TLDR; From conspiracy theories to bashing on the COP for extensive questioning, the Raeesah Khan and WP saga is one for the books. Here are the key takeaways we got on the box office drama that has kept the entire Singapore on the edge of their seats.
The COP saga involving the Workers Party leadership and Raeesah Khan has been nothing short of a drama that has kept us on the edge of our seats.
Many have also attacked the Committee of Privileges style of questioning of the two parties saying that it’s all part of the ruling party’s ploy of using this saga to their advantage of bringing the opposition down. There has even been conspiracy theories floating around, with one implying that Raeesah is actually a PAP mole cleverly placed into WP to bring the WP down from the inside (it is far-fetched if you ask us but there are people who believe in this theory).
Here are four things we think of the Raeesah Khan vs Pritam vs COP saga so far:
1. To those who think that the committee is harsh, think again.
In light of the untruth that has been told by Raeesah, and the WP leadership’s lack of ownership and responsibility of coming forward to clarify the truth despite being fully aware that it is a lie, we’d like to stress that before coming into parliament, all members are required to take an oath to carry out theans. Obviously because these folks represent the voices of Singaporeans that cannot speak to the government directly. Honesty and integrity are also basic qualities that a representative should have.
This incident has brought up questions of the processes, structures, authorities, individuals that are in place to protect the interests of Singaporeans. The COP is here to look into the incident to deduce what happened, who is at fault, what transpired so that disciplinary action can be taken against ALL of those involved. This also serves as an example and sends a strong message – anyone who commits such atrocities and treachery in parliament have the responsibility to make it right.
We feel that this does not just fall on the shoulders of the one who told the lie, but to those who are aware of the lie, and who do not come forward to correct it (ahem, Pritam Singh). eir duties responsibly, speak the truth and are required to be accountable to all Singaporeans.
2. The WP narrative: If you can’t convince them, confuse them.
We are as tired as you are when it comes to this drama. 30 hours of questioning, not to mention the resources pumped into this case have been exhaustive. Did we expect it to drag on for this long? Definitely not.
We have various witnesses, figures pulled into the pictures with 2 sides of the story not in sync. The Workers’ Party members’ accounts of events do not add up, with everyone interpreting the words of what was said differently, which resulted into actions being carried out differently.
Everyone obviously wants to do the right thing but this should have been hashed out properly at the disciplinary hearing that was held for Raeesah. Hell, it should have been hashed out even at the private meetings she had with the WP leadership. Why weren’t these questions or issues addressed before things had to take such a turn?
All we need is the truth and conclusion to the hearings and findings. We don’t need anymore distraction from the WP (it seems like they’re taking the COP on a rollercoaster ride). The “dysfunctional family” image the WP is portraying should tell us alot about the internal dynamics of the way their party is run but that’s an issue for another day.
We don’t need more distractions because there are more pressing issues we need to tackle (ahem, support for more healthcare workers, the Omicron variant etc).
3. The COP’s extensive questioning process and why it matters.
Raeesah has admitted that she has lied from the start, but she also clarified that there were others who were involved in the timeline of events. The committee is required to examine her account in close detail by involving other witnesses because this affects the severity of the action that will be taken against Ms Khan.
According to her accounts, there were other people involved (e.g. the WP Leadership) that led her to delaying the clarification of the truth in Parliament. If more people are involved, it is unfair for Ms Khan to shoulder the full consequences of her lies. Especially since her lie came from a place of trauma, pain and hurt.
4. The WP Leadership hearing can shaken the progress made for women empowerment, especially in mental health
The accounts told by Pritam Singh – basically implying that Raeesah was mentally unwell and therefore her words should be taken with a pinch of salt – threatens to set back the progress that has been made by activists for women’s development and mental health. By suggesting that a person that the COP should discredit the words of a woman who has been shaken by traumatic events is out of line. We should not accept that as a society and a community. Honestly, we think that the Leader of Opposition should come forward to apologise to the community for those loaded words.
See also our TikTok: Pritam’s lies, Dennis’s questions…. Someone is trying to save their own ass and we think its the one with more to lose. #raeesahkhan #sgtiktok
The different anecdotes and pieces of evidence supplied by either party has us thinking – who’s telling the truth and who’s lying? In this case, who has more to lose? Is it Pritam who’s carrying the weight of the Workers’ Party legacy or is it Raeesah who risks her already ruined reputation and risks going to jail? We should be looking at this case objectively (doesn’t matter which party you support) as this is a matter of integrity and justice. All those involved have to be dealt with in accordance with the severity of their actions. We are just waiting for the ending to see how it pans out.