Now that Pritam Singh is officially charged with lying to the Committee of Privileges (COP), one could hear the echoes of hysteria coming from the opposition camp. Who knows what will happen to the Leader of the Opposition (LO), but just in case politics fail to pan out as he hopes, here’s a suggestion for an alternative career. Mr Singh could consider becoming a shepherd who moonlights as a butcher (or vice versa). After all, he has been somewhat of an expert in picking out the sacrificial lambs, slaughtering them in cold blood to save his skin throughout his tenure as LO.
To jolt your memory, we have here Pritam Singh’s political hit list over the years.
Raeesah Khan – One lamb to rule them all
Now, what do we say about Raeesah Khan? She was supposed to be a sort of trump card for the Workers Party (WP). Young, female and a minority, Khan checks all the boxes to endear the WP to the woke brigade. But she floundered with a lie, which was how this entire saga that spun into a web of deception started three years ago.
Except hell hath no fury like a leader scorned. Pritam Singh, who once backed Raeesah Khan vigorously when she was investigated for promoting enmity between different races back in 2020, had no qualms about throwing the poor girl to the wolves this time around.
As leader, Singh failed to provide clear guidance to Khan, which was to come clean and tell the truth. He spent nearly two months (Aug – Oct 2021) avoiding the subject, hoping it would go away quietly. Except it did not, which led to the now iconic quote which saw Singh telling Khan to ‘take it (the lie) to the grave’. None of these looks good for the LO, which left Singh with only one way out. He had to annihilate Khan and completely discredit her. And so, he employed the oldest trick in the playbook, portraying Khan as a mentally disturbed woman with a weakness for lying.
Having resigned as an MP, discarded by the WP and vilified relentlessly by the very supporters who once hailed her as a breath of fresh air, Raeesah Khan retreated from public life. And sadly, Pritam Singh was the mastermind behind it every single step of the way. Did it really have to end this way? Apparently not. Except those who adopted such a view have found themselves pretty much the same way Raeesah Khan did – in the gutters of no return.
Daniel Goh – The veteran who got played
Former Non-constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) Daniel Goh was no spring chicken in politics. But despite being a stalwart member of the WP, he still found himself unceremoniously chucked aside in the 2020 general elections. ‘Health concerns’ might have been the get-out-of-running-for-GE card at that point. However, the very public spat that followed suggests that there is more than meets the eye.
Wading into the Raeesah Khan saga, Goh gave his two cents worth over the WP’s leadership role in handling the matter. By suggesting that WP leaders should have taken responsibility rather than throw Raeesah Khan under the bus, Goh touched a nerve. The repercussions were swift, with WP convening a disciplinary committee (DC) to rain hell on Goh. Not wanting to subject himself to even more ignominy, Goh declined to speak with the DC. The end result? Expulsion from a party he worked so hard to build.
So, did Pritam Singh play a role in Goh’s acrimonious exit from the WP? Maybe not directly. But the downside of being a leader is that every decision would have gone through Singh, who would have the final say. In expelling Daniel Goh, Singh is no different from any other despot who finds solace in silencing their critics.
Yudhishthra Nathan and Loh Peiying – The activists who didn’t matter
Not many of us would have heard of these names before December 2021. However, activists Loh Peiying and Yudhishthra Nathan are just two of many volunteers the WP rely on for their day-to-day work. Loh was a WP member for 10 years and a secretarial assistant to Raeesah Khan, while Nathan had been a council member in the WP youth wing. It is safe to say that these two young people have dedicated half their lives to the WP.
Therefore, what would compel them to contradict the testimony of WP leaders during the COP hearings? Khan was not solely responsible for repeating her lies in parliament. The LO did insinuate that Khan should continue lying. The two activists were adamant about these facts, which Singh insisted were a bunch of lies concocted out of loyalty to Raeesah Khan. And for their insolence, there is a bounty on their heads and a price to be paid.
By November 2022, Loh and Nathan released a joint statement that they had quit the WP. But before that, their involvement in party work has stopped since December 2021. Another coincidence? We think not. Their testimonies have obviously angered the WP leadership, and banishment from the organisation was their punishment.
In the end, what have the two activists got to gain by going against their party narrative? Nothing. But they are young and idealistic, driven by righteousness, integrity and honesty. And so, they spoke up. As Loh said during the hearings, “It’s important to be truthful to my country”. Now, if only Pritam Singh felt the same way. If so, he wouldn’t be showing up in court as a defendant.