Our Bureau
Singapore
Pritam Singh, the Indian-origin opposition leader in Singapore, has been found guilty of lying to a parliamentary committee, a verdict that could impact his political career and the upcoming general election. The ruling was delivered by Deputy Principal District Judge Luke Tan in the State Courts.
Singh, 48, the secretary-general of the Workers’ Party, was convicted on two charges of providing false answers to the Committee of Privileges during its inquiry into a separate case involving Raeesah Khan, a former lawmaker from his party. The charges stem from Singh’s handling of Khan’s false claim in Parliament, where she alleged accompanying a sexual assault victim to the police station.
Judge Tan stated that Singh did not take sufficient steps to ensure Khan admitted to her falsehood and accepted Khan’s testimony that Singh told her to “take the lie to the grave”. Singh maintained his innocence, arguing he intended to allow Khan time to manage the sensitive issue.
The court fined Singh S$7,000 (approximately $5,220) for each charge. While Singh intends to challenge the ruling, he is permitted to retain his position and participate in the upcoming election. However, Singapore’s Constitution stipulates that Members of Parliament fined S$10,000 or more for a single violation are barred from holding office for five years.
The conviction is a setback for Singapore’s opposition, particularly with a general election due by November 2025. In the 2020 elections, the Workers’ Party won 10 seats in Parliament, marking its best performance since independence. The ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) has dominated Singaporean politics since 1959, but the Workers’ Party has emerged as a growing opposition force. This election will be the first major political test for Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.
Prosecutors pursued the maximum penalty of S$7,000 for each of the two charges. The case has drawn significant attention, raising questions about accountability and the standards of conduct expected of elected officials in Singapore.
