Singapore Activist Called For Ban On All Flights From India, Convicted: Report

A Singaporean activist, who called for a ban on all flights from India last year, has been convicted for an offence under the Public Order Act, according to a media report.

Goh Keow Wah, 60, on May 1 last year had carried a placard that read: "Please ban all flights from India, we are not racist! Just being cautious." The activist later posted pictures of his activity on Facebook, The Straits Times reported.

Better known as Gilbert Goh, the activist was on Tuesday convicted of one count each of an offence under the Public Order Act outside the Immigration head office last year and for refusing to sign a statement which he had given to the police.

He will be sentenced on August 19.

The activist held a public assembly to publicise a cause without a permit outside the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) building last year, a week after Singapore barred all long-term pass holders and short-term visitors who had been in India in the past 14 days from entering or transiting here due to a surge in COVID-19 cases in India at the time, according to the Singapore daily report.

In their submissions, Deputy Public Prosecutors Andre Chong and Yohanes Ng said that by raising the placard up near the ICA, Goh was plainly publicising a cause.

"The accused admitted that he knew he was required to apply for a police permit. He conceded that he did not bother applying for one," the prosecutors added.

"A plain reading of the contents of his Facebook posts, which were sensationalist and provocative, shows that he intended by his actions to stir up anti-foreigner sentiment," the prosecutors added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)