SINGAPORE: The appeal hearing for Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh will be held on 4 November at 10am.
This date was confirmed on 9 July by Singh’s legal counsel, Andre Jumabhoy, in response to queries from The Straits Times.
Singh was convicted in February 2025 on two charges of lying under oath to the Committee of Privileges (COP), making him the first sitting opposition Member of Parliament in almost 40 years to be convicted of a criminal offence.
The Aljunied GRC MP was fined a total of S$14,000 — the maximum S$7,000 for each count.
The charges stemmed from his conduct following a false statement made by former WP MP Raeesah Khan in Parliament on 3 August 2021.
Khan had claimed to have accompanied a sexual assault victim to a police station — a statement she repeated on 4 October 2021 — but later admitted was untrue.
In his judgment, Deputy Principal District Judge Luke Tan found that Singh, who serves as Leader of the Opposition, had wilfully lied to the COP about his handling of Khan’s falsehood.
The court determined that Singh failed to ensure the truth was disclosed and noted inconsistencies in his account, especially concerning a meeting on 8 August 2021.
Judge Tan referenced the case of Koh Yong Chia and applied Section 182 of the Penal Code, which pertains to providing false information to a public servant.
Aggravating factors cited included Singh’s refusal to recant his statements and the public resources expended as a result of his false testimony.
As a result, the court imposed the maximum fines allowed by law, with a default sentence of one month’s imprisonment if payment is not made.
Following the ruling, Singh announced his intention to appeal in a Facebook post. He also published his legal defence documents on the Leader of the Opposition’s official website.
In his public statement, Singh criticised the COP’s approach to gathering evidence, particularly testimony from Loh Pei Ying and Yudhishtra Nathan — both former Workers’ Party members and close associates of Khan.
Singh also questioned the credibility of the prosecution’s key witnesses, particularly highlighting that Khan had previously lied in Parliament and that Loh and Yudhishtra had allegedly conspired to conceal evidence.
Despite the court’s verdict, Singh maintained that he had acted consistently and transparently throughout the matter. He asserted that his legal team would closely review the court’s written judgment as part of his appeal process.
The 13-day trial began on 14 October 2024, during which Singh, Khan, Loh, Yudhishthra, and former party leader Low Thia Khiang testified.
Despite the ongoing legal proceedings, Singh retained his seat in Parliament following the latest general election.
He was part of the WP’s five-member team in Aljunied GRC, which secured 59.68 per cent of the vote, defeating the People’s Action Party team, which obtained 40.32 per cent.
After the election, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong confirmed that Singh would remain in his role as Leader of the Opposition, with continued access to staff and resources required to fulfil his duties.
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