Singapore leader-in-waiting Heng Swee Keat turns heat up on opposition over financial scandal as polls loom
- Minister wins backing for motion calling on two opposition leaders to back out of financial matters amid court case over US$24.8 million in misused cash
- Three Workers’ Party chiefs have been found liable for damages in a civil lawsuit but say they will appeal
Singapore’s prime minister-designate Heng Swee Keat on Tuesday delivered a withering attack on the country’s sole opposition party over a financial scandal involving the mismanagement of S$33.7 million (US$24.8 million) in municipal funds.
Heng, employing a tried and tested strategy from the playbook of his ruling People’s Action Party (PAP), kicked off a four-hour parliamentary debate by urging the rival Workers’ Party (WP) to “take action” against “dishonest conduct” within its ranks.
His highly charged comments came almost a month after Singapore’s High Court ruled that the WP’s top three leaders – Pritam Singh, Low Thia Khiang and Sylvia Lim – were liable for damages in a civil lawsuit over the handling of the money.
The amount the trio will have to hand over has yet to be decided, and court dates for the second stage of their trial have not been made public.
The scandal is likely to cloud the WP’s prospects ahead of Singapore’s next general election, which under the law must take place before April 2021 and is expected to be called next year.
