Activist Gilbert Goh Opted to Go to Jail for 3 Days Than to Pay $1,200 Fine for Refusing to Sign Police Statement

By
Lin Jiawen
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After being convicted of protesting without a permit and refusing to sign a police statement after being arrested, local activist Gilbert Goh Keow Wah was slapped with a $3,200 fine just yesterday (19 August).

However, he’s not going to be paying for all of it.

Goh, who was previously convicted for the two offences on 26 July after claiming trial, decided to only pay the $2,000 fine for protesting without a permit.

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Instead of paying the $1,200 fine that was given to him for refusing to sign the police statement, his lawyer Lim Tean announced in court that Goh would go to jail for three days instead.

Here’s what happened.

What Happened

On 1 May last year, Goh held a sign outside the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) building urging the Government to suspend all incoming flights from India.

Based on court documents, Goh had a “public assembly to publicise a cause, namely, to persuade the Government to ban all flights from India” on that day.

The placard, which had the words “Please ban all flights from India we are not racist! Just being cautious” on it, was held up by Goh shortly after the Singapore Government banned all long-term pass holders and short-term visitors from India from entering the country.

Back then, this measure was implemented in order to try and combat a large increase in COVID-19 cases.

Additionally, apart from Goh, there was also another party involved who helped him take photos of him with the placard.

Prosecution’s Responses

In court, the prosecution sought a fine between $3,700 and $4,200 for Goh’s offences.

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Deputy Public Prosecutor Andre Chong also cited various factors to support the request, such as Goh using “provocative and sensationalist phrases” on purpose and “patent attempts” to sow discord between Singaporeans and “those of foreign origin”.

Apart from that, he also said that Goh “clearly aimed at unravelling the social fabric and community relations”.

Mr Chong also noted that the relationships between communities in Singapore that Goh attempted to break are the “bedrock upon which peace and progress in Singapore are founded”, and that such actions “must be dealt with firmly”.

“Lack of Remorse”

Apart from the various factors contributing to the proseution’s request, Mr Chong also highlighted Goh’s “complete lack of remorse” as seen from how he conducted himself.

According to the prosecution, Goh chose not to apply for a police permit before holding up the placard in front of the ICA building despite knowing that it was illegal to do so without a permit.

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“Despite this, he belligerently reiterated that he did not regret his actions and that he would rather go to jail,” Mr Chong noted.

In addition to that, Mr Chong also pointed out the fact that Goh had shared images of his protest through his Facebook and Instagram accounts, both of which had posts regarding the protest that were accessible by the public.

In particular, he posted six different posts about the protest on Facebook, garnering 8,569 likes, 3,573 shares, and 1,473 comments in total, and Mr Chong said that it “amplified” the harm caused to the parties involved.

His Facebook account has since been temporarily suspended.

Lim Tean’s Responses

On the other hand, lawyer and founder of political party Peoples Voice sought a fine of $1,500 for his client.

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He also said that the prosecution had attempted “quite unfairly” to portray Goh as someone who had gone out of his way to “perpetuate divisiveness”.

“Nothing can be further from the truth,” he said.

Apart from that, he also noted in court that Goh does not have any previous convictions, and argued that Goh did not sign the police statement due to considerations regarding the accuracy of the recorded statement.

Goh’s Charity Work

Lim Tean also brought up how Goh has been involved in extensive amounts of charity work to help the underprivileged and added that his client has acquired “huge praise” both in Singapore and internationally.

Goh also posts about his volunteer work and the people that he meets during these sessions on his Instagram account.

“His whole life, whole work is about inclusiveness,” Mr Lim highlighted.

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“He was trying to raise awareness, he was trying to advise the Government.”

Hunger Strike While in Jail

As for Goh himself, he has been uploading posts on his Instagram account frequently, giving followers updates regarding his impending jail sentence.

In particular, he also announced that he will be going on a hunger strike while in prison.

“I will be carrying out a hunger strike while serving my prison sentence in default of a fine on 19th August – only taking in fluid to sustain myself,” he wrote.

According to him, his strike is political in nature, and he is aiming for “better human rights and personal freedom in stifling Singapore whereby everything is tightly controlled”.

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During the sentencing, District Judge Luke Tan mentioned that Goh’s offence was one that required planning and that it was not a “spontaneous” incident.

He added that actions that might create tension and resentment between various communities in Singapore must be “frowned upon and discouraged”.

Under the Public Order Act, those who take part in a public assembly without a permit can be fined up to $3,000.

The punishment for refusing to sign a police statement is up to three months’ imprisonment, a maximum fine of $2,500, or both.

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Featured Image: Instagram (@gilbert.goh)

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Lin Jiawen
Email: [email protected]