The moment we've all been waiting for has finally received a date - Pritam's trial starts on October 14 and will take place on 16 days over the following month.
It looks as though, then, Pritam's days may quite literally be *numbered*.
This could be one of the most significant events in Singapore's politics as the odds are definitely not in his favour.
And the fact that he no longer has to worry about losing his seat automatically, following PAP's amendment which raised the threshold for a disqualifying fine quantum to $10,000, doesn't make it at all easier.
In fact, it makes it a lot worse.
Remind me please, why were Tan Chuan-jin, Leon Perera and Nicole Seah (who wasn't even an MP) forced to resign from politics entirely?
They didn't do anything illegal. Immoral, maybe, but adult people make choices in their personal lives and we don't know what motivated the extramarital affairs, nor should we be really interested in it.
After all, it wasn't something that compromised the ability to do their jobs, was it?
And yet, for something that they did in private, which isn't even a crime, they not only lost their positions, they had to leave politics in disgrace.
Meanwhile, Pritam Singh is defending himself from criminal prosecution for allegedly lying under oath.
If he's found guilty it really won't matter what the penalty is, it would be incomparably more significant than having a mistress on the side.
His only hope is complete exoneration in court.
If he was disqualified by law, then there was always a chance to score some sympathy points by playing a victim of a ruthless system. He could always hope for a return after the 5 years in exile prescribed by law.
But in the current circumstances he would be under extreme pressure to resign, particularly following the scandals of 2023 which set the bar for what happens to politicians who have disgraced themselves.
It's also interesting how the trial is going to affect the GE schedule.
There were some rumours and even, likely fake, dates circulated on social media, suggesting that the election may happen this year. Well, even if that may have been the case (which I really don't know why, since everything aligns perfectly for 2025), it doesn't seem like it can be organised with this trial going on.
It's not an exaggeration to say that quite literally the future of Singapore's politics hinges on the outcome of this case.
If Pritam manages to defend himself somehow, it would give him and the opposition a huge boost. If he loses, it could set them back by years.
