Singapore: Harassment and criminalisation of activists, the media and critics under the Public Order Act and POFMA ahead and after elections

Singapore’s civic space is rated as ‘repressed’ in the CIVICUS Monitor’s People Power under Attack report. There are ongoing concerns about the use of restrictive laws as well as the harassment of human rights defenders. The 2019 Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) provides excessive powers to the government and has been used to target activists and critics, and block websites, while there are ongoing restrictions on peaceful assembly under the 2009 Public Order Act (POA).

In May 2025, Amnesty International published its annual report and noted that the government retained a tight grip on freedom of expression and assembly, suppressing dissent and criticism. Activists also faced charges for speaking out.

In the same month, Singapore’s People’s Action Party (PAP) extended its unbroken six-decade rule by winning its 14th successive election. The PAP – led by prime minister Lawrence Wong - which has ruled since before Singapore’s 1965 independence, won 87 of the 97 parliamentary seats up for grabs.

Since February 2025, the authorities have targeted activists mobilising on Palestine. Three women activists are being tried under the draconian Public Order Act for a walk in support of Palestine, while six individuals were questioned by police over a protest installation at a university. Authorities targeted supporters of an activist facing charges for candlelight vigils for prison inmates on death row, while a transgender woman was charged under the Public Order Act for a one-person protest.

Correction Directions were issued under POFMA to a YouTube channel and an opposition politician while the independent Online Citizen (TOC) news outlet continues to face harassment under the same law. A theatre performance was barred by authorities, foreigners' Facebook posts were removed under the election law, the government is suspected of using Israeli spyware, and an activist faced harassment.

Peaceful Assembly

Three women activists on trial for walk on Palestine

On 1st July 2025, three women activists - Mossammad Sobikun Nahar, Siti Amirah Mohamed Asrori and Annamalai Kokila Parvathi - appeared in the State Courts for the first day of their joint trial. Each faces a charge under the Public Order Act for organising a procession around the perimeter of the Istana, a designated prohibited area, without a permit. The three women, who have pleaded not guilty, are accused of staging the procession to express solidarity with Palestine.

As previously documented, on 2nd February 2024, approximately 70 individuals walked along Orchard Road towards the Istana - the office of the President - carrying umbrellas decorated with watermelon images as a symbolic show of support for the Palestinian cause. Their aim was to deliver letters to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. The protesters were urging the government to cease purchasing arms from Israel and to stop investigations targeting those peacefully expressing solidarity with Palestine.

The court is set to reconvene on 16th September 2025 for closing arguments and clarifications before issuing a verdict. If found guilty, the three may be sentenced to a fine of up to SGD 10,000 (USD 7,771) and/or imprisonment for up to six months.

Singapore laws on holding protests are extremely restrictive. The 2009 Public Order Act (POA) requires a police permit for any gathering or meeting of one or more people intending to demonstrate for or against a group or government, publicise a cause or campaign, or mark or commemorate any event. The only outdoor venue in which an assembly may be held without a police permit is Speakers’ Corner in Hong Lim Park. The law covers not only outdoor gatherings, but also those held indoors if they are in a place open to the public, or if the public is invited.

Six questioned by police over protest installation in support of Palestine

On 27th February 2025, the police visited the residences of six individuals, aged between 21 and 28, to investigate their alleged involvement in an installation on Palestine in January 2025, which the police described as a "staged memorial."

According to some Instagram accounts, "police officers showed up en masse and unannounced at the homes of students and alumni to search their rooms and seize devices." The police later confirmed that they had seized communication devices believed to contain evidence related to the offence, as well as clothing suspected to have been worn during the incident.

On the day of the visit, three individuals who were at home chose to have their statements recorded at their residences. Another person, who was also at home, opted to be interviewed the following day, along with two others who were unavailable at the time.

As previously documented, the investigation is linked to a case lodged on 13th January 2025, when a group of students and alumni identifying themselves as Students For Palestine Singapore set up a protest installation at the National University of Singapore (NUS). It featured 124 pairs of shoes and a white burial shroud placed outside the CREATE research building at NUS, which houses the Singapore-Hebrew University Alliance for Research and Education.

Two charged over foreign worker protests

On 27th May 2025, two individuals, Rebecca Rubini Ravinthiran and Vee Derrick Mahendran, were charged with abetting foreign workers in committing offences under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act (EFMA) and Public Order Act for unauthorised assemblies.

Ravinthiran allegedly instructed 15 foreign workers employed by her to gather outside two construction sites in October 2024 to demand outstanding payments owed to her company, Apex Engineering. No permits were granted for the assemblies. She allegedly instructed six Apex Engineering workers to gather with placards at a construction site on Jalan Satu, and nine others to do the same at a site on Tengah Garden Walk. Vee allegedly assisted by helping prepare placards the day before and coordinating with Rebecca on the mobilisation of the workers on the day of the protest.

Rebecca Rubini Ravinthiran faces a total of 17 charges, including two counts of organising a public assembly without a permit and 15 counts of instigating foreign employees to breach conditions of their work passes. Vee Derrick Mahendran has been handed 11 charges—two for abetting the illegal assemblies and nine under the EFMA for aiding in the instigation of foreign workers to violate their work pass conditions.

