Ownself check Ownself? He Ting Ru, Jamus Lim, Png Eng Huat to sit on WP disciplinary panel to review “Loyal Opposition” Pritam Singh’s case

SINGAPORE: In a strange twist of fate, Singapore’s loyal opposition, the Workers’ Party has set up a disciplinary committee to keep Pritam Singh in check, according to media reports. OMG!

On Jan 3, the party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC) announced that it had met the day before to discuss the High Court’s dismissal last month of Mr Singh’s appeal concerning his conviction for lying to a parliamentary committee, adding that there had been a request made for a Special Cadre Members’ Conference.

“The CEC has directed that a disciplinary panel be formed to determine if Pritam Singh has contravened the constitution of the party,” said at the time, emphasising the need for due process.

Read also: Workers’ Party to Convene Special Conference After Disciplinary Review of Pritam Singh

Information concerning who would sit on the disciplinary panel came from trusted sources. A party cadre told CNA that such panels are typically composed of CEC members, as the CEC serves as the party’s top decision-making body.

While Mr Png, who represented Hougang in Parliament from 2012 to 2020, is no longer a CEC member, his presence on the panel may “lend some weight” to it, the cadre added.

Ms He and Assoc Prof Lim were first elected as MPs in 2020, when the WP unseated three former PAP heavyweights in the then-newly formed Sengkang. This gave the WP its second GRC, which was instrumental in Mr Singh’s appointment as Singapore’s first official Leader of the Opposition. In last year’s General Election, the WP triumphed at Sengkang again, winning even more votes.

Ms He is currently the WP’s treasurer, while Associate Professor Lim is the party’s deputy head of policy research and former Youth Wing head.

The WP said in its Jan 3 announcement that its disciplinary process would be concluded within three months.

“The Notice of the Special CMC will be issued within two weeks after the conclusion of the disciplinary process,” it added.

On Dec 17, Leader of the House Indranee Rajah issued a statement saying the convictions of Mr Singh would be debated in Parliament. Ms Rajah later filed the motion to deem Mr Singh unfit for the post of Leader of the Opposition, as well as to express regret at his conduct.

The motion passed in Parliament on Jan 14, with only the 11 WP MPs present objecting to the motion, despite the party whip having been lifted, allowing each MP to vote as they saw fit. The next day, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced that Mr Singh’s designation would cease with immediate effect.

PM Wong also wrote a letter to the party’s Central Executive Committee, which, in effect, passes the decision to the WP as to who would fill the role.

“I invite the Workers’ Party to nominate another elected Member of Parliament to serve as the next LO. This nominee should not have been implicated in the earlier findings of the Committee of Privileges, and must be able to meet the high standards expected of this office,” he wrote.

This would eliminate WP chair Sylvia Lim, who has been representing Aljunied in Parliament since 2011. /TISG

Read also: ‘No executive gatekeeping’: Singaporeans ask if Leader of the Opposition role should be institutionalised