In a significant legal ruling, Singapore's opposition leader Pritam Singh has lost his appeal against a guilty verdict of lying to a parliamentary committee.
Earlier this year, Singh was ordered to pay S$14,000 for two charges connected with his management of former lawmaker Raeesah Khan, who had admitted to giving false testimony in parliament.
During a short hearing before a full public gallery on Friday, the presiding judge ruled that the evidence presented justified Singh's conviction.
Singh, who leads the main opposition Workers' Party, expressed that he was "disheartened" with the ruling but acknowledged it "completely and unequivocally".
He promptly paid his fines at the court complex following the hearing. "It's best to settle this now," he commented to reporters.
Notwithstanding the verdict, Singh retains his seat in parliament and affirmed his intention to continue serving Singaporeans together with his colleagues.
The controversy began in 2021 when Raeesah Khan claimed in parliament that she had witnessed police act inappropriately towards a sexual assault victim.
She later confessed her anecdote was untrue, but testified during a parliamentary committee investigation 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 stepped down from both the party and parliament. She was penalized S$35,000 for lying and misusing her legislative immunity.
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, countered that he had wanted to allow Khan space to handle what was a sensitive issue.
During the November court session, Singh's lawyer argued that the lower court had "overlooked key proof" in its initial judgment.
The defense also attempted to question the credibility of Khan and her assistants, who provided testimony.
When asked why Singh appeared to be "doing nothing" to have Khan confess in the weeks after learning of her lie, his lawyer explained that he had other urgent professional and personal matters to manage.
The state's attorneys, however, maintained that Singh's inaction, alongside other evidence, proved he never intended for Khan to tell the truth.
Singh's case is significant as one of the very few criminal convictions against a sitting opposition lawmaker.
Critics have previously accused Singapore's government of leveraging the courts to target its political opponents—allegations that the government have always rejected.
The Workers' Party is the only opposition party in Singapore's present legislature, where it holds 12 out of 99 seats.
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