SINGAPORE: Activist Gilbert Goh Keow Wah was fined S$3,200 on Friday August 19 for protesting outside the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) building without a permit and refusing to sign a police statement.
He was found guilty of the offenses on July 26 this year after seeking a trial on the two counts he faced.
He was fined S$2,000 for protesting without a permit and S$1,200 for refusing to sign the police statement. He will pay the S$2,000 fine but will go to jail for three days for failing to pay the S$1,200 fine, his lawyer Lim Tean said in court.
On May 1, 2021, Goh held up a sign outside the ICA building that read, “Please ban all flights from India, we’re not racist! Just be careful.”
It came shortly after the government halted entry for all long-term pass holders and short-term visitors from India in response to an increase in COVID-19 cases here. .
Goh participated in a “public meeting to publicize a cause, namely to persuade the government to ban all flights from India”, according to court documents. Goh was also accompanied by someone who took pictures of him holding the sign.
On Friday, the prosecution asked for a fine of between S$3,700 and S$4,200, saying there were numerous aggravating factors.
These factors included his intentional use of “provocative and sensationalized phrases” and his “overt attempts” to drive a wedge between Singaporeans and “those of foreign descent”, Deputy Prosecutor Andre Chong said.
His attempts were “clearly aimed at unraveling the social fabric and community relationships”, he said.
Chong added that crimes involving such threats must be dealt with firmly as Singapore’s social fabric and community relations are the “foundation on which peace and progress in Singapore rests”.
Mr Chong said Goh’s conduct in his defense underscores his “complete lack of remorse”.
Goh showed that he knew his actions constituted an infraction. He admitted he knew a police permit was needed but did not apply for one, the prosecution said.
“Despite this, he aggressively reiterated that he does not regret his actions and would rather go to jail,” Chong said.
Mr. Chong also said Goh amplified the reach of his protest through his Facebook posts, which were publicly available.
He noted that the Facebook posts had grown in popularity, resulting in a combined total of 8,569 likes, 3,573 shares and 1,473 comments on his six posts, which in turn “amplified” the harm caused.
GOH’S LIFE WAS ABOUT ‘INCLUSIVE’: DEFENSE
Defense lawyer Mr Lim has requested a fine of S$1,500 for his client. He argued that the prosecution had “very unfairly” attempted to label his client as someone seeking to perpetuate division.
“Nothing could be further from the truth,” he said.
He highlighted the charitable work Goh has done for the underprivileged and said he has received “huge praise” locally and internationally.
“All of his life, all of his work is about inclusivity,” Mr. Lim said. “He was trying to raise awareness, he was trying to advise the government.”
Mr. Lim also told the court that Goh had no previous convictions. He said Goh did not sign the police statement because he feared the statement did not accurately record what he said.
At sentencing, District Judge Luke Tan said Goh’s offense of protesting without a permit was not spontaneous and involved planning.
Any action that could create tension and resentment between different groups in society should be “frowned upon and discouraged”, he said.
Under the Public Order Act, those who attend a public meeting without permission can be fined up to S$3,000. The penalty for refusing to sign a police statement is imprisonment for up to three months, a fine of up to S$2,500 or both.