WP abdicating responsibility by not taking stand: Shanmugam

Pritam says party’s stand established via majority through positions taken by MPs

- Ng Wei Kai

The Workers' Party (WP) did not want to take a stand on the law criminalising gay sex and the constitutional amendment to strengthen marriage, to avoid being seen as supporting or opposing the repeal, said Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam.

In doing so, it hopes to be "all things to all men, and not too much of anything to anyone", and is supporting all sides without having to make a decision and being held responsible for it, he said.

Referring to how the WP decided to allow its members to vote on the repeal of Section 377A of the Penal Code according to their personal beliefs by lifting the party Whip, Mr Shanmugam said the WP hence had no official position on the matter which he characterised as an abdication of their responsibility as MPs.

"They debated and discussed, but didn't decide on a party position," he said. "If this is how one decides, how will such a team function if they are in charge?" In response, Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh disagreed, saying the party's stand has been established via majority over the two days of debate through the positions taken by his MPs.

Eight WP MPs spoke on the reamendment peal and a constitutional intended to ensure the definition of marriage can be changed only by Parliament and not the courts. Mr Singh said Mr Faisal Manap (Aljunied GRC), who missed the debate as he had Covid-19, was against the repeal.

Six supported repealing S377A, while three were against it, he said.

For the constitutional amendment, seven supported it while two said they would abstain.

Mr Shanmugam had said in his speech closing the two-day debate that the WP lifting the Whip was not true democracy.

"Mr Singh said his lifting the Whip on WP MPs was democratic, so as to allow for a full and honest representation of all views," he said. "That explanation is factually untrue. Every MP must know that.