SINGAPORE, Nov 5 — Singapore’s Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh’s appeal against his conviction for lying under oath to a parliamentary committee was heard yesterday, with his defence reportedly arguing that the trial judge had ignored key evidence in the case.
According to The Straits Times, High Court Justice Steven Chong, who presided over the hearing, reserved judgment to a later date.
The Workers’ Party (WP) chief was convicted in February of two counts of lying to the Committee of Privileges (COP) about his role in advising former MP Raeesah Khan to conceal a false statement made in Parliament in 2021, and was fined S$14,000 (about RM45,000).
The appeal reportedly focused on two disputed remarks Singh allegedly made to Khan — telling her to “take her lie to the grave” at an August 8, 2021 meeting, and saying “I will not judge you” at a later meeting on October 3.
Singh’s lawyer, Andre Jumabhoy, said the conviction was based on “shifting testimonies” and inconsistent statements from Khan, whom he described as an unreliable witness.
Justice Chong, however, questioned why Singh did not act for nearly two months to correct Khan’s false statement, noting the “complete absence of any discussion” between them during that period.
Deputy Attorney-General Goh Yihan countered that Singh’s silence and the corroborating evidence from Khan and her aides showed he never intended for her to clarify the falsehood.
The second charge centred on Singh’s comment, “I will not judge you”, which the prosecution said implied tacit approval for Khan to repeat her lie, while the defence maintained it meant she should take responsibility.
The prosecution said the trial judge had correctly applied the law, while the defence claimed the ruling rested on assumptions and unreliable testimony.
Speaking briefly to reporters after the hearing, Singh said he would comment only after the High Court delivers its decision.
