Singapore —Over the weekend, videos were released from the Committee of Privileges Hearing showcasing a tense stand-off between Culture, Community, and Youth Minister Edwin Tong and Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh. The highly scrutinized Edwin Tong vs Pritam Singh interaction occurred on Friday (Dec 10), with netizens commenting extensively on Mr. Edwin Tong‘s style of questioning.
And while the Workers’ Party has been criticized for not immediately coming forward upon finding out that former MP Raeesah Khan had lied in a speech she made in Parliament on Aug 3, some netizens have also expressed disapproval with the way Mr. Edwin Tong questioned Mr. Pritam Singh.
Mr. Edwin Tong asked the WP leader questions concerning some topics ranging from the impact of Ms. Khan’s falsehoods on the police, whether he had approved a statement she made, and why he did not direct the former MP to respond to the police.
The exchanges between Messrs Edwin Tong and Pritam Singh grew tense at times within the nearly nine hours that the WP head was questioned. Mr.Pritam Singh disagreed with a number of key assertions that Mr. Edwin Tong was making.
In one part of the questioning, Mr. Pritam Singh disagreed that allowing a lie to remain on record when one is aware that it is a lie is possibly a criminal offense.
He said, “It is for Parliament to address… the Parliament Act, Section 5, I believe covers freedom of speech. Whatever a Member of Parliament says in Parliament is for Parliament to take action. It cannot be questioned in a Committee of Inquiry… or any other place outside of Parliament. So I disagree with that point.”
Mr. Edwin Tong then told him, “You appear to know your positions very well.”
“Well, I am Leader of the Opposition.”
– Pritam Singh pic.twitter.com/WM6kyvLv05— Pritam Singh Fan Bot (@PritamFanBot) December 12, 2021
Many netizens, commenting on the Facebook page of The Straits Times, did not take kindly to how Mr Edwin Tong conducted himself during the hearing.
“He’s finger-pointing in all the wrong areas… He is clearly trying to shift the case of Raeesah Khan to exposing WP competency,” one wrote.
“Mr Edwin Tong, stop trying to force people to say what you want to hear,” another netizen opined.
One commenter observed, “Mr Tong is very good asking very confusing questions, leading people to agree with his point, twisting people’s answer into questions…”
“Now Minister also can become judge is it? Where is the fairness to this never end ‘probe’?” wrote another netizen.
Others seemed surprised to discover this side of Mr Edwin Tong.
One commenter wrote that the proceedings were “becoming a political witchhunt.”
/TISG