Category Archives: Key Speeches

Mr Speaker, Before speaking on the substantive and amended motions, I would like to recall the perspective of our first Prime Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew on the Israel-Palestinian conflict, which he shared in 2013, referring to the larger canvas against which the latest hostilities between Israel and Hamas have occurred. Lee Kuan Yew onContinue reading “Parliament: LO’s Speech on Israel-Hamas Conflict”

Mr Pritam Singh (Aljunied): Thank you, Mr Speaker. I have two buckets of clarification – first, with regard to the standards of the People’s Action Party (PAP) that the Prime Minister spoke of and, second, with regard to the circumstances involving the departure of the former Speaker Tan Chuan-Jin and former MP Cheng Li Hui. Sir, there hasContinue reading “Parliament: LO’s questions to Prime Minister on affair between Speaker of Parliament and a PAP MP, and CPIB investigation into a PAP Minister”

Mr Pritam Singh (Aljunied): Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. Sir, the issues that have been covered by the four Ministers, I think for many Singaporeans, cover multiple matters of concern ranging from propriety to policy to political optics. While CPIB did not disclose corruption or criminal wrongdoing, the two themes I will cover in myContinue reading “Parliament: LO’s questions on rental of state B&W bungalows by PAP Ministers”

Introduction  Mr Speaker, the Government’s direction as encapsulated by the President’s Address continues in the same vein from the last term of Parliament. A significant part of the information contained in the addenda to the President’s Address have been made known previously even before Parliament was prorogued. The Workers’ Party MPs have therefore raised issuesContinue reading “Parliament: Response to the President’s Address – The WP in Parliament: Making Your Vote Count”

Introduction  “Our workers fighting in the trenches and workers supporting the fight – from nurses to cleaners, from GP doctors to infectious disease specialists, from medical researchers to delivery persons, and those Singaporeans driving our people to hospitals and quarantine facilities – are our heroes. We should not forget our public officers too. From civilContinue reading “Parliament: The role of the Workers’ Party during COVID-19”

Lianhe Zaobao: Focus on Integration, do not exaggerate to alarm the public I refer to the opinion piece by Zaobao Special Correspondent Giam Meng Tuck dated 5 Mar 2023. In responding to my Parliamentary proposal of an English test for PRs and new citizens, Mr Giam’s article, in my view, does not address the importanceContinue reading “Commentary on Integration and an English requirement for new immigrants”

Introduction Mr Speaker, beyond the bread-and-butter matters of economics and material well-being, Singaporeans must occasionally confront issues that concern our collective values – how we see each other as a citizen community and what kind of place we want Singapore to be. Section 377A of the Penal Code – which I will henceforth refer to as 377A – that criminalisesContinue reading “Parliament: Repeal of Section 377A”