WP Cadre Testifies Against Pritam Singh at Trial Over Raeesah Khan’s Parliamentary Lie

SINGAPORE: Former Workers' Party (WP) cadre and ex-secretarial assistant to Ms Raeesah Khan, Ms Loh Pei Ying, testified on Thursday regarding her concerns about the party’s handling of Ms Khan’s false statements in parliament. Her testimony took place during the trial of WP chief Pritam Singh. Singh is contesting allegations related to the parliament incident involving Ms Khan, who had admitted to lying about accompanying a rape victim to a police station.

During her testimony, Ms Loh expressed her belief that it was “convenient” for WP leadership to place the responsibility solely on Ms Khan. She felt that Mr Singh had many opportunities to correct the falsehood in parliament but chose not to. She also regarded the disciplinary panel, which was formed to address Ms Khan’s conduct, as a “performative” gesture intended to calm public and party dissatisfaction.

The disciplinary panel comprised Mr Singh, Ms Sylvia Lim, and Mr Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap, who all knew about the falsehood a week after Ms Khan initially presented it. Ms Loh voiced her opposition to Ms Khan’s resignation, suggesting that it gave the impression she was avoiding accountability and neglecting her responsibilities to her constituents.

Ms Loh, who has been involved with the Workers’ Party for 11 years and co-founded the editorial studio Kontinentalist, was the second prosecution witness. Her testimony came after Ms Khan’s re-examination earlier that day.

Under questioning by Deputy Public Prosecutor Tan Ben Mathias, Ms Loh recounted her journey from volunteering during the 2011 General Election to becoming a cadre member with voting rights. She described her brief tenure as Singh’s secretarial assistant, followed by the same role with Ms Khan.

Ms Loh revealed that she and Mr Yudhishthra Nathan found out about the false rape anecdote on August 7, 2021, during a Zoom call with Ms Khan. Ms Loh described the call as emotional, with Ms Khan expressing fear and worry about potential repercussions.

On August 10, Ms Loh had a meeting with Mr Singh and Mr Nathan, during which Ms Loh suggested the significance of acknowledging Ms Khan’s own experiences as a victim of sexual assault, despite her doubts about the narrative. Concerns about phone security led them to communicate without devices during this meeting.

The trial also featured cross-examination focusing on inconsistencies in Ms Khan’s statements to police and the Committee of Privileges. Issues revolved around her two differing accounts of her conversation with Mr Singh on October 3, 2021, and the implications of a memorandum Mr Singh sent about the seriousness of misleading parliament.

Deputy Principal District Judge Luke Tan ruled that there were no grounds for impeachment based on Ms Khan’s statements, despite a defense argument citing contradictions. The trial proceeds with the court weighing evidence presented by both prosecution and defense as it continues the inquiry which has sparked significant political and public interest.