After two months of police investigation, the police has decided to issue a “stern warning” to Jason Tan Kok Whee, a grassroots leader over a threatening statement he made online, directed at 16-year old Amos Yee.
Amos was being charged with harassment, and with allegedly wounding the religious feelings of Christians in a YouTube video. He has since been judged guilty of the offences and currently held in remand, awaiting his sentence.
Mr Tan had posted the comment earlier in March (shown above), “For me, I would cut his dick and put in his mouth for blemish Jesus Christ.”, referring to Yee.
Mr Tan’s comment was posted under the Facebook handle of “Cookie Tan” on the Facebook page of The Real Singapore.
After netizens got hold of the fact that Mr Tan is a grassroots leader at Telok Blangah., a letter of complaint was subsequently sent to the People’s Association (PA), which oversees all grassroots organisations in Singapore, about Jason Tan’s threatening post. There has been no response from the PA thus far and Jason Tan has since restricted his Facebook page from public view.
Apart from a letter of complaint to PA, TOC also understands that a number of police reports were made against Mr Tan over the statement he made.
One of the people who filed the reports, Mr Lee said he was offended by Mr Tan’s comment and decided to file a police complaint against him. He said that Mr Tan’s statement was a criminal threat to Yee.
Mr Lee said in April, “I am seriously distressed by Jason Tan’s statement that bears the intention to harm Amos Yee physical and sexually. I have checked the penal code of Singapore and it seems that Jason Tan have breached the laws and should be liable to be arrested and be charged in the courts.”
Mr Lee also explained that Mr Tan has likely breached the law in making that comment against Yee, particularly penal code section 503, 504, 507 and 508.
Mr Lee added that Mr Tan should be punished according to the penal code section 506.
Soon after Mr Lee had made his report, he was called up by the investigating officer from the Tanglin Police station for an interview.
He said that the investigating officer had informed him that “quite a few police reports” have been made against Mr Tan.
Mr Lee also shared that the police officer had asked why he felt distress about Mr Tan’s Facebook comment. He replied that any ordinary person would feel distressed when they see someone threatening bodily harm against another and Mr Tan’s offence is worse than Amos’ as Amos didn’t threaten anyone with physical harm.
After close to two months of investigation, the police wrote letters to the people who have filed the police reports against Mr Tan and said that the police has closed the case with a stern warning given to Mr Tan.
One of such letters was sent to the social-political blog, TR Emeritus and was published.
The letter writes, “After careful considerations of the facts and circumstances of the case and in consultation with the Attorney-General’s Chambers, it has been decided that a stern warning be administered to the defendant in lieu of prosecution. On 10/06/2015, the defendant was warned by Chief Investigation Officer, DSP Tan Put Seng in the presence of Senior Investigation Officer, Henry Chua.”
It is understood that the warning letter would be recorded in police records but would not turn up in regular screening by Police.
