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Singapore Police issue 'stern warning' to Workers' Party MP Raeesah Khan over online comments on race, religion
Workers' Party candidate Raeesah Khan speaks to members of the media on Jul 5, 2020. (Photo: Gaya Chandramohan)
17 Sep 2020 10:37AM (Updated: 17 Sep 2020 01:25PM)
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SINGAPORE: The Singapore Police Force (SPF) has issued a "stern warning" to Workers' Party (WP) Member of Parliament Raeesah Khan over comments she made on social media in 2018 and earlier this year about race and religion.
"The police have completed their investigations and in consultation with the Attorney-General’s Chambers, have issued a stern warning to Ms Raeesah Khan for the offence of promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion or race," SPF said in a statement on Thursday (Sep 17).
The warning was issued for both social media posts made by Ms Khan on Feb 2, 2018 and May 17, 2020.
The warning was also issued for "an additional offence of contempt by scandalising the court" for Ms Khan's social media post on Feb 2, 2018.
READ: Police investigating WP candidate Raeesah Khan over alleged online comments on race, religion
Two reports were lodged against Ms Khan on Jul 4 and Jul 5 in relation to comments made by Ms Khan on social media.
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"She allegedly commented that Singapore law enforcement authorities discriminated against citizens, and that compared to other groups, rich Chinese and white people were treated differently under the law," said SPF in a statement on Jul 5.
SPF added then: "In the context of a news article on the City Harvest Church ruling, Raeesah Khan allegedly commented that Singapore jailed minorities mercilessly, harassed mosque leaders but let corrupt church leaders who stole S$50 million walk free, and questioned who had been paid."
READ: WP candidate Raeesah Khan apologises for ‘insensitive’ remarks, after police announce investigation into her social media comments
Ms Khan is a first-term MP who was elected at the Jul 10 General Election. Her four-member WP team won the new Sengkang Group Representation Constituency with 52.13 per cent of the vote.
Source: CNA/dv
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https://www.straitstimes.com/singap...-for-social-media-posts-which-promoted-enmity
WP MP Raeesah Khan given stern police warning for social media posts that promoted enmity between different groups
Police reports were lodged on July 4 and July 5 over Sengkang GRC MP Raeesah Khan's social media posts.PHOTO: ST FILE
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3 hours ago
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Wong Shiying
SINGAPORE - Workers' Party (WP) MP Raeesah Khan has been given a stern warning from the police for social media posts that promoted enmity between different groups and committed contempt by scandalising the court.
The police, in a statement on Thursday (Sept 17), said they had completed their investigations in consultation with the Attorney-General's Chambers, following police reports lodged against Ms Raeesah on July 4 and July 5 this year during the recent general election campaign.
The police statement said the offences come under Section 298A(a) of the Penal Code for social media posts that Ms Raeesah, an MP for Sengkang GRC, put up on Feb 2, 2018, and May 17, 2020.
The additional offence of contempt by scandalising the court, for her 2018 post, comes under Section 3(1)(a) of the Administration of Justice (Protection) Act, police said.
Ms Raeesah, 26, was part of the four-member WP team that won Sengkang GRC at the July 10 polls with 52.1 per cent of the vote.
On May 17, she put up a post about an incident in Robertson Quay involving seven foreigners who were caught on camera ignoring safe distancing rules during the circuit breaker period.
Ms Raeesah, in her post, had said: "Do you see police officers here? Imagine if this was a neighbourhood hawker centre. There would be policemen swarming the area and enforcing the law within minutes.
"Why is the law different for these people? Is it because they're rich Chinese or white people? Do you think expats will be treated with the same disdain as migrant workers who broke the law?"
Another post, in 2018, was made in the context of the City Harvest Church ruling. Ms Raeesah had posted: "Singapore jails minorities mercilessly, harasses mosque leaders but lets corrupt church leaders who stole $50 million walk free. Who did they pay?"
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Conduct conversations on race, language, religion with restraint and mutual respect, says President Halimah at Parliament opening
At a press conference on July 5 - after it emerged that two police reports were made against her - Ms Raeesah said she regretted making "insensitive" and "improper" remarks, and apologised to those who may have been hurt by them.
She also said she did not mean to cause social division with her remarks, but had wanted to raise awareness about the concerns of minorities.
The Straits Times has contacted the WP for comment.
