Singapore to start trial of opposition leader over lying scandal

(Bloomberg) — Singapore’s opposition leader is set to go on trial Monday for alleged lying, which could bring more scrutiny to his party ahead of a general election due next year.

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Pritam Singh, who leads the Workers’ Party, faces two charges of lying under oath to a parliamentary committee. He was testifying at an inquiry into a former lawmaker from his party who had lied in parliament about a case of sexual assault. He has pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutors have said they plan to ask the court to impose a fine if Singh is convicted. Members of parliament are disqualified for five years if they are fined at least A$10,000 ($7,653.5) in a criminal case.

Singh’s trial comes a week after a former minister was jailed for the first time in nearly half a century in the city-state that prides itself on clean governance. S. Iswaran, a former transport minister, started a 12-month term for obtaining valuables as a public servant and obstruction of justice.

The cases come as Lawrence Wong, who in May became Singapore’s fourth prime minister since independence in 1965, prepares to lead his ruling People’s Action Party into an election due to take place as no later than November 2025.

The PAP had its worst result in the last 2020 election, while the Workers’ Party won a record 10 seats and two group representation constituencies. But the party that has ruled Singapore without interruption since it became a state in 1965 still won 89% of the seats.

Singh was officially appointed Leader of the Opposition in 2020, the first such appointment in Singapore’s history. His Workers’ Party has presented itself as capable of serving as a check on the PAP.

But the party’s fortunes took a turn for the worse in 2022 when a parliamentary committee packed with ruling party officials found that Singh “told lies” during his testimony in the inquiry into former lawmaker Raeesah Khan. Parliament then referred Singh to prosecutors.

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