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In a major court decision, Singapore's main political rival Pritam Singh has lost his appeal against a conviction of providing false statements to a parliamentary committee.

In February, Singh was ordered to pay S$14,000 for two charges related to his management of former lawmaker Raeesah Khan, who had admitted to giving false testimony in parliament.

During a short hearing before a full public gallery on Friday, the judge declared that the evidence presented supported Singh's guilty verdict.

Leader's Response

Singh, who heads the main opposition Workers' Party, expressed that he was "disappointed" with the decision but acknowledged it "completely and unequivocally".

He promptly paid his fines at the court complex after the hearing. "It's best to settle this now," he commented to reporters.

Notwithstanding the verdict, Singh keeps his parliamentary seat and affirmed his intention to keep working for Singaporeans together with his colleagues.

The Underlying Saga

The controversy originated in 2021 when Raeesah Khan asserted in parliament that she had seen police act inappropriately towards a sexual assault victim.

She later confessed her anecdote was fabricated, but testified during a parliamentary committee investigation that party leaders, such as Singh, had instructed her to "continue with the narrative" even though they were aware it was a lie.

Khan has since stepped down from both the party and parliament. She was penalized S$35,000 for lying and abusing her parliamentary privilege.

Judicial Reasoning

In February, the court determined that Singh's actions were "strongly indicative" that he did not want Khan to clarify her lie.

Singh, who protested his innocence during the entire proceedings, argued that he had wanted to give Khan time to deal with what was a delicate issue.

The Appeal Arguments

During the appeal hearing, Singh's lawyer contended that the lower court had "overlooked key proof" in its original ruling.

The defense also attempted to question the reliability of Khan and her assistants, who provided testimony.

When questioned why Singh appeared to be "doing nothing" to have Khan own up in the weeks following his discovery of her lie, his lawyer explained that he had other pressing commitments to attend to.

The prosecution, however, maintained that Singh's inaction, coupled with other evidence, proved he never wanted Khan to tell the truth.

Broader Context

Singh's case is significant as one of the very few criminal convictions against a current opposition parliamentarian.

Critics have previously accused Singapore's government of leveraging the courts to pursue its political opponents—allegations that authorities have always rejected.

The Workers' Party is the only opposition party in Singapore's current parliament, where it holds 12 out of 99 seats.