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In a significant 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.

In February, 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 packed public gallery on Friday, the judge declared that the evidence presented upheld Singh's conviction.

Reaction from the Accused

Singh, who heads the main political opposition, expressed that he was "disappointed" with the ruling but accepted it "completely and unequivocally".

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

Despite the conviction, Singh retains his parliamentary seat and stated his intention to continue serving Singaporeans alongside his party members.

The Underlying Saga

The controversy began in 2021 when Raeesah Khan asserted in parliament that she had seen police act inappropriately towards a survivor.

She later admitted her anecdote was untrue, but stated during a parliamentary committee investigation 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 resigned from both the party and parliament. She was penalized S$35,000 for lying and misusing her legislative immunity.

Court's Rationale

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

Singh, who protested his innocence throughout the trial, argued that he had wanted to allow Khan space to handle what was a delicate issue.

Points Contested

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

The defense also sought to cast doubt on the credibility of Khan and her assistants, who served as witnesses.

When asked why Singh appeared to be "taking no action" to have Khan confess in the weeks following his discovery of her lie, his lawyer stated that he had other urgent professional and personal matters to manage.

The prosecution, however, maintained that Singh's lack of action, coupled with other evidence, proved he never intended for Khan to tell the truth.

Wider Implications

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

Observers have previously accused Singapore's government of leveraging the courts to target its rivals—allegations that the government have always rejected.

The Workers' Party is the sole rival group in Singapore's current parliament, where it occupies 12 out of 99 seats.