We saw PM deliver a Ministerial Statement this afternoon in relation to the CPIB investigations involving S. Iswaran and the resignations of former Speaker Tan Chuan-Jin and MP Cheng Li Hui.
As expected, Leader of the Opposition, Pritam Singh rose to obfuscate matters and said the PAP government is less than transparent and hypocritical in its actions.
Let’s check some facts.
Iswaran: CPIB informed PM about a quiet investigation involving a member of his cabinet. PM did not in any way impede the investigations. He told them to proceed. When the matter became an open investigation, S. Iswaran was interdicted and was relieved of his official duties, immediately. Complete transparency, no hypocrisy.
Tan Chuan Jin and Cheng Li Hui: In relation to what transpired with the former Speaker and former PAP MP, Pritam Singh says that PM sat on the matter for three years and did not do anything. Well, firstly, PM was dealing with the pandemic of our lifetimes. PM had a country to run amid all of this. Second and more importantly, PM did not take the inaction approach as Pritam Singh is suggesting. PM came to know about it, PM investigated, found the facts and counselled the respective members about their conduct. He told them to stop. PM stated that his primary concern was the constituents and their families involved at that time. The members continued with their private affair. PM now said they have to go, immediately. On hindsight, PM stated that he ought to have acted earlier. Humbling to know our PM is willing to publicly acknowledge that we are all human, we can sometimes have errors of judgment and how he openly took responsibility for his actions. Complete transparency, no hypocrisy.
In both cases, had PM kept quiet, no one would have come to know. Three PAP members would leave quietly from Parliament by the next GE and the matters could have easily been swept under the carpet. But that is not the PAP way. The often quoted and sometimes mocked “ownself check ownself’ at work? Decisive, action oriented, responsible. Can the PAP improve? Yes. Can the PAP aspire to higher standards? Yes. But so long as the PAP continues to do the right thing, we will continue to be in capable hands.
Let’s take a look at how Pritam Singh acted instead.
Raeesah Khan: Knew about the lie, asked her to take it to the grave. Heard Raeesah lie in Parliament, while already knowing it was a lie, at least once on his own admission, but did not think it necessary to correct the record. Pritam Singh now also says PM is hypocritical for thinking about the sensitivities around the families of the former PAP members but the PAP did not afford the same sensitivities to Reaesah Khan. Well, Pritam Singh is the only one who insisted on including the word “rape” both at the COP and in Parliament. He also alluded to her having mental health issues. Who is the one being insensitive here? No transparency, no accountability.
Leon Perera: Along with other senior party members, first heard about the matter from a credible source three years ago. Only action he took was to merely ask Leon Perera and Nicole Seah if it was true. Both merely denied and he let the matter rest. Claimed no corroborative evidence even though he states that the driver was circulating the message widely across the party. When the video emerged, Pritam said the WP asked the two to resign or they would be expelled from the party because the lied to the party leadership. Compare that to what he did in knowingly allowing Raeesah Khan to lie in Parliament and to the public. No transparency, no accountability.
In both cases, what I see is a leader who is unwilling to take responsibility and hides behind the notion that the WP treats its members and MPs as adults and that they must be responsible for their own actions. Pritam Singh often mocks the PAP for “ownself check ownself”, but I think what he really lives by is “ownself cover ownself” instead. Zero leadership, zero accountability. No transparency, conveniently hypocritical.