Source for Gilbert Goh image: Gilbert Goh / Facebook

Activist Gilbert Goh is currently being investigated by the police for partaking in a public assembly without a permit after holding up a placard outside the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) building.

The placard read, “Please ban all flights from India we are not racist! Just being cautious”, referencing the astronomical spike in the number of daily cases in the South Asian nation and the discovery of a highly infectious COVID-19 strain with double mutations originating from the country.

A police spokesman told The Straits Times that it received a report on 1 May notifying that Mr Goh had carried out a public assembly without a permit.

“Mr Gilbert Goh did not have a police permit to carry out the public assembly,” said the spokesman.

On Saturday, Mr Goh who is well-known in Singapore for holding public protests at Hong Lim Park, uploaded a photograph of him holding up the placard.

His post has garnered around 2,300 reactions as of Monday afternoon at 12.47 pm, with the vast majority comprising Likes. The post also attracted 487 comments and 1,400 shares around the same time.

Many commenters supported Mr Goh’s call, agreeing that imposing such a ban is not inherently racist.

They questioned why the Singapore government is not taking the “necessary actions”.

A few pointed out that Australia has already imposed a ban on all travellers arriving from India, including its own citizens and residents.

However several commenters criticised his decision to only call for a ban against those travelling from India.

“No one was holding up signs asking for travel bans from the US. No one was striking a pose with signs rallying against travel from London,” one commenter said.

A couple of other commenters said that flights from other countries with high number of daily COVID-19 cases such as Malaysia should also be banned.

Currently, no assemblies or gatherings at Hong Lim Park are permitted by the government due to the COVID-19 situation.

Police have been rejecting applications for public assembly out of COVID-19 considerations as well, even for a one-man assembly.

Responding to TOC’s query, Mr Goh said that that he has not received any notification from the police about the investigation.

He told TOC that he was only made aware of the investigation through the ST report, adding that he had not been contacted by the publication on the matter.

Subscribe
Notify of
50 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
You May Also Like

藏匿孟籍男子在后车厢企图非法离境 二马国女子被捕

把一名孟加拉男子藏匿在轿车后车厢,试图协助该男子非法离境,两名马来西亚女子在兀兰关卡被捕。 根据移民与关卡局昨日发布的文告,本周一晚间8时20分,关卡局官员截停了一辆马国注册的迈威(MYVI)轿车。在进行检查时,官员发现该辆轿车后车厢,竟藏匿一名男子。 马国迈威车款后车厢窄小,从移民局发布的照片可看出,有关男子挤在后车厢,如挤沙丁鱼般,必须卷缩两脚方能藏匿在该小空间内。 官员较后逮捕迈威轿车的28岁女司机、一名同车女乘客和该名31岁的孟籍男子。 移民局也证实,有关男子没有任何旅游证件,目前案件仍在调查中。 当局也重申,企图非法出入境新加坡,根据移民法,非法入境可面对至少六个月监禁,和最少三下鞭刑;非法出境则可面对1000元罚款、至少六个月监禁,或两者兼施。 如若涉及协助非法移民偷渡交易,涉事者可面对二至五年监禁和至少鞭刑三下,有关涉案车辆也将被充公。 移民局强调:“边境关卡乃是保卫新加坡安全的第一道防线,该局会持续对出入境车辆乘客进行安全检查以侦测任何违法的偷渡或走私武器、爆炸物品或其他违禁品。”

舆论:保障人民,还是维护自家人?

