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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 legislative panel.

In February, Singh was ordered to pay S$14,000 for two charges related to 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 judge ruled 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 acknowledged it "completely and unequivocally".

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

Despite the conviction, Singh retains his parliamentary seat and affirmed his commitment to keep working for Singaporeans alongside his party members.

The Underlying Saga

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

She later confessed her account was untrue, but testified during a official inquiry that party leaders, including Singh, had advised her to "stick to the story" 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 misusing her legislative immunity.

Court's Rationale

In February, the court ruled that Singh's actions were "strongly indicative" that he did not want Khan to correct the falsehood.

Singh, who maintained his innocence during the entire proceedings, countered that he had wanted to allow Khan space to deal with what was a sensitive issue.

Points Contested

During the appeal hearing, 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 "taking no action" 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 attend to.

The state's attorneys, however, maintained that Singh's inaction, coupled with other evidence, demonstrated he never intended for Khan to tell the truth.

Broader Context

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

Critics 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 only opposition party in Singapore's present legislature, where it holds 12 out of 99 seats.