SINGAPORE: A Singapore court is set to rule on Monday whether opposition leader Pritam Singh lied under oath to a parliament committee in a widely watched decision coming months ahead of a national election.
Singh, 48, who heads the main opposition Workers Party, faces two charges of lying under oath. The case centres on his testimony to a parliament committee investigating a former lawmaker from his party who lied in parliament about a sexual assault case. Singh pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutors have said they are seeking a fine if Singh is convicted. Singapores law states that a person who has been fined at least S$10,000 is disqualified from being a member of parliament for five years.
Each of Singhs charges carry a maximum fine of S$7,000, and it isnt immediately clear if theres a risk he will be barred from running in the next election. Still, a conviction and a smaller fine will add unwanted scrutiny to the politician and his party before the vote due by November.
The verdict on Singh takes place at a politically sensitive time as Lawrence Wong leads the ruling Peoples Action Party in his first election as prime minister. The PAP suffered its worst-ever electoral showing in 2020 even though it took 83 of the 93 contested seats.
Singh was named the leader of the opposition after his party made unprecedented gains by grabbing 10 seats. The Workers Party has cast itself as a check on the PAP that is grappling with voter concerns over rising living costs.
In a speech last month, Singh said at least one-third of elected lawmakers should be from the opposition.
Wong, 52, who also serves as finance minister, will deliver a national budget on Tuesday likely to feature cash handouts and refreshed social welfare programmes for Singaporeans as he seeks to shore up support.
The PAP too has grappled with a series of controversies in the past two years. Two lawmakers unexpectedly resigned over an affair, a former transport minister was sent to jail after pleading guilty to obtaining gifts as a public servant and the son of former premier Goh Chok Tong was among four people charged for false trading offences.
For the Workers Party, its fortunes took a dent after a parliamentary committee stacked with ruling-party officials found in 2022 that Singh told untruths during his testimony in the investigation into his former colleague. Parliament members then referred the case to prosecutors.
Singh said this year would be a critical one for his party and the opposition.
At this stage of Singapores political development, there is a real risk of a wipeout of elected opposition MPs in the coming elections, he said in last months speech. Such a development will set back the evolution of a more balanced political system.