Judicial Body Affirms Guilty Verdict for Opposition Leader Pritam Singh

In a major legal ruling, Singapore's opposition leader 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 offenses related to his handling of former lawmaker Raeesah Khan, who had admitted to giving false testimony in parliament.

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

Leader's Response

Singh, who leads the main opposition Workers' Party, expressed that he was "disappointed" with the ruling but accepted it "fully and without reservation".

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

Despite the conviction, Singh retains his parliamentary seat and stated his commitment to keep working for Singaporeans alongside his colleagues.

The Underlying Saga

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

She later admitted her account was untrue, but stated during a parliamentary committee investigation that party leaders, including Singh, had instructed her to "stick to the story" 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 misusing her legislative immunity.

Judicial Reasoning

In February, the court determined that Singh's actions were "highly suggestive" 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 give Khan time to handle what was a delicate issue.

The Appeal Arguments

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

The defense also sought to cast doubt on the credibility of Khan and her aides, who provided testimony.

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 pressing commitments to attend to.

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

Wider Implications

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

Critics have in the past alleged Singapore's government of leveraging the courts to pursue its political opponents—allegations 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.