Singapore parliament to resume deliberation on Pritam Singh case following court conviction

SINGAPORE — Parliament must deliberate on an appropriate response to Workers' Party (WP) chief Pritam Singh's actions and convictions, said Leader of the House Indranee Rajah, following the conclusion of court proceedings earlier this month.

In a media statement issued on Tuesday (15 December), Indranee said: “Lying under oath is a serious matter. In some countries, leaders who have lied, cheated or flagrantly broken the law still escape any legal or political consequences. We cannot accept such standards in Singapore.”

She added that the facts of the case were “disturbing”.

“The courts’ findings and Mr Singh’s convictions are a solemn reminder to all Members of Parliament that we have a sacred duty to uphold the rule of law and maintain honesty and integrity in our conduct.”

Indranee, who is also Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and an MP for Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC, emphasised that Singapore cannot have a credible Parliament without high standards on both sides of the aisle.

“Singapore cannot have a first-world Parliament or provide robust checks and balances unless MPs on both sides of the aisle hold themselves to high standards of conduct.”

She concluded by stating that “whatever course of action the Workers’ Party may take, it is necessary for Parliament to take notice of Mr Singh’s actions and convictions, and deliberate on an appropriate response.”

The matter, she said, would be tabled for discussion at the January 2026 parliamentary sitting.

Court findings and appeal outcome

The announcement follows the 4 December 2025 decision by the Court of Appeal to dismiss Singh’s appeal against his conviction for lying under oath to the Committee of Privileges (COP), which had been investigating the conduct of former WP MP Raeesah Khan.

Singh was found guilty in February 2024 of two charges of lying to the COP, and was fined S$14,000—S$7,000 for each charge. The fine was below the constitutional threshold for disqualification from Parliament.

The court found that Singh had lied on two critical points:

1. Whether he had told Ms Khan to “take her lie to the grave”,

2. What he meant when he told Ms Khan he “would not judge her”.

The court ruled that Mr Singh had indeed instructed Ms Khan to maintain her lie and that his comment about not judging her referred to allowing her to persist with the falsehood. Mr Singh had claimed instead that he meant he would not judge her for eventually coming clean.

In his final appeal, Mr Singh’s lawyers argued that the trial judge had overlooked key evidence and placed undue weight on Ms Khan’s testimony, which they said was unreliable and included “fantastical” claims.

However, Justice Steven Chong, delivering the decision of the Court of Appeal, stated that the conviction was supported by a full body of evidence, not solely by Ms Khan’s account. The appeal was dismissed, and the conviction and sentence stood.

Parliament's earlier position in 2022

The latest announcement marks a continuation of a process that Parliament initiated in 2022. At that time, the House debated the COP’s findings, which recommended referring Mr Singh’s conduct to the Public Prosecutor (PP) for possible offences under Part 5 of the Parliament (Privileges, Immunities and Powers) Act.

During the 15 February 2022 sitting, Parliament voted to accept that recommendation. It was also agreed that any further parliamentary action—such as sanctions or other responses—would be deferred until the legal process had concluded.

At the time, Indranee Rajah explained: “Parliament will only consider the remaining issues (if any) after the criminal justice process has taken its course”.

This approach was framed as fair to all parties, with the courts acting as independent arbiters of fact and law.

Now that the court process has concluded with the dismissal of Mr Singh’s appeal, Parliament is expected to resume its consideration of the matter in the new year.

Meanwhile, Pritam Singh has accepted the court’s verdict, telling reporters outside court after the appeal:

“I am disappointed with the appeal verdict but I respect it.”

“I take responsibility for taking too long to respond to Ms Khan’s lie,” he said, adding that he remains committed to his responsibilities in Parliament and to Singaporeans.

“My focus is to continue serving Singaporeans and to speak up for them,” he said, thanking Singaporeans for their support.

In a statement posted on the Workers’ Party’s official Facebook page, the party said it was studying the judgment and grounds of decision.

The party added: “The Workers’ Party has weathered many challenges over the years. Our commitment to serving the people of Singapore remains unwavering.”

In response to Indranee's comment, WP stated on its social media platforms that it has initiated its internal processes in light of the High Court judgment on 4 December, and will provide further updates on the matter in due course.