🔗 Share this article Singapore Court Affirms Guilty Verdict for Political Rival Pritam Singh Pritam Singh attended a hearing in November to appeal against his conviction. In a major court decision, Singapore's main political rival Pritam Singh has lost his appeal against a conviction of lying to a parliamentary committee. In February, Singh was ordered to pay S$14,000 for two charges connected with his handling of former lawmaker Raeesah Khan, who had admitted to giving false testimony in parliament. During a short hearing before a full public gallery on Friday, the judge declared that the evidence presented upheld Singh's conviction. Reaction from the Accused Singh, who leads the main opposition Workers' Party, expressed that he was "disappointed" with the decision but acknowledged it "fully and without reservation". He promptly paid his fines at the courthouse following the hearing. "It's best to settle this now," he remarked to reporters. Despite the conviction, Singh keeps his seat in parliament and affirmed his commitment 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 witnessed police misbehave towards a survivor. She later admitted her anecdote was untrue, but stated during a official inquiry that party leaders, including Singh, had instructed her to "continue with the narrative" despite knowing it was a lie. Khan has since stepped down from both the party and parliament. She was fined S$35,000 for lying and abusing her parliamentary privilege. Court's Rationale In February, the court ruled that Singh's actions were "highly suggestive" that he did not want Khan to correct the falsehood. Singh, who maintained his innocence throughout the trial, countered that he had wanted to give Khan time to handle what was a delicate issue. Points Contested During the appeal hearing, Singh's legal counsel argued that the initial court had "ignored crucial pieces of evidence" in its original ruling. 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 "doing nothing" to have Khan confess in the weeks following his discovery of her lie, his lawyer stated that he had other pressing commitments to attend to. The prosecution, 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 sitting opposition lawmaker. Critics have previously accused Singapore's government of leveraging the courts to pursue its rivals—allegations that the government have always rejected. The Workers' Party is the sole rival group in Singapore's present legislature, where it holds 12 out of 99 seats.