In short:
The Australian Sikh Council and several Sikh organisations have joined growing calls for Wyndham mayor Preet Singh to resign, as the council’s leadership crisis continues to intensify.
Wyndham Advertiser
Pressure Not Easing on Embattled Mayor
Pressure continues to mount on Wyndham mayor Preet Singh, with the Australian Sikh Council and several other Sikh organisations publicly demanding his immediate resignation as Wyndham’s leadership crisis continues.
The joint statement, published on 9 May, marks one of the strongest coordinated calls yet for Cr Singh to step down, with the organisations arguing he is no longer fit to hold public office following his character reference for a convicted child sex offender.
A fourth public protest against Cr Singh is also set to be held outside Wyndham Civic Centre on 18 May.
The rally, scheduled for 6pm, follows former mayor Jennie Barrera resigning from council, all remaining councillors publicly calling on Cr Singh to resign and a unanimous no-confidence motion being passed against him.
Community Backlash Continues
The controversy centres on a character reference Cr Singh provided in April 2024 for Kashyap Patel, who later pleaded guilty to grooming and sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl.
While the reference formed part of standard sentencing material before the courts, its contents triggered widespread political and community backlash after the letter went viral on 31 March, revealing further details under Cr Singh’s Justice of the Peace signature.
In the letter, Cr Singh acknowledged the offending, writing the man was “extremely regretful for what he has done” and describing the offences as a “one-off event”.
Cr Singh has since defended his actions, stating the reference was provided under pressure after the man allegedly threatened self-harm.
There is no suggestion Cr Singh was involved in any offending, and character references remain a lawful and routine part of judicial proceedings.
However, the fallout has escalated into one of the most significant governance crises Wyndham City Council has faced in recent years, with growing scrutiny over leadership standards, political judgement and public confidence in the organisation.
Multiple Sikh Groups Join Resignation Calls
In their statement, the organisations said: “It has been established through court proceedings and widely reported in the media that Cr Preet, acting in his capacity as a Justice of the Peace, a position of public trust, provided a character reference for Mr Kashyap Patel, a man who subsequently pleaded guilty to grooming and sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl.”
The statement also directly criticised comments made by Cr Singh within the reference.
“These are not the words of someone who grasps the gravity of child sexual abuse,” the statement said.
“They are the words of someone who minimised it, in writing, under the authority of a public office.”
The organisations further noted that all 10 of Cr Singh’s fellow councillors had passed a unanimous no-confidence motion against him.
“And still, Cr Preet refuses to resign,” the statement said.
The Australian Sikh Council also stated it had “no affiliation with the West Party, nor do we endorse any political organisation or candidate”, while condemning any racist or religious abuse directed toward Cr Singh.
“But let us be absolutely clear: calling for the accountability of an elected official based on their documented actions is not racism. It is democracy,” the statement said.
Costly Monitors Planted by The State Government
The latest protest will also take place just one week after municipal monitors officially begin work at Wyndham City Council on 11 May.
The Allan Labor Government appointed former senior bureaucrat Jim Gifford and governance expert Jo-Anne Mazzeo to oversee the embattled council following weeks of mounting instability and public pressure.
Their appointment comes at a significant cost, with the monitors expected to receive $1,375 per day — a bill ultimately paid for by Wyndham ratepayers.
The monitors will remain in place until 31 January 2027, meaning the total cost to Wyndham ratepayers is expected to exceed $100,000 by the end of the appointment period.
The state government first announced a municipal monitor would be appointed on 1 April, however it took more than a month for the oversight process to formally begin, despite the crisis continuing to escalate publicly.
