🔗 Share this article Singapore Court Upholds Conviction for Political Rival Pritam Singh Pritam Singh was present at a court session in November to appeal against his conviction. In a significant legal ruling, Singapore's main political rival Pritam Singh has failed in his challenge against a conviction of lying to a parliamentary committee. 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 judge ruled that the evidence presented upheld Singh's guilty verdict. Reaction from the Accused Singh, who heads the main political opposition, expressed that he was "disappointed" with the ruling but accepted it "completely and unequivocally". He settled his fines at the courthouse after the hearing. "Might as well get it done," he remarked to the press. Notwithstanding the verdict, Singh keeps his seat in parliament and affirmed his commitment to continue serving Singaporeans together with his party members. Background of the Case The entire episode originated 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 stated during a parliamentary committee investigation 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 fined 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 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 lawyer contended that the lower court had "ignored crucial pieces of evidence" in its original ruling. The defense also attempted to question the reliability 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 pressing commitments to manage. The state's attorneys, however, argued 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 sitting opposition lawmaker. Critics have in the past alleged Singapore's government of using the judiciary to target its rivals—charges that authorities have always rejected. The Workers' Party is the sole rival group in Singapore's present legislature, where it holds 12 out of 99 seats.