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Couple Who Wore Anti-Death Penalty Shirt Investigated By Police Under Public Order Act

2019-09-18 , 9:00 pm

What’s the most offensive shirt that you have in your closet?

I think mine would be the I Love HK shirt that my friend had gotten for me when he went to Hong Kong awhile back.

On first thought, you might think that that shirt is harmless and it means nothing more than your love for the country.

However, wear that shirt to China and you can be sure that you will be getting death stares from people all around.

You see, offensive shirts are the only offensive if worn in the wrong context.

Keep that in mind till the end of this story.

Creative?

It all started when the co-founder of Happy People Helping People foundation Mr Nafiz Kamarudinm, 38, had put up a Facebook post of his runner’s bib.

He explained in the post that he had decided to wear a runner’s bid bearing the message, “2nd Chances Means Not Killing Them” instead of his name.

He was going to run for the Yellow Ribbon Prison Run organised by the Singapore Prison Force.

Organisers Told Him To Change His Bib

On 12 September 2019, he posted on Facebook again. This time, it was about how the event organisers had called him to tell him to change the name on his bib.

The reason they gave was that the message was “not in line with their cause”.

Nafiz said that the reason was not only ironic but “moronic”.

However, he eventually changed his bib.

Thinking Out Of The Box?

After meeting with the staff personally to collect his new bib, he double-checked with the staff if he could appear in a T-shirt of his choice.

The staff said yes and pointed out that they had issued participants with an official t-shirt because they wanted everyone to be in yellow.

And this was the shirt that Nafiz and his wife wore on the day of the event.

The words: “#ANTIDEATHPENALTY” was printed on the back.

Offensive? Hmm…

Not Allowed To Run But Still Ran

The organisers informed the couple that they can’t take part in the race with the T-shirt. They gave them the same reason they had gave Nafiz – the message didn’t align with their cause.

They offered him another event T-shirt so that he could still take part but the offer was rejected.

His wife left the venue shortly after.

However, he ripped off his bib and threw it on the ground and ran parallel with the runners on the public road.

He only joined the runners when the barricades on the road stopped him.

He told TOC that his intention was not to blend in but hope that the other participants think they finished the race together.

Nafiz was asked to leave when he reached the Changi Prison Complex which was the endpoint of the run.

What The Committee Said

According to TODAYonline, it is inappropriate to use the run as a platform to advocate for other causes, or to campaign against existing laws.

The couple’s actions are a disservice to offenders, ex-offenders and their families whom the Yellow Ribbon Prison seeks to help.

So, do you think his shirt was offensive? I think that his shirt definitely disrespected the cause of the event.

Don’t get me wrong, he has a point.

But wrong time wrong place.