Kamal Ghorui
Singapore’s Parliament will discuss next week if Indian-origin opposition leader Pritam Singh should keep his role. This comes after Singh was found guilty and fined for lying to a parliamentary committee. The debate, set for January 12, was proposed by Leader of the House Indranee Rajah through an official motion.“The conviction and conduct render him unsuitable to continue as the Leader of the Opposition,” states the motion, describing his actions as “dishonourable and unbecoming” of a Member of Parliament, reported news agency PTI.The motion was centred around Singh, who leads the Workers’ Party, if he is fit to continue as Leader of the Opposition. It claims his conviction and behavior could harm Parliament’s reputation and public trust in Singapore’s political system. Singh was fined SGD 14,000 (USD 10,700) in February last year.
The case also involves former party member Raeesah Khan, who admitted to making false statements in Parliament in August 2021. She lresigned from her position. Meanwhile, Singh’s recent appeal against his conviction was rejected by the High Court.Singh is Singapore’s first formal Leader of Opposition in recent history. His role carries important duties and privileges in the Parliament, where the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) holds a strong majority with 87 out of 97 seats.Currently, the Workers’ Party has 12 members in Parliament, including two non-constituency members who got their spots by getting the highest votes among unsuccessful candidates. This discussion marks a crucial moment in Singapore’s politics, which has been dominated by People’s Action Party (PAP) since the country’s independence.
