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In a significant court decision, Singapore's opposition leader Pritam Singh has lost his appeal against a conviction of providing false statements to a legislative panel.

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

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

Reaction from the Accused

Singh, who leads the main opposition Workers' Party, expressed that he was "disappointed" with the decision but acknowledged it "completely and unequivocally".

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

Despite the conviction, Singh retains his seat in parliament and affirmed his commitment to keep working for Singaporeans together with his party members.

The Underlying Saga

The controversy began in 2021 when Raeesah Khan claimed in parliament that she had witnessed police misbehave towards a sexual assault victim.

She later confessed her anecdote was untrue, but stated during a official inquiry 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 fined S$35,000 for lying 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 clarify her lie.

Singh, who protested his innocence throughout the trial, argued that he had wanted to allow Khan space to deal with what was a sensitive 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 sought to cast doubt on the reliability of Khan and her assistants, who served as witnesses.

When asked 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 attend to.

The state's attorneys, however, maintained that Singh's inaction, alongside other evidence, proved he never wanted Khan to come clean.

Broader Context

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

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

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