Sylvia Lim says notes she submitted not damaging to Pritam

Workers’ Party (WP) chairman Sylvia Lim has disputed a parliamentary committee’s interpretation of evidence she had submitted to it as “damaging” to her party leader.

- Rei Kurohi

In its report released last Thursday, Parliament’s Committee of Privileges (COP) said a set of handwritten notes provided by Ms Lim supported its finding that Leader of the Opposition and WP chief Pritam Singh had guided former Sengkang GRC MP Raeesah Khan to continue to maintain an untrue narrative she had shared in Parliament on Aug 3 last year.

“I take a different view,” Ms Lim told Parliament yesterday.

“If read in the proper context, my evidence is not inconsistent and not damaging to Mr Singh. In fact, it is consistent with his evidence that he was telling her she had to tell the truth.”

The notes, taken by Ms Lim during a meeting between herself, WP vice-chairman Faisal Manap, Mr Singh and Ms Khan, reflect that Mr Singh had said to Ms Khan: “Before Oct session, I met you + I told you it was your call. Did need to tell the truth in Parl occur to you?”

Ms Khan replied: “Yes but consumed with guilt + own experience. Thought it wouldn’t come up.”

Mr Singh then asked: “Can’t lie right?”, to which Ms Khan responded: “Yes.”

Ms Lim said this exchange shows that Ms Khan had accepted that she could not lie and understood that she had to tell the truth.