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In a notable court decision, Singapore's main political rival Pritam Singh has failed in his challenge against a guilty verdict of providing false statements to a legislative panel.

In February, Singh was fined S$14,000 for two charges related to his management of former lawmaker Raeesah Khan, who had admitted to giving false testimony in parliament.

During a short hearing before a packed public gallery on Friday, the judge declared that the evidence presented upheld Singh's guilty verdict.

Leader's Response

Singh, who heads the main opposition Workers' Party, expressed that he was "disheartened" with the ruling but accepted it "completely and unequivocally".

He settled his fines at the courthouse after the hearing. "Might as well get it done," he remarked to the press.

Despite the conviction, Singh retains his seat in parliament and affirmed his intention to continue serving Singaporeans alongside his colleagues.

The Underlying Saga

The entire episode originated in 2021 when Raeesah Khan asserted in parliament that she had witnessed police act inappropriately towards a sexual assault victim.

She later confessed her account was untrue, but stated during a official inquiry that party leaders, such as Singh, had instructed her to "continue with the narrative" despite knowing it was a lie.

Khan has since stepped down from both the party and parliament. She was penalized S$35,000 for lying and abusing her parliamentary privilege.

Judicial Reasoning

In February, the court ruled 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, countered that he had wanted to allow Khan space to handle what was a delicate issue.

The Appeal Arguments

During the appeal hearing, Singh's legal counsel argued that the lower court had "ignored crucial pieces of evidence" in its initial judgment.

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

When questioned why Singh appeared to be "taking no action" to have Khan own up in the weeks after learning of her lie, his lawyer stated that he had other urgent professional and personal matters to manage.

The state's attorneys, however, maintained that Singh's lack of action, alongside other evidence, proved he never wanted Khan to tell the truth.

Broader Context

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

Critics have previously accused Singapore's government of using the judiciary to target its political opponents—charges that authorities have consistently denied.

The Workers' Party is the only opposition party in Singapore's present legislature, where it holds 12 out of 99 seats.