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In a major court decision, Singapore's main political rival Pritam Singh has lost his appeal against a guilty verdict of providing false statements to a legislative panel.

In February, Singh was fined S$14,000 for two offenses connected with his handling of former lawmaker Raeesah Khan, who had confessed to lying in parliament.

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

Reaction from the Accused

Singh, who leads the main political opposition, expressed that he was "disappointed" with the ruling but accepted it "fully and without reservation".

He settled his fines at the courthouse after the hearing. "It's best to settle this now," he commented to the press.

Notwithstanding the verdict, Singh retains his seat in parliament and stated his commitment to continue serving Singaporeans together with his colleagues.

Background of the Case

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 account was untrue, but testified during a official inquiry 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 stepped down from both the party and parliament. She was penalized S$35,000 for perjury and abusing her parliamentary privilege.

Judicial Reasoning

In February, the court determined that Singh's actions were "strongly indicative" that he did not want Khan to clarify her lie.

Singh, who maintained his innocence during the entire proceedings, argued that he had wanted to give Khan time to deal with what was a delicate issue.

Points Contested

During the November court session, Singh's lawyer argued that the initial court had "ignored crucial pieces of evidence" in its original ruling.

The defense also attempted to question the reliability of Khan and her aides, who provided testimony.

When asked why Singh appeared to be "doing nothing" to have Khan own up in the weeks after learning of her lie, his lawyer explained that he had other pressing commitments to manage.

The prosecution, however, maintained that Singh's inaction, alongside other evidence, proved he never wanted Khan to tell the truth.

Wider Implications

Singh's case is notable as one of the very few criminal convictions against a current opposition parliamentarian.

Observers have in the past alleged Singapore's government of leveraging the courts to pursue its political opponents—charges that the government have always rejected.

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