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In a major court decision, Singapore's opposition leader Pritam Singh has lost his appeal against a guilty verdict of lying to a legislative panel.

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

During a brief hearing before a packed public gallery on Friday, the presiding judge stated that the evidence presented upheld Singh's guilty verdict.

Leader's Response

Singh, who heads the main political opposition, expressed that he was "disappointed" with the ruling but acknowledged it "fully and without reservation".

He promptly paid his fines at the courthouse following the hearing. "Might as well get it done," he remarked to the press.

Despite the conviction, Singh retains his seat in parliament and affirmed his commitment to continue serving Singaporeans together with his party members.

Background of the Case

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

She later confessed her anecdote was fabricated, but stated during a parliamentary committee investigation that party leaders, such as Singh, had instructed her to "continue with the narrative" despite knowing it was a lie.

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

Court's Rationale

In February, the court ruled that Singh's actions were "strongly indicative" that he did not want Khan to correct the falsehood.

Singh, who protested his innocence throughout the trial, argued that he had wanted to allow Khan space to handle what was a sensitive issue.

The Appeal Arguments

During the November court session, Singh's legal counsel contended that the lower court had "overlooked key proof" in its initial judgment.

The defense also attempted to question the credibility of Khan and her assistants, who served as witnesses.

When asked why Singh appeared to be "taking no action" to have Khan own up in the weeks after learning of her lie, his lawyer explained that he had other urgent professional and personal matters to attend to.

The prosecution, however, argued that Singh's lack of action, alongside other evidence, demonstrated 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 sitting opposition lawmaker.

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

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