Activist Jolovan Wham — who’s known for championing the rights of migrant workers — is set to be charged in court tomorrow for vandalism, organizing public assemblies without a police permit, and refusing to sign his statements, according to the police.
A police news release stated that the 37-year-old was the organizer behind three separate assemblies over the past year — all of which were held illegally without a proper permit.
On June 3, Wham staged a silent protest against Operation Spectrum — a security operation where 22 people were arrested under the Internal Security Act in 1987 for allegedly plotting a Marxist conspiracy to overthrow the government — on an MRT train with eight others. A police report was filed, and investigations against those involved are still ongoing.
In addition, Wham faces a vandalism charge for pasting two sheets of A4 paper on one of the panels in a train during the protest.
A month later, on July 13, Wham created a Facebook event to invite members of the public to participate in a vigil outside Changi Prison Complex in commemoration of Malaysian drug trafficker Prabagaran Srivijayan, who was executed in the wee hours of the next morning.
The police said Wham noted in an online post that the event did not have a permit, but the vigil still went ahead as planned. Sixteen others are under investigation for participating in the vigil.
Finally, on Nov 26 last year, Wham put together an indoor public assembly featuring Joshua Wong, a Hong Kong activist and leader of the Umbrella Movement. He also did not obtain a permit to host the event.
During investigations, Wham refused to sign his statement on multiple occasions as well, leading the police to label him as “recalcitrant” in his “blatant disregard for the law”.
It is a criminal offence under the Public Order Act to organize or participate in a public assembly without a police permit in Singapore, and offenders can be fined up to S$5,000, while repeat offenders can be fined a maximum of S$10,000 and jailed up to six months.
“The Speakers’ Corner, on the other hand, is an established space for Singaporeans to express their views on issues with which they are concerned. Singapore citizens can organize public assemblies at the Speaker’s Corner in accordance with the rules,” the police reminded the public.
