SINGAPORE: The long-running controversy surrounding former Workers’ Party MP Raeesah Khan has taken a new turn, with the Law Society of Singapore initiating disciplinary proceedings against Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh. It all started with one wrong candidate fielded by Workers’ Party in GE2020.
On March 12, the Law Society of Singapore initiated disciplinary proceedings against Mr Singh, who is a lawyer. According to media reports, a case management conference had been scheduled to be held in a Supreme Court chamber on Thursday afternoon.
A case management is held behind closed doors. For situations involving lawyers, after the Law Society brings charges, a disciplinary tribunal gives its ruling on the case. If disciplinary action is deemed needed, the Law Society applies to the Supreme Court for a hearing to be heard by the Court of Three Judges. The court may impose such penalties as fines, suspension, or disbarment.
It has been a rocky road for Mr Singh, who had been designated as Singapore’s first official Leader of the Opposition in 2020 but was removed from this position earlier this year.
It began with a lie
In August 2021, Ms Khan told Parliament about a sexual assault victim whom she accompanied to a police station, where she alleged that the victim was treated insensitively. A few days later, she admitted to the party leaders that the story she told in Parliament was untrue. After Ms Khan met with Mr Singh, WP chair Sylvia Lim, and vice chair Faisal Manap, the former MP appeared to interpret their advice as to stay silent about the lie she had told.
By October, however, she met with the WP leaders again, who agreed that she should correct the lie she had told, and on Nov 1, 2021, she admitted in Parliament that the story she told was untrue.
By December, a Parliamentary Committee of Privileges (COP) had been convened to investigate the matter, and questions arose as to the advice he had given Ms Khan as to telling the truth. Mr Singh testified before the committee, and it was this testimony that later became the basis for the criminal charges filed against him.
In February 2022, the COP recommended a S$35,000 fine for Ms Khan, as well as referred Mr Singh and Mr Faisal to the Public Prosecutor for their conduct during the investigation.
After further investigations were held, Mr Singh was formally charged with two counts of lying to the COP on March 19, 2024. He was found guilty of this charge on Feb 17, 2025, and fined S$14,000.
Mr Singh went on to contest in the General Election that May, and the WP slate at Aljunied won for the fourth time.
Although he appealed his conviction, on Dec 4, 2025, the High Court upheld the decision.
The WP then announced that it would carry out an internal disciplinary process concerning Mr Singh.
In the same month, House Leader Indranee Rajah said that Mr Singh’s convictions and actions would be discussed in Parliament, and a vote was taken on Jan 14, 2026, to determine his suitability as Leader of the Opposition. He was removed from the position by Prime Minister Lawrence Wong the following day. While PM Wong told the WP that it could choose another elected MP to serve as Leader of the Opposition, they declined to do so. /TISG
Read also: Jamus Lim: We should have moved on from the events of Raeesahgate a long time ago
