Singapore’s opposition leader, Pritam Singh, was fined on Monday for lying to a parliamentary committee while attempting to cover up a fellow party member’s false testimony. However, he narrowly escaped disqualification from contesting the country’s upcoming national elections.

Singh, 48, the secretary-general of the Workers’ Party, was found guilty on two counts of providing false information to a committee investigating former MP Raeesah Khan. The verdict comes at a critical time for Singapore’s political opposition as it seeks to challenge the longstanding dominance of the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) in elections expected within months. The PAP has governed Singapore since 1959.

Court Ruling and Political Implications
District Court Judge Luke Tan ruled that Singh had failed to take sufficient steps to ensure Khan admitted her false statement in parliament. The judge also accepted Khan’s testimony that Singh had told her to "take the lie to the grave."

Speaking to reporters after the verdict, Singh stated that he intends to run in the next general election, emphasizing that legal advice confirmed he remains eligible. "It's not going to be an easy election… we’ll have to fight hard, and that’s what we will do," he said.

Singh was fined S$7,000 ($5,200) for each charge. Under Singapore’s constitution, a candidate is disqualified from elections if fined at least S$10,000 per charge or sentenced to a minimum of one year in prison. Legal experts confirmed that since Singh’s individual fines did not meet this threshold, he remains eligible to contest.

The Scandal: Lies in Parliament
The case stemmed from a 2021 incident in which Raeesah Khan falsely claimed in parliament that she had accompanied a rape victim to file a police report, alleging that the officer made inappropriate comments about the victim’s attire and alcohol consumption. However, an investigation later revealed no record of such an incident. Khan subsequently admitted to fabricating the story and resigned from parliament.

Singh was accused of misleading the parliamentary committee by downplaying his knowledge of Khan’s deception. Court documents indicated that he had attempted to distance himself from responsibility as party leader.

Judge Tan strongly criticized Singh’s credibility, further complicating his political standing ahead of the elections.

Singapore’s Political Landscape
In the 2020 general elections, the PAP secured 83 out of 93 parliamentary seats, maintaining its dominance. However, the Workers’ Party made significant gains, increasing its representation to 10 seats—its strongest performance since Singapore’s independence in 1965.

With elections looming, the case presents a fresh challenge for the opposition as it seeks to expand its parliamentary presence. The upcoming polls will also serve as the first major political test for Singapore’s new prime minister, Lawrence Wong.