Singapore Opposition Leader Pritam Singh Convicted of Lying to Parliament

Pritam Singh, the leader of the Workers’ Party (WP) and Singapore's Leader of the Opposition, has been found guilty of lying to a parliamentary committee, a verdict that could significantly impact his party's prospects in the upcoming general election. The election, which must be held by November 2025, is particularly significant as it will be the first time the long-ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) faces an election under its new leader, Lawrence Wong.

On February 17, 2025, a Singapore court convicted Pritam Singh on two counts of providing false testimony to a parliamentary committee. Deputy Principal District Judge Luke Tan delivered the ruling, finding Singh guilty of lying under oath. Singh was fined S$7,000 (approximately $5,220 ) for each charge. Despite the conviction, Singh retains his seat in Parliament and remains eligible to run in the next general election because the fines did not exceed S$10,000, the threshold that would disqualify him from holding office. Singh has stated that he intends to appeal both the verdict and the sentence.

The charges against Singh stem from his handling of Raeesah Khan, a former WP Member of Parliament (MP), who admitted to repeatedly lying to Parliament in August 2021 about accompanying a sexual assault victim to the police station. A parliamentary Committee of Privileges convened to investigate Khan's false claim and Singh's handling of the matter. Singh was questioned at length during the committee's inquiry. The committee concluded that Singh had not been truthful in his testimony, leading to a criminal investigation into his conduct.

During the trial, prosecutors argued that Singh had willfully given false answers to the Committee of Privileges on December 10 and December 15, 2021. Judge Luke Tan stated that evidence indicated Singh "never wanted Ms. [Khan] to clarify [her lies]" and had "direct and intimate involvement" in encouraging Khan to maintain her false narrative. Singh maintained that he had urged Khan to own up to her lie. However, the judge noted that there was "absolutely no follow-up" from Singh after Khan admitted to lying to other WP leaders. The judge also quoted Singh as saying the matter was 'probably something we would have to take to the grave'.

Raeesah Khan was fined S$35,000 for lying and abusing her parliamentary privilege and subsequently resigned from the party and from Parliament.

The verdict against Singh has the potential to damage the Workers' Party's image and credibility among voters. Singh, however, stated that the verdict would not dent the morale of his party in the lead-up to the next general election. He emphasized his party's contribution to the "evolution towards a more balanced political framework" in Singapore.

The Workers' Party currently holds nine out of 87 parliamentary seats. In the 2020 elections, the WP achieved a historic victory by securing 10 out of 93 parliamentary seats, marking one of the lowest vote shares for the PAP in its history.

Associate Professor Eugene Tan from the Singapore Management University shared his insights on what the verdict means for Singapore politics. He noted that Singh is the first person since Singapore's independence to be convicted under the Parliament (Privileges, Immunities and Powers) Act, which criminalizes lying to Parliament or its committees . He is also the first sitting opposition MP to face a criminal conviction in nearly 40 years

The upcoming general election is crucial for Singapore. It will be the first election under the leadership of Lawrence Wong, who succeeded Lee Hsien Loong as Prime Minister. In the 2020 general election, the PAP saw its support drop by 9 points. A similar decline in the upcoming election could jeopardize its long-standing dominance in Singaporean politics.

Pritam Singh's case and the upcoming election highlight the evolving political landscape in Singapore. Singh's conviction could galvanize both supporters and detractors, influencing voter sentiment as the country prepares to head to the polls.

References:

1. https://economictimes.com/nri/latest-updates/indian-origin-opposition-leader-of-singapore-guilty-of-lying-in-parliament/articleshow/118337873.cms
2. https://thediplomat.com/2025/02/singaporean-court-convicts-opposition-leader-of-lying-to-parliamentary-committee/
3. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/17/world/asia/singapore-opposition-pritam-singh.html
4. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c20g0dxkv3mo
5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZZ8m62cAM0
6. https://sg.news.yahoo.com/live/singapore-live-news-pritam-singh-found-guilty-of-lying-to-committee-of-privileges-home-improvement-programme-over-407m-allocated-for-latest-batch-of-29000-homes-014541841.html
7. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/courts-crime/pritam-singh-found-guilty-five-key-points-from-the-verdict
8. https://ddindia.co.in/2025/02/blow-for-singapore-opposition-as-court-finds-leader-guilty-of-lying-to-parliament/