Singapore's opposition leader Pritam Singh has lost his appeal against a guilty verdict of lying to a parliamentary committee. In February, Singh was fined S$14,000 ($10,800; £8,100) for two charges related to his handling of Raeesah Khan, a former lawmaker from his party who confessed to lying to parliament. In a short hearing to a packed court public gallery on Friday, the judge said Singh's conviction was supported by the evidence provided. Singh, who leads the main opposition Workers' Party, expressed disappointment but accepted the ruling fully. He paid his fines at the courthouse after the hearing, stating he wanted to "get it done." Despite this conviction, Singh retains his parliamentary seat and pledged to continue serving Singaporeans with his colleagues.

The saga began in 2021, when Khan claimed in parliament that she witnessed police misbehavior towards a sexual assault victim. She later admitted her story was untrue and during an investigation, claimed party leaders, including Singh, advised her to maintain the false narrative. Khan resigned from both the party and parliament and was fined S$35,000. In February, the court found Singh's actions indicative of wanting Khan to conceal her lie, although he maintained his innocence, stating he wished to give her time to deal with a sensitive issue. His case marks one of the few criminal convictions against a sitting opposition lawmaker and has sparked discussions on the potential use of judicial power against political opponents in Singapore.