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In a notable court decision, Singapore's opposition leader Pritam Singh has lost his appeal against a conviction of providing false statements to a parliamentary committee.

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

Reaction from the Accused

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

He promptly paid his fines at the courthouse after the hearing. "Might as well get it done," he remarked to reporters.

Despite the conviction, Singh keeps his seat in parliament and stated his intention to continue serving Singaporeans together with his party members.

Background of the Case

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

She later confessed her anecdote was fabricated, but testified during a official inquiry that party leaders, such as Singh, had advised her to "stick to the story" despite knowing it was a lie.

Khan has since stepped down from both the party and parliament. She was penalized S$35,000 for lying and misusing her legislative immunity.

Judicial Reasoning

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

The Appeal Arguments

During the November court session, Singh's legal counsel contended that the lower court had "ignored crucial pieces of evidence" in its original ruling.

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 own up in the weeks after learning of her lie, his lawyer stated that he had other pressing commitments to attend to.

The state's attorneys, however, maintained that Singh's lack of action, alongside other evidence, demonstrated he never wanted Khan to tell the truth.

Broader Context

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

Observers have in the past alleged Singapore's government of using the judiciary to pursue its rivals—allegations that the government have always rejected.

The Workers' Party is the sole rival group in Singapore's current parliament, where it holds 12 out of 99 seats.