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In a major court decision, Singapore's main political rival Pritam Singh has lost his appeal against a guilty verdict of lying to a parliamentary committee.

In February, Singh was ordered to pay S$14,000 for two offenses connected with his handling 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 judge ruled that the evidence presented supported Singh's conviction.

Leader's Response

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

He promptly paid his fines at the courthouse after the hearing. "Might as well get it done," he commented to reporters.

Notwithstanding the verdict, Singh retains his parliamentary seat and stated his intention to keep working for Singaporeans alongside his party members.

The Underlying Saga

The entire episode began in 2021 when Raeesah Khan claimed in parliament that she had witnessed police misbehave towards a sexual assault victim.

She later confessed her anecdote was fabricated, but stated during a official inquiry that party leaders, such as Singh, had advised her to "continue with the narrative" despite knowing 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 correct the falsehood.

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

Points Contested

During the appeal hearing, Singh's lawyer contended that the initial court had "ignored crucial pieces of evidence" in its initial judgment.

The defense also sought to cast doubt on the credibility of Khan and her aides, who served as witnesses.

When asked why Singh appeared to be "taking no action" to have Khan confess in the weeks following his discovery of her lie, his lawyer stated that he had other pressing commitments to attend to.

The state's attorneys, however, argued that Singh's lack of action, alongside other evidence, proved he never intended for Khan to tell the truth.

Wider Implications

Singh's case is notable as one of the rare criminal convictions against a current opposition parliamentarian.

Critics have in the past alleged Singapore's government of leveraging the courts to pursue its rivals—charges that the government have always rejected.

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