Edwin Tong says Pritam Singh's comment on his court case 'outrageous, plainly wrong and completely unacceptable'

SINGAPORE: Law Minister Edwin Tong on Saturday (Nov 8) slammed Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh’s comment that “the court of public opinion can be a bigger court than any court in the world”, calling it “an outrageous statement, plainly wrong and also completely unacceptable”.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the launch of Our Community Gallery, a showcase at the National Community Leadership Institute, Mr Tong criticised Mr Singh’s remarks – made during an interview on CNA's The Assembly earlier this week – as an attempt to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the court that convicted him of lying to a parliamentary committee.

“Let’s be clear what happened in this case,” said Mr Tong. “Mr Singh was investigated and then he was charged. 

"He went through a full and open trial and was convicted by the court for lying to a parliamentary select committee. The judge gave detailed grounds, setting out the basis for the conviction ... This judgment is today valid and binding."

The Workers' Party (WP) chief was found guilty in February and fined S$14,000 (US$10,800) for two charges linked to how he handled former WP MP Raeesah Khan’s lie in parliament.

He was found to have given false testimony to a parliamentary committee that was looking into the conduct of Ms Khan, who had admitted to making up a story about accompanying a sexual assault victim to the police station.

On Tuesday, the High Court reserved judgment on Mr Singh’s appeal against his conviction.

In the latest episode of The Assembly – filmed months before his appeal was heard – Mr Singh was asked how he felt about being called a liar due to "Raeesah Khan's case".

"This is something which I don't lose much sleep over. And I'll say that because I’m in the business of politics. My political opponents will do whatever it takes to lower my esteem and the esteem of my party in the public eye,” Mr Singh said.

"But ultimately, you answer to your conscience first. If your conscience is clear, then people can throw whatever they want at you, and you will still be standing. And if there was something my conscience was not in agreement with, I don’t think I’ll be sitting here today.

"And I don't think we would have done how we did in the last elections, we did pretty respectably. At the end of the day, the court of public opinion can be a bigger court than any court in the world."

Mr Tong said on Saturday that it is Mr Singh's "right" to appeal the case, but that no one should "dismiss or denigrate" the court's judgment, or suggest that public opinion can somehow "trump" a court's decision.

"This is a very dangerous idea. We have laws, and in Singapore, the rule of law is a cornerstone of our system. This is so that we do not have rule of the mob," he added.

Mr Singh's suggestion that this is "part of a political attempt to attack him" is the kind of response seen all over the world from "populist politicians who attack judges and courts" when rulings go against them, said Mr Tong.

"They think they are above the law. But this kind of irresponsible politics should have no place in Singapore. Singapore is built on honesty and integrity, but Mr Singh is delegitimising our courts with his comments, saying it doesn't matter what he does as long as he gets elected," he added.

"What Mr Singh said also undermines public trust in our system, in our law enforcement and in our judiciary.

"In Singapore, the courts decide cases not on politics, but based on facts and the law. And no one is above the law, not the leader of the opposition, not any minister. If anyone commits an offence, they should face the law.

"If Mr Singh has done no wrong, the court will judge and rule as such. But if the conviction stands, then he should accept it fully and take responsibility. There is no separate court for politicians."

In response to Mr Tong's comments, Mr Singh said his remarks on The Assembly were "not directed at the judicial system, judges or their independence, nor did (they) denigrate any of these institutions".

In a Facebook post on Saturday afternoon, he noted that the judgment in his ongoing magistrate's appeal was released in February, and the People's Action Party (PAP) called for an election two months later.

"The Workers' Party performed respectably in the (General Election), despite the possible impact of the verdict of the magistrate’s court on voters," he wrote. 

"This was the important context that came before the remarks I made about the court of public opinion on the CNA program, The Assembly, which was first broadcast on Thursday, Nov 5, 2025."