Workers’ Party (WP) parliamentarian Louis Chua remains hopeful even though a motion his party tabled in Parliament this week was amended to the point that the opposition party could not support it.
Party chairman Sylvia Lim had moved the motion, which focused on the high-profile court case involving ex-maid Parti Liyani. Ms Parti was acquitted on appeal last month of theft charges brought on by her former employer, retired Changi Airport Group chairman Liew Mun Leong.
Ms Lim asked the House to affirm that “fairness, access and independence are cornerstones of Singapore’s justice system”. She also urged the Government to “recognise and remedy its shortcomings” to enhance the justice system for all and facilitate a review of the system, through her parliamentary motion.
Ms Lim’s call to action was reframed into a positive acknowledgment of the Government’s efforts by People’s Action Party MP Murali Pillai, who suggested amendments to the wording of the motion. Mr Murali removed the call for a review of the system and asked the House to affirm the “Government’s continuous efforts” to build a fair and just society.
Refusing to accept the amendments, Ms Lim said: “We cannot accept the amendments proposed because they imply that there are no shortcomings in the system, and that there will be no review of the system. As these are key aspects of our original motion, we are unable to support the amended motion.”
All 10 WP MPs voted against the amended motion, which was ultimately passed by the majority PAP MPs. WP chief and Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh said after the vote that the WP MPs wished to have their dissent to the amendments recorded.
On Friday (6 Nov), Sengkang GRC MP Louis Chua shared that he is glad the motion sparked greater discourse among citizens even though the call to action within the original motion was omitted. Calling it “energising” to resume house visits after three days in the House, he said:
“After three days of Parliament sittings, it was energizing to be out and about on house visits with this great bunch of #TeamSengkang volunteers! Enjoyed the wide ranging conversations with #Rivervale residents, from Deepavali preparations, the excellent work ethic of local CV contractors, employment market concerns and of course, our Motion on Justice for All.
“While our call to action was struck out, I’m glad that at the very least, we were able to prompt more active discussions among Singaporeans on not just this issue, but on the various issues that affect our lives.”
