On Tuesday (15 Feb), a Parliamentary debate was held regarding the Committee of Privileges’ (COP) report on Raeesah Khan and the Worker’s Party (WP) leaders.
Taking centre stage, PM Lee shared that Low Thia Khiang, the former WP Secretary-General, was a formidable political opponent and a patriotic Singaporean.
Mr Low had hoped that the WP could help build a first-world Parliament in Singapore.
Looking at the trials and tribulations faced by the WP leadership right now, PM Lee said Mr Low must be “saddened” now.
Giving his speech in Parliament on Tuesday (15 Feb), PM Lee spoke on the importance of upholding democracy in Singapore in light of the COP’s findings.
Towards the end of his speech, PM Lee mentioned that Mr Singh had succeeded Mr Low as Secretary-General of WP.
Mr Low had an illustrious career serving 30 years as an MP and 13 years as party leader.
PM Lee said he was a formidable political opponent and a patriotic Singaporean throughout those years.
Mr Low set a different tone for the WP. He had hoped that the party could help build a “first-world Parliament” in Singapore.
The way things are playing out, PM Lee said “he must be saddened” by his successor’s actions, adding that the current situation is a “betrayal” of what WP claimed it stood for.
Despite that, this incident need not be a setback for democracy in Singapore, said PM Lee, provided Mr Singh, and the WP leaders are held accountable for “dishonouring this House” and possibly, breaking the law.
After all, he said, everyone present is engaged in the same project of building up Singapore’s political system—a democracy that will serve Singaporeans well for many years to come.
To do this, PM Lee stressed the importance of upholding and reinforcing the right norms and values.
Acknowledging Singaporeans wish to see more political contestation, PM Lee explained why Mr Singh was given the position of Opposition Leader.
The opposition leader’s office sets the tone for opposition MPs and carries certain responsibilities. This includes enforcing conduct standards in his own party and maintaining his integrity.
The Leader of the Opposition does not have a blank cheque.
Echoing his earlier thoughts, PM Lee said upholding the right values is of fundamental importance for both the opposition and the governing party.
There’s no telling what the future of Singapore’s political landscape might look like. But PM Lee explained that his job as leader of the country was to ensure that whichever party wins future elections, they would be held to the same high standards of “proper conduct and honesty” as PAP.
This will ensure our democratic system will continue to operate properly.
PM Lee believes that getting to the bottom of the matter is essential. After all, the opposition should be held to the same high standards as all other politicians.
If the COP’s findings are right, PM Lee says it is a “grave matter” more severe than what Ms Khan did.
Ultimately, the Parliament voted to accept the COP’s recommendations and refer Mr Singh to the Public Prosecutor.
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Featured image adapted from MCI Singapore on YouTube.
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