🔗 Share this article Judicial Body Upholds Conviction for Political Rival Pritam Singh Pritam Singh was present at a court session in November to appeal against his conviction. In a significant court decision, Singapore's main political rival Pritam Singh has failed in his challenge against a conviction of lying to a legislative panel. In February, Singh was fined 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 judge declared that the evidence presented upheld Singh's guilty verdict. Reaction from the Accused Singh, who leads the main opposition Workers' Party, expressed that he was "disheartened" with the decision but accepted it "fully and without reservation". He settled his fines at the court complex after the hearing. "It's best to settle this now," he remarked to reporters. Despite the conviction, Singh keeps his seat in parliament and affirmed his commitment to keep working for Singaporeans alongside his party members. Background of the Case The controversy originated in 2021 when Raeesah Khan asserted in parliament that she had witnessed police misbehave towards a survivor. She later confessed her anecdote was untrue, but stated during a official inquiry 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 lying 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 correct the falsehood. Singh, who maintained his innocence during the entire proceedings, argued that he had wanted to give Khan time to handle what was a delicate issue. Points Contested During the appeal hearing, Singh's lawyer argued that the initial court had "overlooked key proof" in its original ruling. The defense also sought to cast doubt on the credibility of Khan and her aides, who provided testimony. When questioned why Singh appeared to be "taking no action" to have Khan confess in the weeks after learning of her lie, his lawyer stated that he had other pressing commitments to attend to. The state's attorneys, however, maintained that Singh's lack of action, coupled with other evidence, proved he never intended for Khan to tell the truth. Broader Context Singh's case is notable as one of the rare 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—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.