Parliamentary business

• Mr Zaqy Mohamad moved a resolution for Parliament to adjourn until 10.30 am the following day.
• The motion was passed, and the session was adjourned at 7.46 pm.
• No other substantive debate or discussion took place on this procedural matter.

• The Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen sought consent to report progress and request leave to sit again tomorrow, which was granted by the Chairman.
• The Committee of Supply resolved to report progress and adjourn, with the Deputy Speaker then taking the Chair of the House.
• Dr Ng Eng Hen formally reported that the Committee had made progress on the 2022/2023 Estimates of Expenditure and asked for leave to sit again tomorrow.

• The Chairman outlined the procedures and time limits for the Committee of Supply debate on the FY2022 expenditure estimates, noting 639 amendments and strict time-keeping.
• The debate focused on the Main and Development Estimates for the financial year 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023, with totals taken from the scheduled pages of the Command Paper.
• The discussion commenced with Head U – Prime Minister’s Office, as led by Ms Tin Pei Ling, following the order of amendments on the supplement.

• The Speaker announced the immediate commencement of the Committee of Supply to debate the estimates after the Budget Statement.
• The revised "guillotine" time for Head U – Prime Minister's Office was set to 6:00 PM.
• Proceedings for the Committee of Supply were scheduled to continue until 8:40 PM for the day.
• Members were informed that revised conclusion times for subsequent Heads of Expenditure would be communicated.
• The change in start time was a procedural adjustment to expedite the debate schedule.

• Parliament resolved to adjourn until 11:00 am the following day, as proposed by Mr Zaqy Mohamad.
• The debate concluded with the motion passed and the session adjourned at 8:19 pm.
• The decision was procedural, with no substantive policy discussion recorded in the speeches.

• Mr. Zaqy Mohamad, Deputy Leader of the House, moved to adjourn the debate, which was consented to by the Speaker.
• The Speaker formally announced the resolution for Parliament to adjourn, with the motion moved by Mr. Zaqy Mohamad.
• The Speaker inquired about the resumption of the debate, and Mr. Zaqy Mohamad responded that it would be tomorrow.
• The Speaker confirmed the adjournment and the resumption date, concluding the matter.

• The Leader of the House sought consent to move a motion allowing parliamentary business to continue beyond the scheduled interruption.
• The Deputy Speaker and Members indicated assent, and the motion was put to a vote and agreed upon.
• The House resolved to proceed with the day's business beyond the moment of interruption.

• The Speaker announced the fixed times for concluding the Committee of Supply debates for FY2022/2023, considering reduced Question Time and extended sitting hours.
• Sittings from 3 to 10 March will begin at 10:30 am, with "guillotine" times already notified to Members.
• Members are reminded to use slides and videos sparingly to maintain the debating spirit and focus on speech delivery.

• Parliament adjourned at 7.53 pm on motion by Ms Indranee Rajah.
• The motion resolved to adjourn until 11.00 am the next day.
• Only one procedural speech was recorded in the debate.

• The Leader of the House, Ms Indranee Rajah, moved to adjourn the debate and received consent from the Deputy Speaker.
• The motion to adjourn was formally resolved, and the debate was suspended.
• The Deputy Speaker asked when the debate would resume, and Ms Rajah confirmed it would be the following day.
• The Deputy Speaker acknowledged the resumption date, concluding the adjournment process.

• The Leader of the House, Ms Indranee Rajah, requested consent to extend parliamentary proceedings beyond the scheduled interruption time.
• The Deputy Speaker granted consent and sought the general assent of Members, which was indicated as given.
• The motion to proceed with the day's business beyond the interruption point was put to a vote and agreed to.
• A formal resolution was passed, allowing the continuance of the scheduled business.

• The Leader of the House, Ms Indranee Rajah, moved a motion to allow the Minister for Foreign Affairs to deliver a Ministerial Statement on the Situation in Ukraine and its Implications, given the urgent and escalating nature of the crisis.
• The Speaker obtained general assent from Members, and the motion was agreed to, allowing the statement to be taken before the Budget debate due to its serious implications for the international order, global economy, and Singapore.
• The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Vivian Balakrishnan, was then called to deliver the Ministerial Statement on the topic.

