🔗 Share this article Singapore Court Upholds Guilty Verdict for Political Rival Pritam Singh Pritam Singh was present at a court session in November to appeal against his conviction. In a notable court decision, Singapore's main political rival Pritam Singh has lost his appeal 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 confessed to lying in parliament. During a short hearing before a full public gallery on Friday, the presiding judge declared that the evidence presented justified Singh's guilty verdict. Leader's Response Singh, who heads the main opposition Workers' Party, expressed that he was "disappointed" with the ruling but acknowledged it "completely and unequivocally". He settled his fines at the court complex after the hearing. "Might as well get it done," he remarked to reporters. Despite the conviction, Singh keeps his parliamentary seat and affirmed his intention 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 admitted her account was untrue, but testified during a official inquiry 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 stepped down from both the party and parliament. She was fined S$35,000 for lying and abusing her parliamentary privilege. 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 deal with what was a sensitive issue. Points Contested During the November court session, 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 aides, who provided testimony. When asked why Singh appeared to be "doing nothing" to have Khan confess in the weeks following his discovery of her lie, his lawyer stated that he had other pressing commitments to attend to. The prosecution, however, maintained that Singh's lack of action, alongside other evidence, proved he never wanted Khan to come clean. Wider Implications Singh's case is notable as one of the rare criminal convictions against a current opposition parliamentarian. Observers have previously accused Singapore's government of leveraging the courts to pursue its rivals—charges that authorities have consistently denied. The Workers' Party is the only opposition party in Singapore's present legislature, where it occupies 12 out of 99 seats.