15 October 2024
Morning Shot: Workers’ Party Pritam Singh trial - Leader of the Opposition battling two charges of lying to Committee of Privileges
Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh's trial has opened (on 14th October) - with prosecutors setting out the details of their case against the Workers' Party (WP) secretary-general, and revealing their witness list for the first time.
Singh faces two charges over two alleged lies made to a Committee of Privileges convened in November 2021 to look into the lying controversy involving former WP MP Raeesah Khan.
On 3rd August 2021, Khan had shared an anecdote about having accompanied a rape victim to a police station, during a WP motion titled "Empowering Women". The anecdote turned out to be a lie, and Singh was implicated after the truth came out and a Committee of Privileges was convened to investigate Ms Khan's conduct.
On this episode of Morning Shot, Benjamin Joshua Ong, Assistant Professor of Law from the Singapore Management University shares his insights.
Presented by: Audrey Siek
Produced & Edited by: Yeo Kai Ting (ykaiting@sph.com.sg)
Photo credits: Gavin Foo / ST

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27 March 2024
Morning Shot: A deep dive into Parliamentary Privilege. What's the difference between a false statement and a mere opinion?
How much do you know about parliamentary privilege?
Parliamentary privilege basically means MPs cannot be prosecuted or sued for statements made in Parliament as part of their duties. So, MPs are allowed to speak freely on significant issues without fear of legal consequences.
So, taking a look back at former MP Raeesah Khan case of lying in Parliament - what can we learn from it, and how can MPs better navigate verifying the truth of their intended statements to be made in Parliament?
On this episode of Morning Shot, Benjamin Joshua Ong, Assistant Professor of Law at the Singapore Management University weighs in.
Presented by: Emaad Akhtar & Audrey Siek
Produced & Edited by: Yeo Kai Ting (ykaiting@sph.com.sg)
Photo credits: MCI

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