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In a notable court decision, Singapore's opposition leader Pritam Singh has failed in his challenge against a conviction of lying to a parliamentary committee.

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

During a brief hearing before a full public gallery on Friday, the judge stated that the evidence presented supported Singh's guilty verdict.

Reaction from the Accused

Singh, who leads the main political opposition, expressed that he was "disheartened" with the ruling but accepted it "completely and unequivocally".

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

Despite the conviction, Singh retains his parliamentary seat and affirmed his commitment to keep working for Singaporeans together with his party members.

Background of the Case

The controversy began in 2021 when Raeesah Khan claimed in parliament that she had witnessed police misbehave towards a survivor.

She later admitted her account was untrue, but testified during a official inquiry that party leaders, including Singh, had instructed her to "continue with the narrative" even though they were aware it was a lie.

Khan has since stepped down 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 "strongly indicative" that he did not want Khan to correct the falsehood.

Singh, who protested his innocence throughout the trial, argued that he had wanted to give Khan time to deal with what was a sensitive issue.

Points Contested

During the November court session, Singh's legal counsel argued that the initial court had "ignored crucial pieces of evidence" in its initial judgment.

The defense also attempted to question the credibility of Khan and her aides, who served as witnesses.

When questioned why Singh appeared to be "doing nothing" to have Khan own up in the weeks following his discovery of her lie, his lawyer explained that he had other urgent professional and personal matters to manage.

The prosecution, however, argued that Singh's lack of action, coupled with other evidence, proved he never intended for Khan to tell the truth.

Broader Context

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

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

The Workers' Party is the sole rival group in Singapore's present legislature, where it occupies 12 out of 99 seats.