Singapore police have charged six people, including journalists and actors, for participating in unauthorized public assemblies, including organizing a candlelight vigil near Changi Prison to show support for death row inmates, and a rally outside the State Courts to call for the abolition of the death penalty. All suspects were granted bail of 5,000 Singapore dollars each.
Six Singaporeans were brought to court and charged under Singapore's Public Order Act for participating in unauthorized public assemblies and processions. Among them, some had previously been investigated and warned by police for similar offenses.
The six charged individuals are Hau Wen Kong Rocky, 31; Tan Le Jun Jean-Marie, 56; Annamalai Gokila Parvathy, 38; Lim Kay Siu, 70; Winifred Neo Swee Lin, 63; and Han Li Ying Kirsten, 37, who are journalists and activists.
Hau faces four charges of participating in unauthorized public assemblies related to candlelight vigils near Changi Prison on 22 and 29 Nov 2024 and 23 Jan 2025, as well as joining a rally on 3 Feb 2025 outside the Singapore State Courts advocating for the abolition of the death penalty.
Police stated that Hau had previously received formal stern warnings for participating in unauthorized assemblies in March and April 2022, and for obstructing justice in March of the same year.
Tan faces two charges for participating in candlelight vigils near Changi Prison on 22 and 29 Nov 2024. She had earlier received an official warning on 18 September for participating in a rally outside the State Courts on 3 Feb 2025. Lim, an actor, was charged for joining the rally outside the State Courts, as were Neo, his wife, and Han.
Lim and Neo are actors who appeared in the Singaporean sitcom Phua Chu Kang, with Neo playing the main character's mother and Lim portraying Frankie Foo. Both are currently involved in music, and Lim previously played the role of Gyatso in Netflix's Avatar: The Last Airbender series.
Han, a journalist, was noted by police to have been involved in multiple cases, including unauthorized assemblies in 2017, March and April 2022; obstructing justice in 2022; and participating in a public procession near the Ministry of Home Affairs in June 2024. She had received both formal and conditional warnings lasting 12 months.
Annamalai faces one charge for participating in the rally outside the State Courts on 3 Feb 2025. She also has a separate case related to failing to comply with an order to correct information, scheduled for hearing on 7 October.
Police said Annamalai was fined 3,000 Singapore dollars and given a 24-month conditional warning for organizing unauthorized public processions to the Istana in June 2017, January 2021, and 2 February 2024. The court denied her bail without surety.
Lawyer Derek Wong represents five of the six accused, while Hau was unrepresented at the hearing. Wong requested the court to release his clients without bail, arguing that the charges only carry fines and proposing personal bonds instead. However, the district judge denied the request and set bail at 5,000 Singapore dollars for each defendant.
Hau, without legal representation, also requested release without bail or with a personal bond, but the judge insisted on the same bail conditions.
Hau argued that bail decisions fall under the court's discretion, which should be exercised lawfully. The judge confirmed his discretion had been properly applied and that the decision was final at this stage. All six are scheduled to return to court on 20 October.
Under Singapore law, organizing public assemblies in prohibited areas can lead to up to six months imprisonment, fines up to 10,000 Singapore dollars, or both. Participants in unauthorized public assemblies may be fined up to 5,000 Singapore dollars.
Police noted that organizing or participating in assemblies or processions in prohibited areas without police permission carries higher penalties. They warned individuals previously cautioned or prosecuted under public order laws not to ignore such warnings.
Police advised citizens intending to organize public assemblies to apply for police permits in advance. Those wishing to express opinions without a permit may consider using Speakers’ Corner, a designated area for public expression.
This round of charges follows previous charges against eight others for organizing or participating in processions and assemblies in prohibited areas, including activist Jolovan Wham, who was accused of organizing a rally outside the State Courts in February 2025 advocating for the abolition of the death penalty in Singapore.