AGC says Donald Low’s Facebook submit on Pritam Singh’s trial was in contempt of courtroom

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SINGAPORE: Academic Donald Low’s Facebook submit on the trial of opposition chief Pritam Singh was in contempt of courtroom, the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) stated on Saturday (Oct 19) because it considers if additional motion is required. 

Mr Low’s submit on Oct 18 contained feedback on proof that emerged within the State Courts in Singh’s trial. The Workers’ Party (WP) chief is accused of mendacity to a parliamentary committee about what he supposed to do after he discovered that his then-MP Raeesah Khan had lied in parliament. 

The Facebook submit, which has since been taken down, additionally contained allegations in opposition to MP Rahayu Mahzam, who was a member of the Committee of Privileges (COP) that was convened to look into Ms Khan’s case. 

The AGC stated it requested Mr Low to take down his Oct 18 Facebook submit. 

“AGC is considering whether further action is necessary,” it added. 

It additionally reminded members of the general public that whereas courtroom proceedings are ongoing, they need to not prejudge points which might be determined by the courtroom. 

“Such issues include whether a witness is credible or not, and whether the accused is guilty or not,” stated the AGC. 

“Intentionally publishing public comments which prejudge such issues when court proceedings are ongoing would prejudice or interfere with, or would pose a real risk of prejudice to or interference with, the course of the pending court proceedings.”

This would quantity to the offence of contempt of courtroom, AGC added.

Ms Rahayu stated earlier on Saturday that her attorneys had written to the Hong Kong-based tutorial for an apology over what she deemed defamatory statements that “crossed the line” and “impugned my character and integrity”.

Ms Rahayu’s title emerged at trial on Oct 17 when Singh’s lawyer Andre Jumabhoy was questioning Ms Loh Pei Ying – a former WP cadre member and assistant to Ms Khan.

Ms Loh had acknowledged that she redacted a WhatsApp message from former social gathering member Yudhishthra Nathan that was submitted to the COP as a result of it was associated to a different MP.

But underneath defence grilling, she admitted it was a lie.

“I was worried these documents would become public and I didn’t want him (Mr Nathan) to be attacked for it, but the entire conversation was verified by a senior parliamentary staff and Ms Rahayu Mahzam who sat beside me and verified every message before it was redacted on my phone, they agreed it should be redacted,” Ms Loh advised the courtroom. 

Ms Loh stated she had spent three hours going by way of WhatsApp messages with Ms Rahayu and one other parliamentary employees member, earlier than Ms Loh went residence and ready the doc containing the messages for the COP.

Mr Jumabhoy then questioned if Ms Rahayu knew what she was redacting, and agreed to the redaction.

“No, this redaction is mine, but my position is that she would have seen (the message),” stated Ms Loh.

DONALD LOW APOLOGISES

In a Facebook submit on Saturday, Mr Low stated he had made false allegations in relation to Ms Rahayu that “wrongly impugn her character and integrity”.

“I undertake not to make any further statements on these matters, or to make any allegations to the same or similar effect, in any manner whatsoever,” Mr Low stated.

In an earlier submit on the identical day, Mr Low additionally stated that he now understands that his Oct 18 submit prejudged points within the pending courtroom proceedings in Singh’s trial.

“Such prejudgment prejudiced, interfered with, or posed a real risk of prejudice to or interference with, the course of the pending Court proceedings,” he wrote.

“I apologise to the Court, and I have taken down my offending Facebook post.”

Mr Low is a Senior Lecturer and Professor of Practice on the Institute of Public Policy of the Hong Kong University of Science & Technology. 

He was beforehand the Associate Dean for Executive Education and Research on the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore.

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