Political experts who spoke to CNA TODAY were unanimous in saying it was “not surprising” that Sengkang residents were largely not bothered by Ms Khan’s resignation and its fallout for WP.
Associate Professor Eugene Tan, law lecturer from the Singapore Management University (SMU) and former Nominated MP, said: “(Residents) see it more as a personal failing (on Ms Khan’s part), notwithstanding that the party did not handle the matter as well as it should, which resulted in the criminal charges under the Parliament (Privileges, Immunities and Powers) Act against party leader Pritam Singh.
“To be clear, the whole saga has had a negative impact on WP but I don’t see the matter undermining the WP Sengkang team members, who are not implicated, as much as it would of Pritam Singh.”
Ms Khan’s false anecdote in parliament about her witnessing the police allegedly treating a sexual assault victim insensitively set in motion an investigation by a Committee of Privileges, which looks into any complaint alleging breaches of parliamentary privilege.
Mr Singh, who is also the Leader of Opposition, later faced two charges of lying to the committee. He has claimed trial to the charges and the verdict for the case has been fixed for Feb 17.
Commenting on how Sengkang residents have responded not so negatively to this saga, independent political observer Felix Tan said that this reflected the work put in by the remaining three MPs on the team, filling the void that Ms Khan had left.
“They have managed to continue to build rapport with the residents and take over Raeesah Khan’s position in that division. I think it clearly shows that they have dealt with the crisis quite well (at the Sengkang level).”
The impact on WP’s credibility as a party may be “another question altogether”, he added.
Dr Tan also said that since Ms Khan had a short-lived tenure of fewer than two years, the constituents may not have felt her absence as much as, say, if a multi-term MP whom residents “have come to embrace as part of the constituency and family” were to resign.
Political analysts said that moving ahead, prospective PAP candidates should avoid dwelling on this saga and if it comes up, WP’s team should not be defensive about it either.
Mr Aaron Tan, a 33-year-old Compassvale resident who works in advertising, said: “I’ll be considering (to vote) just those who are there to contest. So, to me, her issue is water under the bridge.”
NEW FACES ON BOTH SIDES
With a vacant seat in the GRC, constituents will likely see at least one new face contesting with the WP team at the upcoming election.
So far, the party has let on very little about its plans.
Mr Singh said at the members’ forum this year that it serves the party “little purpose” from a political standpoint to reveal its candidates before Nomination Day, “unless there is a strategic or tactical reason to do so”.
The most prominent new face and possible candidate on WP’s side in recent times is Senior Counsel Harpreet Singh, but he has been walking the ground in Marine Parade.
In the meantime, Mr Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik has been regularly spotted with the Sengkang MPs recently, appearing in photos with them during door-to-door house visits or at community events almost every month since last September.
His professional profile on LinkedIn shows that he is a senior property manager at Aljunied-Hougang Town Council, where he has worked since 2015.
