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In a significant legal ruling, Singapore's opposition leader Pritam Singh has failed in his challenge against a conviction of providing false statements to a legislative panel.

Earlier this year, Singh was fined S$14,000 for two offenses 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 presiding judge ruled that the evidence presented justified Singh's guilty verdict.

Reaction from the Accused

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

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

Despite the conviction, Singh keeps his parliamentary seat and stated his intention to keep working for Singaporeans together with his party members.

The Underlying Saga

The entire episode began in 2021 when Raeesah Khan asserted in parliament that she had witnessed police act inappropriately towards a survivor.

She later admitted her anecdote was untrue, but stated during a parliamentary committee investigation that party leaders, such as Singh, had advised her to "stick to the story" despite knowing it was a lie.

Khan has since stepped down from both the party and parliament. She was penalized S$35,000 for perjury 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, argued that he had wanted to allow Khan space to deal with what was a delicate issue.

Points Contested

During the November court session, Singh's legal counsel argued that the lower court had "overlooked key proof" in its initial judgment.

The defense also attempted to question the reliability of Khan and her aides, 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 stated that he had other pressing commitments to attend to.

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

Broader Context

Singh's case is notable as one of the rare criminal convictions against a sitting opposition lawmaker.

Observers have in the past alleged Singapore's government of leveraging the courts to target its political opponents—charges that the government have always rejected.

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