Singapore MP learns cover-up is worse than the crime, in case that has gripped nation

Singapore: Singapore’s opposition leader has been found guilty of lying to parliament in a case that has gripped the public and again proved the political maxim that the cover-up is worse than the crime.

Singaporeans lined up before sunrise outside the State Court on Monday to secure one of the 43 seats in the court’s public gallery, eager to hear the judge read out his verdict against Workers Party leader Pritam Singh.

Singapore’s opposition leader Pritam Singh with journalists on Monday.Credit: Zach Hope

The politician’s legal problems began in August 2021, when one of his MPs told parliament she had accompanied a sexual assault survivor to a Singapore police station, where the officers had made highly inappropriate comments.

Given the seriousness of the allegations made against the officers, the parliament sought more details about what had happened, but the MP, Raeesah Khan, came up with nothing.

She admitted weeks later she had not gone with the survivor to the police station, but had heard the anecdote at a sexual assault support group meeting – and had made up the details of her involvement to draw attention to the officers’ conduct without giving away her own status as a sexual assault victim.

Singh became embroiled in the crisis when the parliamentary privileges committee came to him, asking questions. He told them that when he had found out about Khan’s fabrications he had encouraged her to take responsibility. Khan claimed, however, that Singh had told her the truth needed to be taken “to the grave”.

Judge Luke Tan on Monday sided with Khan and the committee, finding that Singh had never wanted Khan to tell the truth and that he had lied to investigators to protect his “political capital”.

Singh had pleaded not guilty to two charges of lying to parliament. The judge handed him the maximum financial penalty of $7000 on each count.

On the scale of the Singaporean justice system, which regularly hangs people, Singh’s crime is small. But what could have been an embarrassing episode involving a first-term MP has turned into a widely followed and drawn-out saga culminating in a guilty verdict against a party leader in an election year. Singh said on Monday he would appeal.

Underscoring the bad timing and optics for the opposition, Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will on Tuesday deliver a budget expected to be stacked with sweeteners for voters.

Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong inspects honour guards in Malaysia in January.Credit: AP

Adding a layer of drama to the affair, MPs in Singapore are banished for five years if they have done something serious enough to warrant a fine of more than $10,000. Both of Singh’s fines were below this threshold, but exceeded it when added together. His future was uncertain until the Elections Department released a statement late on Monday clarifying that the fines could not be stacked up for the purposes of disqualification.

An election must be held before mid-November but could be called at any moment. Singh’s party is unlikely to beat the PAP, which maintains a tight grip on speech. The WP goal, rather, has been to build a parliament in which a third of MPs are from non-PAP parties. While this does not sound like much, the PAP’s worst-ever election result was in 2020, when it won 83 of 93 contested seats.

The attention on the scandal, and now the guilty verdict, have wounded the WP’s hopes of making further inroads into Parliament.

Singh was asked on Monday about the timing of the verdict and whether he believed the Singapore court system was fair.

“In view of my impending appeal, it’s probably wise for me not to go down that road,” he said.

Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on what’s making headlines around the world. Sign up for the weekly What in the World newsletter here.