Why Sylvia Lim Didn’t Push for a Quick Parli‑Fix with Raeesah Khan
When former MP Raeesah Khan spun her infamous lie again on Oct 4, Parliament’s Committee of Privileges sat back and stared at the mess. The Workers’ Party (WP) chair, Sylvia Lim, told the panel that timing – not urgency – was the real issue. After a Monday hearing on Dec 13, she gave the committee the full scoop on why correcting the record didn’t happen the very next day.
They Gave It “Careful Crafting” Time
- WP leaders said the statement needed to be “carefully structured” so Khan felt comfortable pushing it.
- “We had to figure out exactly what she wanted to say and whether it could withstand scrutiny,” Lim recalled.
- In short, they wanted her to feel emotionally stable before it hit Parliament’s floor.
Single‑Can’t You Do It Right?
Lim wasn’t shy about her frustration. “It looked like no progress was made… we were doubling down on the untruth,” she said. She then walked into Mr. Singh’s office (the opposition leader) to talk to Khan about her legal standing and emotional state. “Things said in the House are protected by privilege,” she told Khan, suggesting legal advice before the big day.
All the Drama in the Office
The snap‑shoot interview revealed that after the initial talk, a week later on Oct 12, the WP finally pushed a record‑straightening plan for the next parliamentary session. It was a mix of anger from the leaders and Khan’s reluctance to correct the story.
The Twists Behind the Scenes
- On Aug 3, Khan claimed she drove a sexual‑assault victim to a police station. Later she admitted she didn’t – a classic falsehood.
- She was “doubling down” on the lie, prompting a clarification drafted by Mr. Pritam Singh on Aug 3 that ended up backing the falsehood.
- When home affairs minister K. Shanmugam grilled her on Oct 4, the committee noted that the situation worsened, prompting urgent actions.
The Bottom Line
Lim’s message to the committee was clear: the steps taken were more deliberate than dramatic. “Theoretically, yes, an option existed, but practically, it wasn’t,” she told the panel. With a blend of frustration, careful planning, and the insistence that Parliament’s House is “protected by privilege,” she walked the WP through a slow but scrupulous path to truth.
For the full details,
see the Committee of Privileges’s special report.
