🔗 Share this article Judicial Body Affirms Conviction for Opposition Leader Pritam Singh Pritam Singh was present at a hearing in November to appeal against his guilty verdict. In a significant legal ruling, Singapore's main political rival Pritam Singh has failed in his challenge against a guilty verdict of lying to a legislative panel. 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 short hearing before a full public gallery on Friday, the presiding judge declared that the evidence presented upheld Singh's conviction. Reaction from the Accused Singh, who heads the main opposition Workers' Party, expressed that he was "disheartened" with the ruling but acknowledged it "completely and unequivocally". He settled his fines at the court complex after the hearing. "Might as well get it done," he commented to reporters. Notwithstanding the verdict, Singh retains his seat in parliament and stated his commitment to keep working for Singaporeans together with his colleagues. The Underlying Saga The entire episode originated in 2021 when Raeesah Khan claimed in parliament that she had witnessed police misbehave towards a sexual assault victim. She later confessed her account was untrue, 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 resigned from both the party and parliament. She was penalized S$35,000 for perjury 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 clarify her lie. Singh, who protested his innocence throughout the trial, argued that he had wanted to allow Khan space to handle what was a delicate issue. The Appeal Arguments During the appeal hearing, 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 reliability of Khan and her assistants, who provided testimony. When questioned why Singh appeared to be "doing nothing" to have Khan confess 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, maintained 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 sitting opposition lawmaker. Critics have previously accused Singapore's government of leveraging the courts to pursue its rivals—allegations that the government have consistently denied. The Workers' Party is the sole rival group in Singapore's present legislature, where it occupies 12 out of 99 seats.