SINGAPORE: Singaporean opposition leader Pritam Singh was charged with two counts under the Parliament Act in connection with a lying scandal involving a former lawmaker.
Singh was charged today in a Singapore court for “wilfully making false answers to material questions” during an examination by the Committee of Privileges, according to a statement from the police and Attorney-General’s Chambers.
Singh, who heads the opposition Workers’ Party, pleaded not guilty.
The Workers’ Party made historic gains in the last election in 2020 when it won a record ten seats and secured two group representation constituencies. It had cast itself as a check on the ruling People’s Action Party that has been in power since independence in 1965.
In 2022, a parliamentary committee stacked with ruling party officials found that Singh “told untruths” during his testimony into the investigation of former lawmaker Raeesah Khan, who lied in parliament about a sexual assault case.
Parliament approved a motion to refer Singh to the prosecutor for possible criminal charges.
The same year, lawmakers unanimously agreed to raise the threshold to disqualify members of parliament for five years if they were fined at least S$10,000 (US$7,455) in a criminal case, from S$2,000 previously.
Prosecutors plan to ask the court to impose a fine if Singh is convicted. The offenses are punishable with a fine of up to S$7,000 and a jail term of as long as three years.
Another Workers’ Party lawmaker was given a police advisory and was not charged.
“It is quite clear, Mr Singh is not at significant risk of losing his seat or his eligibility to contest in a parliamentary election,” said Eugene Tan, a law professor at Singapore Management University.
The charges come as the city state prepares for a meticulously planned political succession this year ahead of a general election that is due to be held by November of 2025. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has said he will hand over power to his deputy Lawrence Wong before the vote.
“Until the legal process comes to a complete close, I will continue with all my Parliamentary duties,” Singh wrote in a Facebook post.
“When I first entered politics some years ago now, I was under no illusion as to the challenges that lay ahead in building a more balanced and democratic political system in Singapore.”
Singh’s case adds to the number of controversies that has hit the city state over the last year.
Earlier this year, former transport minister S Iswaran resigned after being charged with corruption in the biggest political scandal in almost four decades.
Iswaran, who is out on bail, rejected the 27 charges against him, which included allegedly obtaining tickets to musicals and soccer matches in the UK.
In July, a Workers’ Party lawmaker resigned following an affair with a colleague just days after two ruling party members of parliament stepped down over a similar inappropriate relationship.
