Judicial Body Affirms Guilty Verdict for Opposition Leader Pritam Singh

In a significant legal ruling, Singapore's main political rival Pritam Singh has lost his appeal against a conviction of lying to a parliamentary committee.

In February, Singh was ordered to pay S$14,000 for two charges connected with his handling 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 stated that the evidence presented upheld Singh's conviction.

Leader's Response

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

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

Notwithstanding the verdict, Singh retains his seat in parliament and affirmed his intention to continue serving Singaporeans together with 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 survivor.

She later admitted her account was untrue, but testified during a parliamentary committee investigation 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 perjury and misusing her legislative immunity.

Court's Rationale

In February, the court determined that Singh's actions were "highly suggestive" that he did not want Khan to correct the falsehood.

Singh, who maintained his innocence during the entire proceedings, countered that he had wanted to give Khan time to handle what was a delicate issue.

Points Contested

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

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

When asked why Singh appeared to be "doing nothing" to have Khan own up in the weeks after learning of her lie, his lawyer stated that he had other urgent professional and personal matters to attend to.

The state's attorneys, however, argued that Singh's inaction, alongside other evidence, demonstrated he never intended for Khan to come clean.

Wider Implications

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

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

The Workers' Party is the sole rival group in Singapore's present legislature, where it holds 12 out of 99 seats.