Authorities target supporters of activist facing charges

The authorities have also targeted those showing support for human rights activist Jolovan Wham. As previously documented, Jolovan was charged under the draconian 2009 Public Order Act in February 2025 for taking part in five candlelight vigils for prison inmates on death row.

Among them was activist Kristen Han, who disclosed on 28th March 2025 that she had received a message from the authorities regarding a new investigation, along with a request to be questioned, into the potential offence of participating in a public assembly at a protected area under Sec 15(2)(a) of the Public Order Act 2009.

According to The Online Citizen (TOC), the investigation is believed to be connected to a gathering held on 3rd February 2025 in support of Wham during his court appearance. The police have not yet clarified the scope of the investigation or the legal basis under which it is being conducted.

TOC also understands that Kristen Han is not the only person contacted by the authorities in relation to the event. Several other individuals who were present at the gathering have reportedly been approached to assist with investigations.

Transgender woman charged under the Public Order Act

On 26th May 2025, Lune Loh, a trans woman, was charged with two offences under the Public Order Act 2009: Section 15(2) and Section 16(2) for holding a one person protest without a permit, which carry potential fines of up to SGD 5,000 (USD 3,884) and SGD 3,000 (USD 2,330) respectively if convicted. The charges arise from a protest held on 31st March 2024 -Transgender Day of Remembrance - outside the Attorney-General’s Chambers and State Courts. The protest aimed to draw attention to the unjust treatment of transgender women in Singapore who are held on remand or incarcerated in male prisons. Loh was arrested at the scene and held in custody for around 10 hours before being released

In a statement released after the protest, Loh explained that many transgender women in Singapore - whether awaiting trial or serving a sentence - are placed in male prisons. This is because they are often pre-operative or non-operative due to financial constraints and are not legally recognised as female by state authorities. As a result, they are housed with cisgender male inmates and supervised by male guards. Therefore, it could be a deeply traumatic experience, amounting to a form of psychological torture and a violation of their dignity as women.

She is currently raising funds to cover the legal costs of defending these charges.

Expression

Correction Direction under POFMA issued to news outlet and YouTube channel

The Protection against Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA), as previously documented, is a sweeping piece of legislation which permits a single government minister to declare that information posted online is “false” and to order the content’s “correction” or removal if deemed to be in the public interest.

Human rights groups have highlighted how the Act contains vague and overbroad provisions; offers unfettered discretion to ministers and government authorities in making decisions; and lacks protection for freedom of expression and opinion, and access to information. It has been used against opposition politicians, civil society and the media.

On 25th February 2025, the Online Citizen (TOC) news outlet and Twenty Two Thirty, a YouTube channel, were issued a Correction Direction under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA). This was in response to its reporting on the tenancy at 26 Ridout Road of Minister for Home Affairs and Law, K. Shanmugam.

TOC published an article on 14th February 2025 entitled ‘Is Shanmugam Building a Palace at Ridout Road?’ and questioned why large-scale earthworks and extensive long-term modifications were taking place, even though the lease is set to expire in 2027. The directive was imposed two weeks after our article was published, despite months of TOC reaching out to Shanmugam for clarification, to which he never responded.

On 16th March 2025, the Twenty Two Thirty released a video discussing the same property. Both complied with the order; however, TOC maintained that it disagreed with the correction notice. Instead of clarifying the situation, the government responded by issuing a Correction Direction, compelling TOC and the YouTube channel to label its claim as false without offering a meaningful explanation to address concerns about transparency, policy inconsistencies, and accountability.

TOC said: “Instead of engaging in open and honest dialogue, the government has resorted to legal instruments to silence TOC. However, the public deserves full transparency, not intimidation. TOC stands by its reporting and will continue to ask the difficult questions that those in power seek to avoid. Singaporeans deserve answers—not censorship.”

Continued harassment of independent news outlet

The authorities have continued to harass The Online Citizen (TOC) news outlet for its independent and critical reporting of issues in Singapore.

On 11th June 2025, Singapore authorities extended the ban of TOC’s website and social media pages from deriving any financial benefits from their platforms until 2027.

TOC, a platform founded in December 2006, known for its political activism, was first designated a Declared Online Location (DOL) under Section 32 of the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) in July 2023. This designation was originally set to expire on 21st July 2025. The renewed DOL status, announced on 11th June 2025, follows government claims that TOC continued spreading alleged falsehoods.

Under Section 38 of POFMA, providing financial support to a DOL is prohibited if used to promote false statements of fact. Government sources claim the extension was necessary due to TOC’s continued dissemination of falsehoods over the past two years.

The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) expressed concern over the decision by the Singapore authorities and called on them to refrain from further eroding the country's already shrinking civic space.

