SINGAPORE, Oct 14 — Deputy Attorney-General Ang Cheng Hock asserted that Workers’ Party (WP) chief and Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh had lied to the Committee of Privileges during its investigation into former MP Raeesah Khan’s false statements in Parliament.
According to Ang, Singh had instructed Khan to maintain her lie, contrary to his claim that he had advised her to clarify the untruth in the House.
The Straits Times reported Ang saying in his opening statement on the first day of Singh’s trial that the WP leader attempted to downplay his own responsibility in the controversy, providing false testimony to the committee.
Singh, who faces two charges under the Parliament (Privileges, Immunities and Powers) Act, allegedly told Khan during meetings on August 8 and October 3, 2021, that she could continue with her fabricated account, despite knowing that she had misled Parliament.
This was after Khan had falsely claimed on August 3 and October 4, 2021, that she had accompanied a sexual assault victim to a police station.
According to the report the prosecution plans to call key witnesses, including former WP chief Low Thia Khiang and Raeesah Khan, to testify. Ang emphasised that Singh’s comments to Khan in their meetings made it clear that the party leaders intended to “take the matter to the grave.”
The trial comes nearly three years after the controversy first unfolded.
Khan admitted to Parliament on November 1, 2021, that she had lied, which triggered the parliamentary inquiry. Singh had initially testified that he encouraged Khan to correct the record, but the prosecution contends that his actual actions did not align with that statement.
Ang also argued that Singh, despite his experience as a lawyer and politician, gave Khan the impression that she could maintain the lie without judgement. He stressed, "The accused had guided Khan on October 3, 2021, to maintain the untruth if the matter was raised in Parliament the next day."
The trial is expected to last 16 days, with Deputy Principal District Judge Luke Tan presiding. Singh, who has pleaded not guilty, was joined in court by nearly 40 observers, including WP MPs Faisal Manap, Gerald Giam, Jamus Lim, and Louis Chua. Social media influencer Wendy Cheng, better known as Xiaxue, was also in attendance.
Singh’s defence is being led by former prosecutor Andre Jumabhoy. If convicted, Singh faces a fine of up to $7,000, a jail term of up to three years, or both, for each charge.
Ang further noted that Singh only changed his stance on the need for Khan to correct her statements after an October 11, 2021, meeting with Mr Low, who advised that the untruth be clarified. It wasn’t until then that Singh and WP chairwoman Sylvia Lim told Khan that she must correct her false claims in Parliament.
The Committee of Privileges conducted seven days of hearings on the matter in December 2021. Its findings were debated in Parliament in February 2022, leading to Singh’s referral to the public prosecutor.
The prosecution’s case also highlights the fact that from August 8 to October 3, 2021, there had been no discussion between Singh and Khan about clarifying the untruth in Parliament. Ang said it wasn’t until after the October 11 meeting that Singh began preparations for Khan’s eventual clarification on November 1, 2021.
