SINGAPORE, Aug 28 — Parliament is set to debate the duties and privileges of Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh, who will be entitled to speak for an extended 40 minutes in response to any parliamentary question, when the House resumes on Monday.
His other privileges include the right of first response among the Members of Parliament (MPs), as well as access to confidential briefings on certain matters from the Government, as revealed last month by former Leader of the House Grace Fu and Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin.
On Monday, the current Leader of the House Indranee Rajah will be giving a ministerial statement on Singh’s duties in his newly designated role, according to the Parliament’s order paper for the sitting.
Singh’s extended speaking time is twice the usual 20 minutes given to an MP, and is the same period as that given to political office-holders, including parliamentary secretaries.
Thereafter, Pioneer MP Patrick Tay will move a motion of thanks on President Halimah Yacob’s opening address for the 14th Parliament on Aug 24.
Halimah’s address, which was prepared by the Government, had outlined its outlook and priorities for the new term, spanning jobs and the economy, social mobility, the nature of politics and the Singaporean identity.
Over the next week, MPs will then deliver their speeches on the goals mapped out by Halimah in her speech, and scrutinise the policies, initiatives and targets laid out by various Government ministries in their addenda to the President’s Address over the past week.
A total of 31 MPs are expected to be giving their maiden speeches as elected MPs, as this is the first regular sitting of Parliament following the recently concluded General Election.
Out of the 93 elected MPs, 10 are from the Workers’ Party, making it the widest Opposition bench since the Republic’s independence. Another two Non-Constituency MPs from the opposition Progress Singapore Party are also expected to be speaking for the first time.
On Monday, Indranee will also move a motion to appoint seven members of the Committee of Selection, a standing select committee that is empowered to nominate MPs to other committees, including those that can scrutinise Government Bills.
The MPs who are set to be appointed the role are: Indranee, Dr Koh Poh Koon, Denise Phua, Dr Tan See Leng, Edwin Tong, Zaqy Mohamad and Singh. The Committee is chaired by the Speaker.
The sitting will be held at Parliament House as usual, unlike the first session of the new parliamentary term on August 24 when MPs were sworn-in. The earlier session was held at both Parliament House and a second location, the Arts House, due to safe distancing measures. — TODAY
