Tan Wah Piow - a third-year architectural student, and president of the University of Singapore Students Union (USSU) -- was charged, together with two others, with rioting inside the premises of the Pioneer Industries Employees' Union (PIEU), a trade union, whose general secretary was Phey Yew Kok, a member of parliament and rising star on the PAP firmament. Phey was also president of the NTUC.
The defendants claimed the riot within, and damage to, the premises had been fabricated by Phey Yew Kok. Vital defence witnesses were arrested on the morning of the trial, and deported.
Tan applied for the trial to be tape-recorded, which was denied.
All three accused were found guilty, and convicted. Tan was sentenced to one year's imprisonment, and his co-accused to one month's imprisonment each.