Upon learning that rookie MP Raeesah Khan had lied in Parliament, Pritam Singh could have the honourable thing by insisting that Raeesah come clean and tell the truth. He didn’t.
As the Chinese saying goes, “纸包不住火”. Paper cannot be used to wrap up fire.
After covering up the lie for 4 months, Raeesah Khan admitted to lying. Scrambling to save himself and downplay his role in the scandal, Pritam turned the COP hearings into a circus of disparaging and derogatory attacks aimed at Raeesah, his former protege.
The result was a masterclass in how to be a toxic boss. Pritam called her a liar. That wasn’t enough. He started referring endlessly to her sexual assault as rape. It was a term Raeesah had not publicly used to describe her trauma. It gets worse.
Pritam started suggesting that Raeesah Khan had mental problems and demanded a psychiatric evaluation of her.
And now, to save his own skin in his trial, he has launched a fresh wave of attacks not just on Raeesah, but on former long term members of the Workers Party, including his former secretarial assistant, accusing everyone (except himself) of lying.
It is worth remembering that before their relationship turned sour, Pritam Singh chose her as a WP candidate. Elected at age 26, Raeesah’s win certainly inspired a new generation of young people to become interested in politics. But as Singaporeans witness this u-turn and attack on Raeesah’s character, what does it say about how Pritam’s Workers Party treats its young party members?
The collateral damage extends beyond Raeesah Khan. Long-time cadre members Ms Loh Peiying and Mr Yudhishthra Nathan were young people who believed in making a difference. But when they spoke up against WP leaders, their fates were sealed. Despite years of dedicating their lives to WP, both volunteers, feeling abandoned, resigned from the Party.
Similarly, when asked how she felt towards Pritam Singh as her mentor, Raeesah Khan said, “I revered him”. It is safe to say that she no longer feels that way.
Veteran politicians such as Pritam Singh have a responsibility to nurture the next generation of young leaders. In smearing Raeesah Khan’s name to save his own and freezing out cadres who hold a different view, the LO is no different from an autocratic ruler with an iron fist.
As Pritam Singh reveals his true colours throughout the trial, one cannot help but feel a sense of defeat and disillusionment. Is this the best our Opposition can do? To be led by a man of questionable morals? For the sake of democracy, we hope not.
