'I was summoned': Singapore man charged for holding smiley sign outside police station

Singaporean activist Jolovan Wham has been charged for holding a piece of cardboard with a smiley face drawn on it, on a sidewalk in March. According to Wham’s social media posts, even though he stood alone for a “few seconds” the Singaporean authorities have deemed it as a “public protest” and he is now being charged for violating public order. According to the people outraged by the recent legal action taken against the 40-year-old, the law enforcement authorities and the entire case indicate the zeal of officials in Singapore attempting to restrict the free speech and public demonstrations. 

The incident led to ‘Smile in Solidarity’ movement on social media with hundreds of people posting and signing a petition in support of Wham as in March, he was showing support to another climate campaigner, Nguyen Nhat Minh who had stood in the same spot a few days earlier with a placard that said Singapore “is better than oil”. Many believe that actions taken against Wham show the “zero tolerance” approach of ruling authorities because even Minh was questioned for at least ten hours with his phone and laptop being seized. 

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Charges include December 2018 incident

According to the notice sent to Wham on November 19, the image of which is shared on social media, the 40-year-old is also being charged for a December 2018 incident when he had stood outside the main courts building to show support to two journalists who were facing charges of criminal defamation for an article that alleged corruption in the ruling administration. Each charge against Wham reportedly carries a maximum penalty of nearly $3,700 and the activist has confirmed to appear in court on November 23 to battle the charges. 

These charges against Wham came after he has already served two brief jail terms in 2020. As per reports, one for questioning the Singaporean judiciary independence and the next one for inviting Hong Kong’s pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong to speak virtually at an event that did not have a police permit. For both instances, Wham had chosen to serve time in jail rather than paying penalties. 

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