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In a major legal ruling, Singapore's opposition leader Pritam Singh has lost his appeal against a guilty verdict of lying to a legislative panel.

Earlier this year, Singh was ordered to pay S$14,000 for two charges related to his management of former lawmaker Raeesah Khan, who had confessed to lying in parliament.

During a short hearing before a packed public gallery on Friday, the judge declared that the evidence presented supported Singh's guilty verdict.

Reaction from the Accused

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

He settled his fines at the courthouse after the hearing. "Might as well get it done," he commented to the press.

Despite the conviction, Singh retains his parliamentary seat and stated his commitment to continue serving Singaporeans alongside his colleagues.

The Underlying Saga

The controversy began in 2021 when Raeesah Khan asserted in parliament that she had seen police act inappropriately towards a sexual assault victim.

She later confessed her account was untrue, but testified during a parliamentary committee investigation that party leaders, such as Singh, had instructed 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 penalized S$35,000 for perjury 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, argued that he had wanted to allow Khan space to handle what was a delicate issue.

Points Contested

During the November court session, Singh's lawyer contended that the initial court had "ignored crucial pieces of evidence" in its original ruling.

The defense also attempted to question the credibility of Khan and her assistants, who served as witnesses.

When questioned why Singh appeared to be "doing nothing" to have Khan own up in the weeks following his discovery of her lie, his lawyer stated that he had other urgent professional and personal matters to manage.

The prosecution, however, argued that Singh's inaction, coupled with other evidence, demonstrated he never wanted Khan to come clean.

Wider Implications

Singh's case is notable as one of the very few criminal convictions against a current opposition parliamentarian.

Critics have in the past alleged Singapore's government of leveraging the courts to target its political opponents—charges that authorities have always rejected.

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