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In a significant court decision, Singapore's main political rival Pritam Singh has lost his appeal against a conviction of providing false statements to a legislative panel.

In February, Singh was ordered to pay S$14,000 for two offenses connected with his handling 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 presiding judge declared that the evidence presented supported Singh's conviction.

Reaction from the Accused

Singh, who leads the main political opposition, expressed that he was "disheartened" with the ruling but accepted it "fully and without reservation".

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

Notwithstanding the verdict, Singh retains his seat in parliament and stated his commitment to continue serving Singaporeans together with his colleagues.

Background of the Case

The entire episode originated in 2021 when Raeesah Khan asserted 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, 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 penalized S$35,000 for lying and abusing her parliamentary privilege.

Judicial Reasoning

In February, the court determined that Singh's actions were "highly suggestive" that he did not want Khan to clarify her lie.

Singh, who protested his innocence during the entire proceedings, countered that he had wanted to allow Khan space to handle what was a delicate issue.

The Appeal Arguments

During the appeal hearing, Singh's legal counsel argued that the lower court had "ignored crucial pieces of evidence" in its original ruling.

The defense also sought to cast doubt on the reliability of Khan and her aides, who served as witnesses.

When asked why Singh appeared to be "doing nothing" to have Khan own up in the weeks after learning of her lie, his lawyer stated 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, demonstrated he never intended for Khan to tell the truth.

Wider Implications

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 the government have always rejected.

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