• Ms Indranee Rajah moved the resolution to adjourn Parliament until 11:30 am on Monday, 28 February 2022.
• The motion was passed without any debate or objections from members.
• Parliament was officially adjourned at 5:33 pm following the resolution.

• Minister K Shanmugam clarified that Ms Sylvia Lim's phone has not been hacked by Singapore state agencies during the period between her question and his response, after checking with the Security and Intelligence Division.
• He stated that if members of Parliament suspect hacking, they should contact MHA for a thorough investigation, and highlighted that raising such issues in Parliament may be for publicity rather than resolution.
• The Minister emphasized that MPs are high-value targets for foreign agencies and that security agencies must monitor potential threats, noting the normal practice is not to confirm or deny such matters.
• He expressed interest in seeing the specific Apple notification to Ms Lim, as MHA would investigate if it indicates targeting by a state-sponsored agency.

• The Leader of the House made factual corrections to her opening and reply speeches, clarifying that references to Ms Lim and Ms Khan pertained to Ms Khan's clarification and the timing of possible truth-telling.
• She corrected a misquotation of the Committee of Privileges Report, updating the paragraph references and the specific wording attributed to Mr Singh regarding instructions to tell the truth.
• The Leader also refined the description of Mr Faisal Manap’s transgressions, changing “refused to give documents” to “refused to identify documents” in the recommendation for referral to the Public Prosecutor.

• Mr Zaqy Mohamad moved a motion for Parliament to adjourn until Friday, 18 February 2022.
• The motion was formally put before Parliament for debate and decision.
• The debate centered on the procedural request to stand adjourned as proposed.

• The Committee of Privileges found Ms Raeesah Khan guilty of abuse of privilege for lying in Parliament, and Parliament imposed fines totaling $35,000, with Workers’ Party MPs dissenting on the final $10,000 fine.
• The House referred the conduct of Mr Pritam Singh and Mr Faisal Manap to the Public Prosecutor for potential offences uncovered during the Committee’s proceedings, while deferring further sanctions pending any criminal investigation.
• Debates highlighted concerns about political integrity, with members expressing sadness over the manipulation of a young MP, criticism of the Workers’ Party leadership’s actions, and the need to uphold truth and public trust in democracy.

• Mr. Zaqy Mohamad proposed a motion to exempt the day's agenda from Standing Order No. 2, which pertains to parliamentary time limits.
• The debate centered on whether such exemption was justified to allow thorough discussion of the listed business without procedural constraints.
• Supporters argued that exempting the business would ensure efficient and effective parliamentary proceedings.
• Opponents expressed concerns about bypassing established rules and potentially setting a precedent for future sittings.
• The motion was ultimately put to a vote, with the outcome determining whether the exemption would be granted.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong emphasized that honesty and trust are fundamental to Singapore's political system, urging Parliament to take action against the cover-up by Workers' Party leaders as revealed in the Committee of Privileges report.

Mr Pritam Singh defended his actions, stating he did not lie to the Committee and was prepared to clear his name through legal channels, while objecting to specific findings in the motions against him.

Minister Desmond Lee clarified inaccuracies in Mr Singh's claims about the Committee's report, highlighting that all evidence, including WhatsApp messages, was considered and would be available to the Public Prosecutor.

Ms Sylvia Lim challenged the Committee's interpretation of her handwritten notes, arguing they were taken out of context, and called for reforms to the Committee's composition and processes to ensure fairness.

Mr Faisal Manap denied any wrongdoing, assured his constituents of continued service, and expressed confidence in the Workers' Party's resilience while committing to cooperate with any further investigation.

• The Leader of the House moved to exempt the Prime Minister's speech from the time limit under Standing Order 48(8).
• The Speaker consented and sought assent from Members present.
• Hon Members indicated assent to the motion.
• The question was put and agreed to without objection.
• The House resolved to exempt the Prime Minister's speech from the time limit.