Indranee Rajah and Leong Mun Wai on PSP video of exchange during Parliament's Jul 3 session on Ridout Road heritage properties
Leader of the House Indranee Rajah has asked Progress Singapore Party (PSP) to remove a revised Facebook post and edited video on an exchange in Parliament on Jul 3 over the issue of the rental of heritage properties at Ridout Road. She told NCMP Leong Mun Wai in Parliament on Thursday (Jul 6) that PSP should post an apology on its Facebook page and all the social media pages in which the videos appeared by 10pm on Thursday (Jul 6). Otherwise, she would have no choice but to refer the matter to the Committee of Privileges. She pointed out that PSP amended the post after her first request on Wednesday (Jul 5) but this revision still misrepresents what happened in Parliament by suggesting that a debate on the issue was not allowed, without explaining the context. "When you have a motion, you have a full debate, the speeches are longer. When you have ministerial statements, the general rule is that there are clarifications, meaning you ask questions. So there is a clear distinction between the two types of procedures which Members in this House, most of whom do appreciate the difference. But members of the public may not. And therefore, to suggest that a debate was not allowed, without explaining the context, without clarifying that it was actually incorrect to call for a debate, and to thereby suggest that a debate is not allowed, creates a misleading or false impression that issues could not be ventilated and that Deputy Speaker Mr Christopher de Souza actually shut down the questions by Mr Leong and other Members on a topic that was of some importance,” she said. Mr Leong said he would bring the matter up with his party and decide on how to respond. He also asked Ms Indranee if there is a need for his party to apologise if it is prepared to take down the video. "We didn't state the wrong facts, we didn't impugn anybody, it is just a representation, an expression. So we can put up an open letter to express our regret of this incident. But I am of the view that there should not be a requirement for us to do an apology,” he said. Replying, Ms Indranee said the answer is “yes”. “And if you are a political party which has misrepresented what has happened in Parliament, which is a direct strike at the values that underpin this Parliament, then you should apologise because that is not the right thing to do and that is the reason why we still require an apology,” she said.
Leader of the House Indranee Rajah has asked Progress Singapore Party (PSP) to remove a revised Facebook post and edited video on an exchange in Parliament on Jul 3 over the issue of the rental of heritage properties at Ridout Road. She told NCMP Leong Mun Wai in Parliament on Thursday (Jul 6) that PSP should post an apology on its Facebook page and all the social media pages in which the videos appeared by 10pm on Thursday (Jul 6). Otherwise, she would have no choice but to refer the matter to the Committee of Privileges. She pointed out that PSP amended the post after her first request on Wednesday (Jul 5) but this revision still misrepresents what happened in Parliament by suggesting that a debate on the issue was not allowed, without explaining the context. "When you have a motion, you have a full debate, the speeches are longer. When you have ministerial statements, the general rule is that there are clarifications, meaning you ask questions. So there is a clear distinction between the two types of procedures which Members in this House, most of whom do appreciate the difference. But members of the public may not. And therefore, to suggest that a debate was not allowed, without explaining the context, without clarifying that it was actually incorrect to call for a debate, and to thereby suggest that a debate is not allowed, creates a misleading or false impression that issues could not be ventilated and that Deputy Speaker Mr Christopher de Souza actually shut down the questions by Mr Leong and other Members on a topic that was of some importance,” she said. Mr Leong said he would bring the matter up with his party and decide on how to respond. He also asked Ms Indranee if there is a need for his party to apologise if it is prepared to take down the video. "We didn't state the wrong facts, we didn't impugn anybody, it is just a representation, an expression. So we can put up an open letter to express our regret of this incident. But I am of the view that there should not be a requirement for us to do an apology,” he said. Replying, Ms Indranee said the answer is “yes”. “And if you are a political party which has misrepresented what has happened in Parliament, which is a direct strike at the values that underpin this Parliament, then you should apologise because that is not the right thing to do and that is the reason why we still require an apology,” she said.
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