Singapore: Singapore opposition leader, Pritam Singh, has been convicted of perjury for lying under oath during a parliamentary committee inquiry. The court imposed a fine of $5,223(S$7,000; £4,148) for each of the two charges. Singh has revealed his intention to appeal the conviction.
The charges stem from Singh’s involvement with Raeesah Khan, a former lawmaker from his party, who had lied to parliament in a separate incident. Khan’s false declarations in August 2021, where she alleged police misconduct during a sexual assault case, were later admitted to be untrue. She was fined $26,094(S$35,000) for her actions and subsequently resigned from both the Workers’ Party and Parliament.
During the investigation, Khan testified that Singh and other party leaders taught her to maintain her false narrative. Singh denied these allegations, claiming he gave Khan time to settle the sensitive matter before addressing it publicly.
Despite the conviction, Singh’s political career is unlikely to be impacted. Singapore’s constitution stipulates that an MP can only be disqualified from office if fined $7,455 (S$10,000) or more for a single offence or jailed for over a year. As his fines do not satisfy this threshold, Singh will remain eligible to run in the upcoming general election, which is expected by November 2025.
Singh’s case has caught significant attention as Singapore prepares for its next election, which could potentially alter the political landscape. Singh’s Workers’ Party holds nine of 87 seats in parliament and is the largest opposition party.
The judgment could influence the political dynamics leading up to the election, with analysts noting that state media may either amplify or downplay the case. Singh has expressed his determination to continue his political career, reaffirming his preference to contest the next general election despite the court ruling.
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