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Shanmugam 'not intending to file police report' against 2 sisters who disrupted MPS, urges people to 'move on'

Shanmugam 'not intending to file police report' against 2 sisters who disrupted MPS, urges people to 'move on'

Shanmugam 'not intending to file police report' against 2 sisters who disrupted MPS, urges people to 'move on'
Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam was at the Darul Makmur Mosque's temporary prayer site in Northview Primary School where he addressed the issue of two sisters who disrupted a Meet-The-People session in Chong Pang.
PHOTO: AsiaOne/Rauf Khan

Minister for Law and Home Affairs K Shanmugam will not be filing a police report against the two sisters who disrupted the meet-the-people's session in Chong Pang on March 12. 

Shanmugam, who is also Nee Soon GRC MP, was responding to queries from the media regarding this incident at a doorstop interview during a visit to the Darul Makmur Mosque's temporary prayer site in Northview Primary School on Thursday (March 27). 

He said: "Based on my knowledge, (what they did was) potentially a criminal offence. But I haven't filed a police report, and I'm not filing a police report."

He added that to his understanding, the two sisters were under investigation for other offences even prior to the incident in Chong Pang.

Minister Shanmugam declined to elaborate what these offences are.

He further stated: "They're both young. I (might be) in their parents' generation, and really I hope that they (the sisters) will have the space to learn and grow from this incident."

Shanmugam also urged people to move on from this incident, focusing instead on building "a stronger community together".

"That includes having engagements, constructive discussions and to discuss issues, including difficult ones.

"We can do it in a constructive way. If you look at Singapore — all our cultures — that's the approach. I would say that message is even stronger in this month of Ramadan."

'An extreme conspiracy theory'

The minister also dismissed the possibility that the Chong Pang incident was staged — a theory raised by netizens who realised that Shanmugam had a microphone on him amid the situation.

"I think the sisters would be the last to agree that they are part of a programme by the PAP or members of the PAP," said Shanmugam, smiling. "I don't think we do things like that here." 

He also explained that the clarity of his voice was due to him usually having a microphone on him when he goes to events.

"Certainly, it wasn't planned that they would do all these things," he added. "I think to suggest that would be an extreme conspiracy theory."

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New faces present

Shanmugam attended the event with fellow Nee Soon GRC MPs Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, Carrie Tan and Derrick Goh.

Also present were Dr Syed Harun, a former nominated Member of Parliament (NMP), and Deryne Sim, an intellectual-property lawyer who specialises in media and entertainment.

Dr Syed Harun (left) was present at Minister Shanmugam's visit to the temporary prayer site. Also present were Nee Soon GRC MPs (from left to right) Derrick Goh, Faishal Ibrahim and Carrie Tan.
PHOTO: AsiaOne/Rauf Khan

Dr Harun resigned from his post on Feb 14 and his biodata was removed from the Parliament website the same day, sparking speculation that he would be fielded in this coming General Election, The Straits Times reported. 

Sim was previously been seen interacting with residents alongside Nee Soon GRC MPs in January and has confirmed with media that she is a member of the People's Action Party (PAP).

Deryne Sim was also seen at the event.
PHOTO: AsiaOne/Rauf Khan

Red Dot United to contest in Nee Soon GRC

Meanwhile, opposition party Red Dot United (RDU) has said that it'll contest Nee Soon GRC in the upcoming general election.

RDU, together with opposition party, People's Power Party (PPP), said on March 22 that they had been in discussions regarding who would contest in Nee Soon GRC.

People's Power Party (PPP) secretary-general Goh Meng Seng with Red Dot United secretary-general Ravi Philemon on March 22.
PHOTO: AsiaOne/Dennis Palit

Both parties had staked their claim in Nee Soon GRC after the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee released its report on March 11.

PPP said that they agreed not to contest this GRC to avoid a three-cornered fight with incumbent PAP.

In the 2020 General Election, the contest for Nee Soon GRC was between Progress Singapore Party and the incumbent PAP, with the ruling party winning 61.9 per cent of the vote share.

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khooyihang@asiaone.com

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