In a recent legal development that garnered significant attention, the High Court has rejected lawyer M Ravi’s application to disqualify presidential candidate Tharman Shanmugaratnam from the upcoming presidential election in Singapore. This decision came on August 30, just a day after Ravi submitted his application. The court’s verdict also included an order for Ravi to pay costs totaling S$6,000 to the Attorney-General’s Chambers.
Ravi, known for his legal activism and outspoken views, shared his journey to the Supreme Court in a Facebook video before the hearing. He mentioned that he was accompanied by Iris Koh, the founder of Healing the Divide, an organization that promotes reconciliation and unity.
It’s worth noting that Ravi’s legal career has faced its own challenges. Earlier in the year, the 53-year-old lawyer received a five-year suspension for professional misconduct.
The incident
The core of Ravi’s application against Tharman centered on alleged breaches of the Constitution. On August 29, he took to Facebook to explain his filing, asserting that Tharman Shanmugaratnam had violated several articles of the Constitution, including Article 19. This article concerns the eligibility criteria for presidential candidates and disallows individuals with criminal convictions from running for the presidency.
Ravi pointed out that Tharman had previously been fined for “disclosing state secrets,” a reference to Tharman’s 1994 conviction under the Official Secrets Act (OSA). This conviction was related to his negligence in allowing sensitive government information to be communicated to the media. According to Article 45(1)(e) of the Constitution, a person who has been convicted of an offense by a court of law in Singapore or Malaysia, sentenced to imprisonment for a term of not less than one year, or fined not less than S$10,000 without receiving a free pardon, cannot contest in a general election or become a Member of Parliament.
Ravi further invoked Article 27, which pertains to the oath of allegiance to Singapore. He argued that Tharman had not renounced his international appointments, particularly referring to Tharman’s role on the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) board of trustees.
Ravi documented his legal journey by sharing photos of his filings on Facebook, keeping his followers updated on the progress of his application.
This legal dispute adds an interesting layer of complexity to the upcoming presidential election in Singapore, prompting discussions about the eligibility criteria for candidates and the boundaries of constitutional interpretation. The court’s decision to dismiss Ravi’s application means that Tharman Shanmugaratnam remains a candidate in the presidential race, subject to the scrutiny and choice of the electorate.
Top image via M Ravi/Facebook