Episode Details

Should Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh remain as Leader of the Opposition?

Season 1 Episode 78 Published 5 months ago

Description

It’s the saga that has gone from Parliament, to the courts, and back to Parliament.

Yesterday, Parliament overwhelmingly voted for the motion that Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh is unsuitable to be Leader of the Opposition (LO).

This comes after a district court found him guilty of lying to a parliamentary committee, a ruling that was upheld on appeal.

But what does this all mean for the LO office, the Workers’ Party, and politics in Singapore?

Joining me on this episode of The Usual Place are:

• Mr Peh Shing Huei, a regular commentator on Singapore and China affairs, and a former ST news editor. He’s also the founding partner of content agency The Nutgraf, and author of several books, including Tall Order: The Goh Chok Tong Story and Neither Civil Nor Servant: The Philip Yeo Story, and

• Singapore Management University’s Associate Professor of Law Eugene Tan, who is a political analyst. He was also a former Nominated Member of Parliament from February 2012 to August 2014.

Highlights (click/tap above):

1:47 Lifting of the WP whip for debate about Pritam Singh

5:08 “It wasn’t a good day at the office for Parliament.”: Prof Tan

9:57 Pritam vs Tharman: What’s the difference in cases?

14:22 Will there be a political cost to the PAP for this motion?

17:14 Was it the right move for WP MP to bring up PAP MP’s indiscretion?

22:23 Fatigue about the matter

25:23 “This is closing the loop.”: Prof Tan

27:55 Are the cracks showing in the WP, despite show of unity in Parliament?

30:15 Possible leadership challenge within the WP?

34:29 This issue an “albatross” around the WP’s neck: Prof Tan

41:51 Peh on why Pritam didn’t resign first