🔗 Share this article Singapore Court Upholds Guilty Verdict for Opposition Leader Pritam Singh Pritam Singh was present at a court session in November to appeal against his conviction. In a major court decision, Singapore's main political rival Pritam Singh has failed in his challenge against a guilty verdict of lying to a legislative panel. Earlier this year, Singh was fined 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 ruled that the evidence presented justified Singh's conviction. Reaction from the Accused Singh, who leads 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 after the hearing. "It's best to settle this now," he commented to the press. Despite the conviction, Singh retains his seat in parliament and affirmed his commitment to keep working for Singaporeans alongside his colleagues. The Underlying Saga The entire episode began in 2021 when Raeesah Khan asserted in parliament that she had seen police act inappropriately towards a survivor. She later confessed her anecdote was untrue, but testified during a parliamentary committee investigation that party leaders, such as Singh, had instructed her to "continue with the narrative" even though they were aware it was a lie. Khan has since resigned from both the party and parliament. She was penalized S$35,000 for lying and misusing her legislative immunity. Court's Rationale In February, the court ruled that Singh's actions were "strongly indicative" that he did not want Khan to clarify her lie. Singh, who protested his innocence during the entire proceedings, argued that he had wanted to allow Khan space to handle what was a sensitive issue. The Appeal Arguments During the appeal hearing, Singh's lawyer contended that the lower court had "ignored crucial pieces of evidence" in its initial judgment. The defense also sought to cast doubt on the reliability 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 stated that he had other urgent professional and personal matters to attend to. The state's attorneys, however, maintained that Singh's lack of action, alongside other evidence, proved he never wanted Khan to come clean. Broader Context Singh's case is notable as one of the rare criminal convictions against a current opposition parliamentarian. Critics have previously accused Singapore's government of using the judiciary to pursue its rivals—allegations that authorities have always rejected. The Workers' Party is the only opposition party in Singapore's current parliament, where it holds 12 out of 99 seats.