Indranee: Pritam Singh conviction has implications for Sylvia Lim, Faisal Manap; Parliament to discuss in Jan

 SINGAPORE: Parliament will revisit in January the implications of Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh’s conviction for lying to the Committee of Privileges (COP), with potential consequences also affecting senior party leaders Sylvia Lim and Faisal Manap, said Leader of the House Indranee Rajah.

In a statement issued on 22 December 2025, Ms Indranee said the conclusion of Mr Singh’s criminal case allows Parliament to resume consideration of issues arising from the COP’s 2022 report into former MP Raeesah Khan’s untruths to the House.

She noted that all three senior WP leaders had disputed the COP’s findings in 2022, leading Parliament to postpone any decision at that time.

With the court process now completed, these matters will be raised for discussion in January.

Mr Singh was convicted earlier this year on two counts of lying to the COP.

On 4 December 2025, the High Court upheld his 17 February conviction and a fine of S$14,000, dismissing his appeal.

The COP had examined Ms Khan’s admission that she lied in Parliament about accompanying a sexual assault victim to a police station.

"The COP was of the view that if Mr Singh, Ms Lim and Mr Faisal had guided Ms Khan to repeat her lie in parliament, then such conduct would be unbecoming of a parliamentarian, and would amount to contempt of parliament," said Indranee.

Ms Lim is chair of the Workers’ Party, while Mr Faisal serves as vice-chair. 

Ms Indranee was responding to media queries following her earlier statement on 17 December 2025, in which she said Parliament would consider an “appropriate response” to Mr Singh’s conviction when it sits in January.

She reiterated that the COP had, in 2022, recommended deferring sanctions or other parliamentary action against Mr Singh, Ms Lim and Mr Faisal until investigations or criminal proceedings against Mr Singh were concluded.

In her 22 December statement, Ms Indranee restated several of the COP’s findings.

These included Mr Faisal’s refusal to answer certain COP questions, which led to the matter being referred to the public prosecutor for possible contempt of Parliament.

After investigation, Mr Faisal was issued a police advisory, Ms Indranee noted.

The COP also found that both Ms Lim and Mr Faisal had lied under oath by denying that they had told Ms Khan, during an August 2021 meeting, to conceal her untruth from Parliament.

“The COP’s findings have been borne out by the Court judgments,” Ms Indranee said, linking the committee’s conclusions to the outcomes of the criminal proceedings.

She stressed that Parliament’s consideration of the matter is separate from the Workers’ Party’s internal disciplinary processes.

However, she said it was necessary for the House to take note of the Leader of the Opposition’s actions and convictions for lying under oath.

Ms Indranee described lying under oath as a serious matter, adding that Singapore cannot accept standards seen elsewhere where leaders escape political or legal consequences after dishonest conduct.

“In some countries, leaders who have lied, cheated or flagrantly broken the law still escape any legal or political consequences,” she said on 17 December. “We cannot accept such standards in Singapore.”

She also characterised the facts established during the court proceedings as “disturbing”.

Among the findings highlighted was that the decision to come clean in Parliament was taken only on 11 October 2021, after former WP chief Low Thia Khiang advised Mr Singh and Ms Lim that the truth should be clarified.

Ms Indranee said the court found that prior to this, Mr Singh had guided Ms Khan to continue with her lie. This was not disclosed when a disciplinary committee was later formed.

After Ms Khan admitted her falsehood in Parliament, Mr Singh convened a disciplinary panel comprising himself, Ms Lim and Mr Faisal to investigate why she had lied.

Ms Indranee described this as a “travesty”, stating that the three leaders already knew about the lie months earlier.

None of these facts were disclosed when the disciplinary panel was established, she added.

Parliament's earlier position in 2022

The upcoming parliamentary discussion marks a continuation of a process initiated in 2022.

During a sitting on 15 February 2022, Parliament debated the COP’s report and voted to refer Mr Singh’s conduct to the Public Prosecutor for possible offences under the Parliament (Privileges, Immunities and Powers) Act.

At the same sitting, it was agreed that any further parliamentary action would be deferred until the criminal justice process had run its course.

Ms Indranee said then that Parliament would consider any remaining issues only after the courts had made their determinations.

With the High Court’s dismissal of Mr Singh’s appeal, Parliament is now expected to resume consideration of the matter in the new year.

Mr Singh has said he accepts the court’s verdict. Speaking to reporters outside court after the appeal decision, he said he was disappointed but respected the outcome.

“I take responsibility for taking too long to respond to Ms Khan’s lie,” he said, adding that he remains committed to his responsibilities in Parliament and to serving Singaporeans.

He also thanked Singaporeans for their support, saying his focus is to continue speaking up for them in Parliament.

In a statement posted on its official Facebook page on 17 December, the Workers’ Party said it has initiated its internal processes following the High Court judgment on 4 December and will provide further updates in due course.