Shanmugam To Make Ministerial Statement On Parti Liyani Case, Questions Filed By Both Political Sides
About 2 weeks have passed since Indonesian ex-domestic helper Parti Liyani was sensationally acquitted of stealing, and the focus shifted to her ex-employer‘s “improper motive”.
However, public interest in the case has only intensified, as it involves issues of justice and equality.
Thus, it’s not surprising that Minister for Law and Home Affairs K. Shanmugam has said that he’ll make a ministerial statement on it during the next Parliament sitting in October.
At least 3 other People’s Action Party (PAP) MPs have also announced that they too, want to speak in Parliament on this case, having filed parliamentary questions on the lapses involved.
Will be good to discuss it openly in Parliament: Shanmugam
Mr Shanmugam spoke about the ministerial statement as he spoke to the media on Wednesday (16 Sep) at a media doorstep during an event at Tuas View Fire Station.
Noting that some PAP MPs, as well as the Workers’ Party (WP), have filed questions on Ms Parti’s case and the way in which it has been handled, the minister was quoted by Channel NewsAsia (CNA) as saying,
It will be good to have it discussed in Parliament openly, set out what happened, and deal with questions.
He was also supportive of the interest of both sides in the issue.
Shanmugam previously commented on the case
It’s not the 1st time Mr Shanmugam has spoken about this case.
On 9 Sep, he acknowledged that something had gone wrong went amiss with the authorities.
However, he also said it shouldn’t devolve into a witch-hunt.
On Sunday (14 Sep), Mr Shanmugam also shared an article from The Straits Times written by Associate Editor Chua Mui Hoong.
He said that Ms Chua had written a “thoughtful, fair piece”, and he will answer the questions she asked once the internal reviews are completed.
Jurong MP Tan Wu Meng wants to know what went wrong
In a Facebook post on Wednesday (16 Sep), Jurong MP Tan Wu Meng said some of his Clementi residents had harboured “deep disquiet” over the case.
Thus, he said he had submitted 2 questions last Friday (11 Sep) for the next sitting of Parliament.
The 1st question seeks clarifications from Mr Shanmugam on what agencies found had gone wrong in the case, and what they’re doing to address these findings.
The 2nd will be an inquiry into the statistical breakdown of judicial proceedings regarding theft cases involving foreign domestic helpers.
Bukit Batok MP Murali Pillai to ask for explanation
Bukit Batok MP Murali Pillai posted on Facebook on the same day, saying that he had similarly filed a question in relation to the investigation of the case.
He wanted Mr Shanmugam to explain what has transpired during the investigation into Ms Parti’s case.
Mr Pillai also wished to know the steps that will be taken in future to deal with issues mentioned in the judgment.
Sembawang MP Vikram Nair wants updates on reviews
In his Facebook post, also on Wednesday (16 Sep), Sembawang GRC MP Vikram Nair said he had filed 2 questions.
Like Dr Tan, he has asked for the updates on internal reviews by the Ministry of Home Affairs on what transpired in Ms Parti’s case.
He also asked for updates from the Ministry of Law’s reviews on how the case was handled by the Attorney-General’s Chambers.
WP files Adjournment Motion
The 3 PAP MP’s posts come after the WP’s announcement on Wednesday (16 Sep) morning that the Parliament has received party chairman Sylvia Lim’s Adjournment Motion (AM) on Tuesday (15 Sep).
The Aljunied MP filed an AM for the purpose of bringing up additional matters of public concern in the House.
If allowed, Ms Lim will speak on the topic “Justice For All: Enhancing Equity in the Criminal Justice System”, which is the title of the motion.
WP’s motion came after Progress Singapore Party chief Tan Cheng Bock called for an independent review into the case.
Looking forward to an open discussion
The case of Ms Patri was shocking, but inspirational at the same time.
It won praise for the unsung heroes who fought for vulnerable migrant workers and prevented a miscarriage of justice.
But it also caused Singaporeans to question how our criminal justice system could have allowed such lapses to happen.
Thus, despite the acquittal, our work isn’t over yet. The time is now ripe to deliberate over how such injustices can be prevented in the future.
And with the upcoming discussion in Parliament, let’s hope we’re on track towards achieving that.
Featured images adapted from MS News and HOME.
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