Singapore Police issue 'stern warning' to Workers' Party MP Raeesah Khan over online comments on race, religion
Workers' Party candidate Raeesah Khan speaks to members of the media on Jul 5, 2020. (Photo: Gaya Chandramohan)
17 Sep 2020 10:37AM (Updated: 17 Sep 2020 01:25PM)
Bookmark
SINGAPORE: The Singapore Police Force (SPF) has issued a "stern warning" to Workers' Party (WP) Member of Parliament Raeesah Khan over comments she made on social media in 2018 and earlier this year about race and religion.
"The police have completed their investigations and in consultation with the Attorney-General’s Chambers, have issued a stern warning to Ms Raeesah Khan for the offence of promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion or race," SPF said in a statement on Thursday (Sep 17).
The warning was issued for both social media posts made by Ms Khan on Feb 2, 2018 and May 17, 2020.
The warning was also issued for "an additional offence of contempt by scandalising the court" for Ms Khan's social media post on Feb 2, 2018.
READ: Police investigating WP candidate Raeesah Khan over alleged online comments on race, religion
Two reports were lodged against Ms Khan on Jul 4 and Jul 5 in relation to comments made by Ms Khan on social media.
Advertisement
"She allegedly commented that Singapore law enforcement authorities discriminated against citizens, and that compared to other groups, rich Chinese and white people were treated differently under the law," said SPF in a statement on Jul 5.
SPF added then: "In the context of a news article on the City Harvest Church ruling, Raeesah Khan allegedly commented that Singapore jailed minorities mercilessly, harassed mosque leaders but let corrupt church leaders who stole S$50 million walk free, and questioned who had been paid."
READ: WP candidate Raeesah Khan apologises for ‘insensitive’ remarks, after police announce investigation into her social media comments
Ms Khan is a first-term MP who was elected at the Jul 10 General Election. Her four-member WP team won the new Sengkang Group Representation Constituency with 52.13 per cent of the vote.
Source: CNA/dv
Tagged Topics
https://www.straitstimes.com/singap...-for-social-media-posts-which-promoted-enmity
WP MP Raeesah Khan given stern police warning for social media posts that promoted enmity between different groups
Published
3 hours ago
Updated
3 min ago
Facebook Twitter
Wong Shiying
SINGAPORE - Workers' Party (WP) MP Raeesah Khan has been given a stern warning from the police for social media posts that promoted enmity between different groups and committed contempt by scandalising the court.
The police, in a statement on Thursday (Sept 17), said they had completed their investigations in consultation with the Attorney-General's Chambers, following police reports lodged against Ms Raeesah on July 4 and July 5 this year during the recent general election campaign.
The police statement said the offences come under Section 298A(a) of the Penal Code for social media posts that Ms Raeesah, an MP for Sengkang GRC, put up on Feb 2, 2018, and May 17, 2020.
The additional offence of contempt by scandalising the court, for her 2018 post, comes under Section 3(1)(a) of the Administration of Justice (Protection) Act, police said.
Ms Raeesah, 26, was part of the four-member WP team that won Sengkang GRC at the July 10 polls with 52.1 per cent of the vote.
On May 17, she put up a post about an incident in Robertson Quay involving seven foreigners who were caught on camera ignoring safe distancing rules during the circuit breaker period.
Ms Raeesah, in her post, had said: "Do you see police officers here? Imagine if this was a neighbourhood hawker centre. There would be policemen swarming the area and enforcing the law within minutes.
"Why is the law different for these people? Is it because they're rich Chinese or white people? Do you think expats will be treated with the same disdain as migrant workers who broke the law?"
Another post, in 2018, was made in the context of the City Harvest Church ruling. Ms Raeesah had posted: "Singapore jails minorities mercilessly, harasses mosque leaders but lets corrupt church leaders who stole $50 million walk free. Who did they pay?"
Related Story
Conduct conversations on race, language, religion with restraint and mutual respect, says President Halimah at Parliament opening
At a press conference on July 5 - after it emerged that two police reports were made against her - Ms Raeesah said she regretted making "insensitive" and "improper" remarks, and apologised to those who may have been hurt by them.
She also said she did not mean to cause social division with her remarks, but had wanted to raise awareness about the concerns of minorities.
The Straits Times has contacted the WP for comment.
