Singapore’s parliament will debate removing opposition leader Pritam Singh as Leader of the Opposition following his conviction for lying to parliament.
SINGAPORE: Parliament will debate a motion to remove opposition chief Pritam Singh from his post as Leader of the Opposition this Wednesday.
The motion was tabled by Leader of the House Indranee Rajah, a member of the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP).
It declares Singh, leader of the Workers’ Party, unsuitable to continue in the role due to his “dishonourable and unbecoming” conduct.
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In December, Indranee stated the conduct of Workers’ Party chair Sylvia Lim and vice-chair Faisal Manap would also be discussed, with “implications” for them arising from Singh’s case.
Singh, 49, is Singapore’s first official Leader of the Opposition since independence in 1965.
He was appointed after the 2020 general election when his party increased its parliamentary seats to 10.
The ruling PAP won its 14th successive election in 2025, securing 87 of the 97 parliamentary seats.
A court found Singh guilty of two counts of lying to parliament in February last year.
He was fined, which spared him from losing his seat and being banned from the 2025 general election.
The conviction stemmed from false testimony given to a parliamentary committee in 2021 about a fellow party member, Raeesah Khan, who also admitted to lying.
Singh’s appeal against the conviction failed in December.
Indranee stated parliament must deliberate on an “appropriate response” to his actions and convictions.
“Lying under oath is a serious matter,” she said in a media statement.
“In some countries, leaders who have lied, cheated or flagrantly broken the law still escape any legal or political consequences. We cannot accept such standards in Singapore.” – Reuters
