The ruling meant that Mr Singh’s sentence – a S$7,000 fine per charge – stood. He paid the fines after the conclusion of his appeal.

Justice Chong found that Mr Singh did not intend for Ms Khan to correct her falsehood for at least two months after learning of it, adding that the Leader of the Opposition’s approach was to “let sleeping dogs lie”.

Speaking to the media after the judgment, Mr Singh said he was “disappointed” but accepted the court’s decision. He acknowledged that he “took too long” to address Ms Khan’s untruth in parliament.

LEADERSHIP AND INTEGRITY

While analysts generally agreed that the episode had affected Mr Singh to some extent, they differed in their interpretations of what his handling of Ms Khan's lie revealed. 

Some raised concerns about his leadership and decision-making, while others questioned his integrity and accountability.

“Being untruthful does cast a negative light on Pritam Singh, if Singaporeans expect their political leaders to reflect integrity and trustworthiness,” said sociologist Dr Tan Ern Ser, adjunct principal research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies. 

“I reckon leaders and public figures are judged by a higher standard.”

Associate Professor of Law Eugene Tan of the Singapore Management University (SMU) said the judgment also touched on Mr Singh’s ethics and judgment.

“The sting in the judgment really lies in the elaborate web of lies and obfuscation that Mr Singh conjured in order that the untruth is buried and would have no chance of resurrection,” he said.

Ms Nydia Ngiow, ma...