🔗 Share this article Judicial Body Confirms Conviction for Opposition Leader Pritam Singh Pritam Singh attended a court session in November to challenge his guilty verdict. In a major court decision, Singapore's opposition leader Pritam Singh has lost his appeal against a guilty verdict of providing false statements to a parliamentary committee. Earlier this year, Singh was fined S$14,000 for two charges connected with 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 presiding judge ruled that the evidence presented supported Singh's conviction. Reaction from the Accused Singh, who heads the main political opposition, expressed that he was "disheartened" with the decision but acknowledged it "completely and unequivocally". He settled his fines at the court complex after the hearing. "It's best to settle this now," he commented to the press. Despite the conviction, Singh retains his parliamentary seat and stated his commitment to continue serving Singaporeans together with his party members. The Underlying Saga The entire episode originated in 2021 when Raeesah Khan claimed in parliament that she had witnessed police act inappropriately 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 "stick to the story" despite knowing it was a lie. Khan has since resigned from both the party and parliament. She was penalized S$35,000 for lying and abusing her parliamentary privilege. Court's Rationale In February, the court ruled that Singh's actions were "strongly indicative" 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 deal with what was a sensitive issue. Points Contested During the appeal hearing, Singh's legal counsel contended that the lower court had "overlooked key proof" in its initial judgment. The defense also sought to cast doubt on the reliability of Khan and her aides, who provided testimony. When questioned why Singh appeared to be "taking no action" 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 attend to. The prosecution, however, argued that Singh's inaction, coupled with other evidence, demonstrated he never intended for Khan to come clean. Broader Context Singh's case is notable 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—charges that authorities have consistently denied. The Workers' Party is the sole rival group in Singapore's current parliament, where it occupies 12 out of 99 seats.