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In a significant legal ruling, Singapore's opposition leader Pritam Singh has lost his appeal against a guilty verdict of providing false statements to a parliamentary committee.

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

Leader's Response

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

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

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

Background of the Case

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

She later admitted her anecdote was untrue, but testified during a parliamentary committee investigation that party leaders, including 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 fined S$35,000 for lying and abusing her parliamentary privilege.

Court's Rationale

In February, the court ruled 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, argued that he had wanted to give Khan time to handle what was a sensitive issue.

The Appeal Arguments

During the November court session, Singh's lawyer argued that the initial court had "ignored crucial pieces of evidence" in its original ruling.

The defense also sought to cast doubt on the credibility 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 state's attorneys, however, argued that Singh's inaction, alongside other evidence, demonstrated he never wanted Khan to tell the truth.

Wider Implications

Singh's case is significant 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 authorities have always rejected.

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