Motion on WP chief Pritam Singh's suitability as Leader of the Opposition: A timeline of events

A domino effect of mistakes beginning with former Workers' Party MP Raeesah Khan's lies in the House in 2021 has put Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh's parliamentary position in doubt. 

Leader of the House Indranee Rajah tabled a motion which was heard in Parliament on Wednesday (Jan 14) questioning Singh's suitability to continue in the role. 

Here's a timeline of how events unfolded, beginning with Khan's untruths. 

Aug 3, 2021: WP puts forth a motion in Parliament on empowering women. Khan delivers a speech claiming to have accompanied a purported sexual assault victim to a police station, and alleging that the case was mishandled by the police. 

Aug 7, 2021: Khan admits to Singh that her anecdote was untrue. 

Aug 8, 2021:  Khan tells WP leaders Singh, Sylvia Lim and Faisal Manap that she was a sexual assault victim and admits to lying in Parliament. Singh is alleged to have said: "this would probably be something that we would have to take to the grave". 

Oct 3, 2021: Singh meets with Khan at her home and tells her that the matter could be raised in Parliament the next day. He tells her that he will not judge her.

Oct 4, 2021: In a ministerial statement, minister K Shanmugam, who was holding both the home affairs and law portfolios, asks Khan to follow up with further details on the case she raised, but she declines to do so. Khan meets with Singh and Lim later that day, but they do not tell her to come clean.

Oct 11, 2021: Singh and Lim meet former WP chief Low Thia Khiang, who advises Khan to come clean to Parliament.

Nov 1, 2021: Khan admits to lying in Parliament and apologises to the police. Leader of the House Indranee Rajah raises a formal complaint against Khan.

Nov 2, 2021: The WP forms a disciplinary panel comprising Singh, Lim and Faisal. 

Nov 30, 2021: Khan resigns on the same day that the panel recommended that she be expelled for lying to Parliament. 

Dec 2, 2021: The WP reveals at a press conference that its leadership knew about Khan's falsehoods a week after her account in Parliament on Aug 3.

Dec 10, Dec 15, 2021: Singh tells Parliament's Committee of Privileges that he wanted Khan to clarify her untruth, and that he wanted to convey to Khan on Oct 3 that she had to clarify her lie should the issue come up in Parliament. 

February 2022: Singh is referred to the Public Prosecutor by Parliament. 

Mar 19, 2024: Singh pleads not guilty to two charges of wilfully giving false answers before the Committee of Privileges.

Oct 14, 2024: Singh's trial begins at the State Courts. 

Feb 17, 2025: Singh is found guilty and fined $7,000 for each charge of lying to the Committee of Privileges. 

Dec 4, 2025: Singh's appeal against conviction is dismissed by the High Court.

Dec 17, 2025: Indranee says that Parliament will debate Singh's convictions when it sits in January.

Jan 3, 2026: WP says that its central executive committee has deliberated on matters arising from Singh's appeal. The committee directed that a disciplinary panel be formed to determine if Singh contravened the party's constitution.

Jan 9, 2026: Indranee files a motion to ask Parliament to consider Singh's suitability to continue as Leader of the Opposition. 

Jan 14, 2026: The motion is heard in Parliament, which backs the motion by a voice vote of ayes. All WP MPs present stood up to record their dissent.

khooyihang@asiaone.com