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In a major legal ruling, Singapore's main political rival Pritam Singh has failed in his challenge against a conviction of providing false statements to a parliamentary committee.

Earlier this year, Singh was ordered to pay S$14,000 for two charges related to 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 judge stated that the evidence presented upheld Singh's guilty verdict.

Reaction from the Accused

Singh, who heads the main political opposition, expressed that he was "disheartened" with the decision but acknowledged it "completely and unequivocally".

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

Notwithstanding the verdict, Singh keeps his parliamentary seat and affirmed his commitment to continue serving Singaporeans together with his colleagues.

The Underlying Saga

The controversy began 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 stated during a parliamentary committee investigation that party leaders, including Singh, had advised her to "continue with the narrative" despite knowing it was a lie.

Khan has since resigned from both the party and parliament. She was penalized S$35,000 for perjury and misusing her legislative immunity.

Judicial Reasoning

In February, the court ruled 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 give Khan time to deal with what was a delicate issue.

Points Contested

During the November court session, Singh's lawyer argued that the lower court had "overlooked key proof" in its original ruling.

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 following his discovery of her lie, his lawyer explained that he had other urgent professional and personal matters to attend to.

The prosecution, however, maintained that Singh's lack of action, coupled with other evidence, demonstrated he never wanted Khan to come clean.

Wider Implications

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

Critics have in the past alleged Singapore's government of using the judiciary to pursue its rivals—allegations 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.