No further action on PAP MP’s alleged seditious posting, says Police

Dr Lam, who is also Minister of State for Health, had posted in February this year about the arrest of three men over an incident during the Thaipusam festival.

His post had linked to an article on the blog, Lovely Singapore, together with the note:

“An example of how alcohol intoxication can cause rowdiness and public nuisance.”

The article, TOC understands, has since been removed by the blogsite, but it is unclear why it had done so.

Filmmaker Martyn See later filed a police report, alleging that Dr Lam had contravened the Sedition Act (Chapter 290) and that his post was sub judice contempt of court.

He accused Dr Lam of having “distorted an allegation by the Police into a statement of fact”.

An earlier police statement on the arrest of the three men had said that “all three men were believed to have been drinking earlier as they smelt strongly of alcohol.”

Mr See said that this, however, was yet to be ascertained by the authorities as fact and the three men have not be guilty as charged.

One of the three men alleged to be involved in the incident had also denied being drunk. (See here.)

Mr See said that Dr Lam’s remarks had thus “caused ill-will and hostility between different races and communities.”

“The responses on his Facebook page show overwhelming hostility to his remark,” Mr See said in his police complaint. “Yet, he has allowed his offending words to remain online”.

He also said Dr Lam may have breached the sub judice rule, as judicial proceedings in this case were still ongoing.

In its response to Mr See, dated 3 July and some four months after the latter made the report, the Police said:

“After careful considerations of the facts and circumstances of the case, and in consultation with the Attorney-General’s Chambers, the Police have decided not to take further action for the matter.”

Mr See, speaking to The Online Citizen (TOC) on the police’s decision, said:

“I felt that Dr Lam’s remarks had promoted feelings of ill-will towards Indians and Hindus in Singapore. But the AG, after 4 months of deliberation, now states that it is okay to freely associate alcohol and unruly behaviour with  Thaipusam. I like to know if Dr Lam was ever issued a warning.”

Dr Lam’s post remains on his Facebook page. (See here.)