In a notable court decision, Singapore's opposition leader Pritam Singh has failed in his challenge 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 management of former lawmaker Raeesah Khan, who had confessed to lying in parliament.
During a short hearing before a full public gallery on Friday, the presiding judge declared that the evidence presented justified Singh's conviction.
Singh, who leads the main opposition Workers' Party, expressed that he was "disheartened" with the decision but acknowledged it "completely and unequivocally".
He promptly paid his fines at the court complex following the hearing. "Might as well get it done," he commented to reporters.
Despite the conviction, Singh keeps his seat in parliament and stated his commitment to keep working for Singaporeans alongside his colleagues.
The entire episode originated in 2021 when Raeesah Khan claimed in parliament that she had witnessed police misbehave towards a survivor.
She later confessed her account was fabricated, but testified during a official inquiry that party leaders, such as Singh, had advised 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 penalized S$35,000 for perjury and abusing her parliamentary privilege.
In February, the court ruled that Singh's actions were "highly suggestive" that he did not want Khan to clarify her lie.
Singh, who maintained his innocence throughout the trial, argued that he had wanted to allow Khan space to handle what was a sensitive issue.
During the November court session, Singh's lawyer argued that the lower court had "ignored crucial pieces of evidence" in its initial judgment.
The defense also sought to cast doubt on the reliability 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 explained that he had other pressing commitments to manage.
The prosecution, however, maintained that Singh's lack of action, coupled with other evidence, demonstrated he never intended for Khan to come clean.
Singh's case is notable as one of the very few criminal convictions against a sitting opposition lawmaker.
Critics have in the past alleged Singapore's government of leveraging the courts to target its political opponents—charges that authorities have consistently denied.
The Workers' Party is the only opposition party in Singapore's current parliament, where it holds 12 out of 99 seats.
