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

In February, Singh was fined S$14,000 for two offenses related to 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 declared that the evidence presented supported Singh's guilty verdict.

Leader's Response

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

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

Despite the conviction, Singh retains his parliamentary seat and stated his intention to keep working for Singaporeans together with his party members.

The Underlying Saga

The entire episode began in 2021 when Raeesah Khan asserted in parliament that she had seen police misbehave towards a survivor.

She later confessed her anecdote was untrue, but stated during a parliamentary committee investigation that party leaders, such as Singh, had advised her to "continue with the narrative" even though they were aware it was a lie.

Khan has since stepped down from both the party and parliament. She was fined S$35,000 for perjury and abusing her parliamentary privilege.

Judicial Reasoning

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

Points Contested

During the November court session, Singh's lawyer argued that the lower court had "overlooked key proof" in its original ruling.

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

When questioned why Singh appeared to be "taking no action" to have Khan own up in the weeks following his discovery of her lie, his lawyer stated that he had other urgent professional and personal matters to manage.

The prosecution, however, argued that Singh's lack of action, coupled with other evidence, demonstrated he never intended for Khan to tell the truth.

Broader Context

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

Observers have previously accused Singapore's government of leveraging the courts to pursue its political opponents—charges that the government have consistently denied.

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