Judicial Body Upholds Conviction for Opposition Leader Pritam Singh

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

Earlier this year, Singh was ordered to pay S$14,000 for two offenses connected with his handling of former lawmaker Raeesah Khan, who had confessed to lying in parliament.

During a brief hearing before a packed public gallery on Friday, the judge declared that the evidence presented justified Singh's conviction.

Reaction from the Accused

Singh, who leads the main political opposition, expressed that he was "disappointed" with the decision but accepted it "fully and without reservation".

He settled his fines at the court complex following the hearing. "Might as well get it done," he commented to the press.

Despite the conviction, Singh keeps his seat in parliament and affirmed his commitment to keep working for Singaporeans together with his colleagues.

Background of the Case

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

She later confessed her account was fabricated, but stated during a parliamentary committee investigation that party leaders, including Singh, had advised her to "stick to the story" 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 perjury 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 maintained his innocence during the entire proceedings, argued 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 legal counsel contended that the initial court had "ignored crucial pieces of evidence" in its initial judgment.

The defense also sought to cast doubt on the credibility of Khan and her assistants, who provided testimony.

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

The prosecution, however, argued that Singh's inaction, alongside other evidence, demonstrated he never wanted Khan to come clean.

Wider Implications

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

Observers have previously accused Singapore's government of leveraging the courts to target its rivals—allegations that authorities have always rejected.

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