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

Earlier this year, Singh was ordered to pay S$14,000 for two offenses related to his handling of former lawmaker Raeesah Khan, who had admitted to giving false testimony in parliament.

During a brief hearing before a full public gallery on Friday, the judge ruled that the evidence presented justified Singh's conviction.

Reaction from the Accused

Singh, who heads the main opposition Workers' Party, expressed that he was "disheartened" with the ruling but accepted it "completely and unequivocally".

He settled his fines at the court complex following the hearing. "Might as well get it done," he remarked to the press.

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

The Underlying Saga

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

She later confessed her anecdote was fabricated, but stated during a parliamentary committee investigation that party leaders, including 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 penalized S$35,000 for lying and misusing her legislative immunity.

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, argued that he had wanted to allow Khan space to handle what was a delicate issue.

The Appeal Arguments

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

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

When questioned 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 pressing commitments to manage.

The state's attorneys, however, argued that Singh's lack of action, coupled with other evidence, proved he never wanted Khan to tell the truth.

Broader Context

Singh's case is significant as one of the rare criminal convictions against a sitting opposition lawmaker.

Observers have previously accused Singapore's government of using the judiciary to target its political opponents—allegations that the government have consistently denied.

The Workers' Party is the sole rival group in Singapore's present legislature, where it occupies 12 out of 99 seats.