Opposition politician received two more correction directions

On 21st March 2025, opposition politician Kenneth Jeyaretnam received his 10th correction direction under POFMA regarding his statements about the hiring of foreign auxiliary police officers (APOs). The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) flagged Jeyaretnam's claims as false, which suggested that APOs have the same powers as regular police officers, that the government hires foreign APOs to bolster the ruling People’s Action Party’s (PAP) hold on power, and that APOs' salaries are deliberately kept low to encourage the employment of foreigners. These statements were published on his website, The Ricebowl Singapore, as well as on Facebook and X on 9th March 2025. Following the Correction Direction, Jeyaretnam was instructed to add correction notices to his article and social media posts, along with a link to the government’s clarification.

Jeyaretnam, known for his outspoken views on various issues on social media, has previously been issued multiple correction orders for issuing online statements that the government claims to be false. The most recent order occurred on 14th March 2025, when he received his ninth POFMA order in response to a Facebook post. In the post, he claimed that the government uses its control over land supply and demand, through immigration policies, to deliberately drive up land prices, including Housing and Development Board (HDB) flat prices, in order to increase the value of Singapore's reserves.

As previously documented, in December 2023, the Minister for Communications and Information declared the website of Reform Party leader Kenneth Jeyaretnam, known as The Ricebowl Singapore, along with his associated social media pages on Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn, as "Declared Online Locations" (DOLs) - a term used to refer to online sites that allegedly contain multiple (more than three times) “falsehood”. As a result, from December 2023 to December 2025, Jeyaretnam is prohibited from receiving any benefits, including financial ones, from operating his website and social media pages.

Theatre performance barred by authorities

Just a day before its staging, a production by theatre company Wild Rice was pulled by the authorities in its latest act of censorship.

On 20th June 2025, the dramatised reading of Homepar by playwright Mitchell Fang was disallowed in its current form, said the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in a joint statement.

On 5th June 2025, Wild Rice submitted a revised script of the reading, which was reviewed by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) in consultation with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). IMDA determined that the new script violated the Arts Entertainment Classification Code (AECC).

Unlike the original version submitted on 21st April, the revised script featured substantial changes, including content that IMDA said ‘glamorised drug use’ and depicted an undercover Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) officer shielding drug abusers from detection. Authorities stated that such portrayals undermine Singapore’s anti-drug stance, rehabilitation efforts, and public trust in the CNB—issues considered contrary to national interest and therefore not permitted under the AECC.

Wild Rice responded promptly and firmly to the decision, rejecting the authorities’ claim and opted not to revert to the original script which met classification guidelines and could be performed with an R18 rating.

Foreigners' Facebook posts removed under election law

In April 2025, Singapore ordered Facebook parent Meta to block Singaporeans' access to posts made by foreigners ahead of a national election, under rules that undermine freedom of expression and critical discourse required in a democracy.

The Infocomm Media Development Authority issued the orders after some posts by foreigners were deemed as "intended to promote or prejudice the electoral success or standing of a political party or candidate". The rules bar foreigners from publishing online election advertising, which it defines as online materials that could help or hurt any political parties or candidates.

In one case, the Ministry of Home Affairs identified the foreigner as Iskandar Abdul Samad, national treasurer of the Islamist party in Malaysia that had expressed support for the opposition Workers' Party's Faisal Manap in a social media post. The government said the posts interfered with domestic politics and influenced citizens to vote on racial and religious lines.

Association

Government suspected of using Israeli spyware

There are concerns globally on the use of spyware by states to target activists and journalists as part of a system of repression. It can allow an attacker complete access to a phone or laptop’s messages, emails, media, microphone, camera, calls and contacts.

On 19th March 2025, Citizen Lab, a research group at the University of Toronto, released a report naming Singapore as one of six governments suspected of using Graphite spyware, developed by Israeli firm Paragon Solutions.

The researchers identified the spyware’s presence by analysing its server infrastructure. Using digital fingerprints, they traced Graphite-linked servers hosted by telecom providers in the suspected countries, indicating possible government deployment. Unlike traditional spyware that compromises an entire operating system, Graphite targets specific applications, making it more difficult to detect using conventional forensic methods.

The Singaporean government has previously faced scrutiny over its potential use of surveillance technologies but has not provided official responses. In an email, TOC’s Chief Editor Terry Xu directed five key questions to the Minister of Home Affairs, inquiring whether Singapore had ever used surveillance tools like Pegasus or FinSpy and what measures were in place to prevent unauthorised monitoring of opposition figures. As of the time of writing, Singaporean authorities have not responded.

Activist faces harassment following elections

On 6th July 2025, activist Han Hui Hui experienced harassment following the 2025 Singapore general elections.

Han Hui Hui is an activist from Singapore who works both independently and with the support of volunteers. She primarily uses social media to raise awareness about issues affecting the quality of life in Singapore and aims to empower its citizens. Her key areas of focus include public health, education, housing, and social welfare.

According to information received from Hui Hui, on 6th July 2025 she was confronted by a supporter of the ruling party, who began filming her, physically pushed her, and attempted to seize her belongings. The situation escalated and required police intervention.

Hui Hui expressed concern that the investigation could be used as a pretext to confiscate her devices. Additionally, videos she said were recorded documenting the incident were censored on multiple platforms, including TikTok and YouTube.