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In a major legal ruling, Singapore's main political rival Pritam Singh has lost his appeal against a guilty verdict of providing false statements to a parliamentary committee.

In February, Singh was fined S$14,000 for two offenses connected with his management of former lawmaker Raeesah Khan, who had confessed to lying in parliament.

During a brief hearing before a full 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 political opposition, expressed that he was "disheartened" with the decision but accepted it "fully and without reservation".

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

Despite the conviction, Singh retains his seat in parliament and stated his intention to continue serving Singaporeans alongside his colleagues.

The Underlying Saga

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

She later admitted her anecdote was untrue, but stated 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 fined 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 correct the falsehood.

Singh, who protested his innocence during the entire proceedings, countered that he had wanted to give Khan time to deal with what was a sensitive issue.

The Appeal Arguments

During the appeal hearing, 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 reliability of Khan and her assistants, who served as witnesses.

When asked why Singh appeared to be "taking no action" to have Khan confess in the weeks following his discovery of her lie, his lawyer explained that he had other pressing commitments to manage.

The prosecution, however, maintained that Singh's inaction, coupled with other evidence, demonstrated he never wanted Khan to tell the truth.

Wider Implications

Singh's case is significant as one of the very few criminal convictions against a current opposition parliamentarian.

Observers have previously accused Singapore's government of using the judiciary to target its rivals—allegations that the government have consistently denied.

The Workers' Party is the only opposition party in Singapore's current parliament, where it occupies 12 out of 99 seats.