Raeesah had lied a week after she delivered the speech on Aug 3.
On Dec 3 : The privileges committee releases its first special report on the case to Parliament.
The report highlights Ex MP Raeesah’s confession to Mr Singh, Ms Lim and Mr Faisal on Aug 8, about a week after she mentioned the untruth in the House, they told her that if the party could get away with it, there was no need to clarify it.
Now, In Feb 2022 The Committee of Privileges releases its findings on Ms Raeesah’s case.
The Committee of Privileges (COP) concludes that Ex MP Raeesah Khan had abused her parliamentary privilege. The report also found that three senior WP leaders had not been truthful to the committee in and it recommended that Parliament fines Ms Khan S$35,000 and refers WP chief Pritam Singh and WP vice-chair Faisal Manap to the public prosecutor.
Pritam Singh Responds :
In a Facebook post, WP chief & the leader of the opposition said that he has gone through the report and he will speak more extensively on the report in Parliament Parliament which will be sitting on 14 February 2022 at 11.30 am.
He wrote,
I have looked at the COP report and its recommendation to refer Faisal Manap and I for prosecution. I will speak more extensively on the COP report in Parliament when it is tabled for debate, expected to be sometime next week.
Assuming Parliament adopts the Committee’s recommendations, there remain a number of unknowns.
These include the eventual decision of the Public Prosecutor to prosecute, the intervening time before the matter goes to trial, the eventual verdict and any sentence meted out, and the prospect of both Faisal and I losing our parliamentary seats and stepping down as Members of Parliament if either of us is fined $2000 or more.
Until there is some resolution to these matters which may take some time yet, Faisal and I will continue our work – including but not limited to MPS, estate walks, house visits and other parliamentary commitments – as per normal.
The same goes for Team The Workers’ Party and its activities, including our outreach efforts in previously contested constituencies.
As always, Sylvia, Faisal and I are grateful to the public for their support of the Workers’ Party, and all three of us, like our party colleagues will continue to serve to the best of our abilities. Finally, we thank the public for your encouragement and support towards the efforts of The Workers’ Party in building a more democratic Singapore, one that all Singaporeans can be proud of. That work will continue.
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