政治拘留者、人权律师张素兰撰文于本社英语站 只要人民行动党在位越久,严刑峻法只会越发令人窒息。 《2009年公共秩序法令》以及《2016年司法(保护)法案》就是最好例子,它们不是为了捍卫人民或司法公义,反而是保护政府免受批评。 遗憾的是,法院容许这些法规的荒谬定义:一个人也可以构成“非法集会”,行为艺术也被当作“非法游行”。没有构成任何公共财产损坏,只是张贴海报都可以被告“破坏公物”,面对监禁和罚款。 即使对于个人来说,都没有言论自由的空间,这种恶法还可以糟糕到什么程度? 就在今年4月1日愚人节,律政部长提呈长达81页的《防止网络假信息和网络操纵法案》,在国会一读,不过他可没在开玩笑。 这是有史以来,但恐怕不会是最后一次,所有的部长和他们的政府机构同侪、公务员,只要冠以“主管当局”之名,就可以正正当当地对着所有个人、媒体机构、网络平台指点江山,发出更正指示修改他们所谓的真相。 只要他们相信任何影像、文章或贴文“违反公共利益”,就可以下令撤下、封锁之。 “公共利益”的定义如此广泛,连“导致公众对任何政府机构的信心减弱”都得严加防范。 甚至这些部长或公务员不需要聆听相关人员或机构的解释,就可以发出指示,“违规者”要做的,就只能服从,否则面对严苛的罚款或坐牢刑罚。但是,若当权者决策时有判断失误,却不必然要负责。 虽然在防止假消息法条文中,有提及个人如果不满意部长发出的更正指示,可以对部长上诉。可是又有哪位部长愿意承认自己的判断失误? 律政部长还坚称,法庭会是最终的仲裁者,但依据司法的精神,为何不把法庭的裁决权限放在首位或至少第二位?…

王瑞杰促民“越战越勇” 疫情后要为下一代储蓄财富

副总理兼财政部长王瑞杰指出,为了应对这一代危机,我国宣布了四次财政预算案,拨出近1000亿元,甚至动用国家储备金,因此在冠状病毒19疫情后,必须为下一代储蓄财富,并让国家变得更强盛。 王瑞杰今晚(6月20日)进行全国英语演说,以“越战越勇,共创未来”为主题时,引述了总理李显龙曾将冠毒这导致我国面对数十年来最惨重的经济打击,形容为“这一代的危机”。而王瑞杰也坦承,从未想过我国会在百日内宣布四次财政预算案,拨款近千亿元,其中还动用了国家储备金。 因此,他呼吁国人,当我国从危机中恢复了,就必须为下一代累积财富,而国家整个经济、社会和个人也要越战越勇,学会和病毒共处。 他表示,政府将会依据“群策群力,共创未来”框架,将危机转为机会,强大我国经济,让每个人有更好的工作和商业机会。 注重国人的生计未来 他认为,让国人保住饭碗、让商家维持生意并继续聘请员工,是政府目前的关键目标之一。 对此,政府为失业者或失去大部分收入的国人,以及自雇人士都提供了补贴金,而低薪员工也将获得一笔由政府发出的特别补助金。政府也将和雇主及工会联手,以提供援助改善就业前景。 王瑞杰表示,我国在面对疫情所引发的挑战时,一直都做长远打算,而为了让企业和员工能够掌握全球经济主要发展趋势,政府将通过三种方式提供援助,即继续加强和国际的联系、基础建设继续发展、以及加大科研创新的长期投资。 他表示,我过会继续加强和全球各国通讯及联系,主要供应链的联系尤其重要,以确保我国能时刻保持开放,并应对来自世界航空和海运经过我国时,所需的人力、服务、货物和资金等。 同时,我国的基础建设也要持续发展,以便打造我国成为更方便出行、更干净、更绿化,更美好的家园。 而在科研创新方面,我国将继续加大相关的长期投资,让我国获得更多的竞争优势。王瑞杰指出,我国将会拨出200亿元,以支持在保健、生物药物、气候变化和人工智能等方面的基础和应用研究,并且将确定未来五年的科研发展计划。 他也披露我国将会举办一系列的“创新挑战”,并呼吁民众踊跃参与,为目前的危机寻找解决方案。

Why was “town councils” removed from application form?: WP lawyer

By Andrew Loh The court battle between the Workers’ Party’s Aljunied Hougang…