Home Affairs & Law Minister K Shanmugam (File foto: TODAY)
Certain statements made by The Workers’ Party's (WP) Members of Parliament during a parliamentary debate on amendments to the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act (CLTPA) on Tuesday (Feb 6) were "pure theatrics" meant to mislead Singaporeans, said Minister for Home Affairs & Law K Shanmugam on Wednesday.
"My conclusion, listening to some parts of the debate: Pure theatrics with no substance, calculated to mislead," Mr Shanmugam said in a Facebook post.
WP had spoken out against changes to the legislation, which allows for detention without trial, with chairman Sylvia Lim calling the move to define the scope of criminal activities an “attempt to make the Minister (for Home Affairs) all-powerful”.
related: Government 'has gone too far' with Criminal Law act: WP
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WP MPs’ assertions on law allowing detention without trial untrue and absurd: Shanmugam
Law & Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam has taken issue with “curious” assertions made by Workers’ Party (WP) Members of Parliament during a debate earlier this week on amendments to the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act.
The WP MPs had argued that the changes not only take away the power of judicial review, but also expand the Minister’s powers — comments that Mr Shanmugam described as “untrue” & “absurd”.
Writing on Facebook a day after the lengthy debate which lasted almost 4 hours, Mr Shanmugam said on Wednesday (Feb 7) that some parts of the debate were “pure theatrics with no substance, calculated to mislead”.
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Shanmugam labels WP's arguments on detention law as 'theatrics with no substance, calculated to mislead'
Law & Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam on Wednesday (Feb 7) labelled the Workers' Party MPs' arguments on a law that allows criminal suspects to be detained without trial as "pure theatrics with no substance, calculated to mislead".
Aljunied GRC MPs Sylvia Lim & Pritam Singh, & Non-Constituency MP Dennis Tan had voiced WP's dissent during a 4-hour long debate over a Bill to amend the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act on Tuesday, which was ultimately passed in Parliament.
In a Facebook post, Mr Shanmugam said he had a good exchange with Mr Singh & Mr Tan over their points, but took issue with Ms Lim's.
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Sylvia Lim and Shanmugam cross swords over “untenable” bill that allows for detentions without trial
Workers’ Party Chairman Sylvia Lim crossed swords with Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam in Parliament yesterday over the proposed renewal of the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act (CLTPA).
This is not the first time the two prominent politicians have clashed in Parliament. The Minister and the opposition chief have previously crossed swords in the House over the age of the new Attorney-General and, perhaps more famously, over the counting of the presidential terms that triggered the reserved Presidential Election last year.
This time, Shanmugam and Lim contended over the CLTPA – a bill that allows for detentions without trial if the authorities deem such detentions necessary in the interests of “public safety, peace and good order”.
related: WP MP’s statements on detention law “pure theatrics with no substance”
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Shanmugam says WP's arguments are 'theatrics with no substance'
Law & Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam yesterday called Workers' Party MPs' arguments on a law that allows suspects to be detained without trial as "pure theatrics".
Aljunied GRC MPs Sylvia Lim & Pritam Singh, and Non-Constituency MP Dennis Tan, had voiced WP's dissent during a four-hour debate over a Bill to amend the Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) Act on Tuesday, which was passed in Parliament.
Mr Shanmugam said on Facebook he had a good exchange with Mr Singh & Mr Tan but took issue with Ms Lim's points.
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K Shanmugam Sc is with Siddiq Suleiman and 2 others Yesterday at 03:23
[ Curious Debate in Parliament ]
Had a curious debate in Parliament yesterday, on amendments to the CLTPA.
2. Couple of the WP MPs made points which were good to clarify. I had a good exchange with Mr Pritam Singh and Mr Dennis Tan.
3. But WP MPs also took issue with two changes.
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WP MPs’ statements on detention law ‘pure theatrics with no substance’: Shanmugam
WP had spoken out against changes to the legislation, which allows for detention without trial, with chairman Sylvia Lim calling the move to define the scope of criminal activities an “attempt to make the Minister (for Home Affairs) all-powerful”.
“In fact, it does the opposite, by now specifying what activities are covered. There could have been no reasonable belief that it increases the Minister’s power,” Mr Shanmugam said.
He also highlighted how WP MPs asserted that the “finality clause” in the amendments will take away the power of judicial review.
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The Straits Times Yesterday at 06:03
"My conclusion, listening to some parts of the debate: pure theatrics with no substance, calculated to mislead."
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WP MPs’ assertions on law allowing detention without trial untrue and absurd: Shanmugam
During the debate, WP chairman & Aljunied GRC MP Sylvia Lim, who is a lawyer, called the move to define the scope of criminal activities an “attempt to make the Minister all-powerful”. “This expansion of the kind of activities subject to the Act in effect makes the Minister a global policeman with no equal in the world. This is a position too arrogant for the House to support,” she said.
Mr Shanmugam responded to Ms Lim in the House by pointing out that it was not the case that a suspect can automatically be detained if the activity is listed in the Fourth Schedule. “So how does it increase the powers (of the Minister)?” he said. “Rhetoric has got to match reality, & it’s useful to read clauses carefully before making speeches.”
Mr Shanmugam added on Facebook on Wednesday: “In fact, (the move) does the opposite, by now specifying what activities are covered. There could have been no reasonable belief that it increases the Minister’s power.”
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Minister of Law and Home Affairs avoids answering a simple question about oppositions being fixed in Singapore
Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam just recently went “On the Record” with Channel News Asia's Bharati Jagdish about about how politics has evolved in the almost three decades he has spent as a politician. In one part of the interview, Mr Shanmugam speaks about lower entry barrier for people to get involved in politics so that people can always go in to make things right, and keep people in power on their toes.
When CNA shared the interview on its Facebook fanpage, many were not convinced by the Minister's replies. One commenter made a post which is plain obvious for anyone living in Singapore for the past few decades.
Given the recent wayang at the Parliamentary debate and the end conclusion of "oneself decides oneself need not check oneself", Mr Shanmugam's comment could not have come more ironic as it is.
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