J. B. Jeyaretnam - Second Removal From Parliament

Second Removal From Parliament

After the 1997 general election, 11 defamation suits were filed against Jeyaretnam for comments he made at an election rally in support of another of the WP's candidates in Cheng San, lawyer Tang Liang Hong (who Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong had accused of being a Chinese chauvinist). Jeyaretnam had announced at the rally that: "Mr Tang Liang Hong has just placed before me, two reports he has made to the police against, you know, Mr Goh Chok Tong and his people". Prime Minister Goh alleged that, as a result of this, his "reputation, moral authority and leadership standing have been gravely injured both local and internationally", and during cross-examination by Jeyaretnam's counsel, George Carman QC, likened the statement to throwing a Molotov cocktail. However, on further questioning, Goh also stated that "it has been a good year" for him and his standing as a leader had not been injured. Trial judge J Rajendran found Jeyaretnam liable and ordered him to pay damages of S$20,000. Goh described these damages as "derisory" and appealed. On appeal, the damages were raised to S$100,000 plus S$20,000 in court costs. (Rajendran was later dismissed from the bench.)

In 2001, after an installment on his damages was overdue, Jeyaretnam was declared bankrupt. As undischarged bankrupts are barred from serving in Parliament, he therefore lost his NCMP seat. He was also disbarred. He was unable to stand as a candidate in the 2001 general election. In October 2001, he resigned as Secretary-General of the Workers' Party and was replaced by Low Thia Khiang. The transfer of party leadership took place in bitter acrimony as Jeyaretnam later accused Low of not doing enough to help him pay the damages from the libel suits (though Low claimed that he had always looked upon Jeyaretnam as an elder and had done everything possible to help him). Shortly after he stepped down as Secretary-General, Jeyaretnam left the party.

To earn money to pay off his debts, Jeyaretnam sold copies of his book Make it Right for Singapore (ISBN 9810422261), which contained the text of some of his parliamentary speeches from 1997 and 2000. He also authored another book, The Hatchet Man of Singapore (ISBN 9810485131), describing his legal trials.