Indian-origin activist among three women charged for staging protest in Palestinian's support in Singapore

Singapore: Three Singaporean women, including an Indian-origin activist, were charged in court here on Thursday for organising a procession of about 70 people that delivered letters to the presidential palace in support of the Palestinian cause without a permit earlier this year.

Those charged included Annamalai Kokila Parvathi, 35, and two women of Malay ethnicity, Siti Amirah Mohamed Asrori, 29, and Mossammad Sobikun Nahar, 25.

All were charged under the Public Order Act for organising an assembly or procession without a permit on February 2, along the perimeter of the Istana, a prohibited area, Channel News Asia reported.

Annamalai, a known civil activist, is said to have abetted the alleged offence by engaging Mossammad, Siti Amirah and others in her commission.

The three accused were represented by a lawyer, who asked for six weeks to make representations and said there was no indication of a plea.

The lawyer said he would be making an urgent application for Annamalai to leave the country in July to visit family, which will be heard separately, according to the report.

All three were offered bail of SGD 5,000 ($3,684).

Mossammad and Annamalai's cases were fixed for further mention on August 8, while Siti Amirah's case will be heard on July 25.

The police said Annamalai had previously been issued a stern warning on December 5, 2017, and a 24-month conditional warning on November 30, 2021, for her involvement in other public assemblies without a permit.

On February 2, about 70 people assembled along Orchard Road outside a shopping mall at about 2 pm and walked towards the Istana.

They carried umbrellas painted with watermelon images in support of the Palestinian cause amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

The watermelon colours are the same as those on the Palestinian flag, and the fruit has become a symbol of Palestinian solidarity.

According to social media posts, participants of the Letters for Palestine event walked from Plaza Singapura, a shopping mall just before the palace, to deliver letters addressed to then-Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the Prime Minister’s office in the Istana.

If convicted, each faces a jail term of not more than six months or a fine of up to SGD 10,000.