🔗 Share this article Singapore Court Confirms Guilty Verdict for Opposition Leader Pritam Singh Pritam Singh attended a hearing in November to challenge his guilty verdict. In a significant legal ruling, Singapore's opposition leader Pritam Singh has failed in his challenge against a guilty verdict of lying to a legislative panel. Earlier this year, Singh was ordered to pay S$14,000 for two charges connected with his handling of former lawmaker Raeesah Khan, who had confessed to lying in parliament. During a short hearing before a full 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 "disappointed" with the ruling but acknowledged it "fully and without reservation". He promptly paid his fines at the court complex after the hearing. "Might as well get it done," he commented to the press. Despite the conviction, Singh retains his seat in parliament and affirmed his intention to continue serving Singaporeans alongside his colleagues. The Underlying Saga The controversy began in 2021 when Raeesah Khan claimed 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, such as 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 perjury and misusing her legislative immunity. Court's Rationale In February, the court determined that Singh's actions were "highly suggestive" 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 initial court had "overlooked key proof" in its original ruling. The defense also attempted to question the reliability of Khan and her aides, who served as witnesses. When questioned why Singh appeared to be "taking no action" to have Khan confess in the weeks following his discovery of her lie, his lawyer stated that he had other pressing commitments to attend to. The state's attorneys, however, maintained that Singh's lack of action, coupled with other evidence, demonstrated he never wanted Khan to come clean. Wider Implications Singh's case is significant as one of the very few criminal convictions against a current opposition parliamentarian. Observers have in the past alleged Singapore's government of using the judiciary to pursue its political opponents—charges that the government have consistently denied. The Workers' Party is the only opposition party in Singapore's current parliament, where it holds 12 out of 99 seats.