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In a major court decision, Singapore's main political rival Pritam Singh has lost his appeal against a guilty verdict of lying to a parliamentary committee.

In February, Singh was ordered to pay S$14,000 for two offenses connected with his management of former lawmaker Raeesah Khan, who had admitted to giving false testimony in parliament.

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

Reaction from the Accused

Singh, who leads the main opposition Workers' Party, expressed that he was "disheartened" with the ruling but acknowledged it "fully and without reservation".

He settled his fines at the courthouse after the hearing. "It's best to settle this now," he remarked to reporters.

Notwithstanding the verdict, Singh keeps his seat in parliament and affirmed his intention to continue serving Singaporeans alongside his party members.

Background of the Case

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

She later admitted her account was fabricated, but testified during a official inquiry that party leaders, including Singh, had advised her to "continue with the narrative" 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 lying and abusing her parliamentary privilege.

Court's Rationale

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 during the entire proceedings, argued that he had wanted to allow Khan space to deal with what was a sensitive issue.

The Appeal Arguments

During the appeal hearing, Singh's lawyer contended that the lower court had "ignored crucial pieces of evidence" in its initial judgment.

The defense also attempted to question 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 state's attorneys, however, maintained that Singh's lack of action, coupled with other evidence, proved he never intended for Khan to tell the truth.

Wider Implications

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

Critics have previously accused Singapore's government of using the judiciary to pursue its rivals—allegations that the government have always rejected.

The Workers' Party is the only opposition party in Singapore's present legislature, where it holds 12 out of 99 seats.