Update (5 Jul): WP’s Raeesah Khan has apologised for her comments made on social media. Below is her statement:
My intention was never to cause any social division but to raise awareness to minority concerns. I apologise to any racial group or community who have been hurt by my comments. My remarks were insensitive and I regret making them. I feel really passionate about minority issues, regardless of race, and in my passion, I made improper remarks and I have to be accountable for them. I will fully cooperate with any police investigations.
WP chief Mr Pritam Singh clarified during a last-minute doorstop on Sunday (5 Jul) that Ms Khan will still run in GE2020 and the party will review the incident after the elections.
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Sengkang Group Representation Constituency (GRC) candidate Raeesah Khan is under police radar after reports were lodged against her for social media posts alleging racial discrimination by authorities.
According to the Singapore Police Force (SPF), 2 police reports lodged on 4-5 Jul said that the Workers’ Party candidate had made allegations about racial discrimination by law enforcement authorities.
In another post, she alleged that minorities were jailed and that mosque leaders were harassed but allowed corrupt church leaders who stole millions to walk free.
In some social media posts republished by Facebook sites, Ms Khan makes some allegations of racial discrimination by Singapore authorities.
One of them, dated 2 Feb 2018, alleges that mosque leaders were harassed and that minorities were mercilessly jailed, comparing these cases to City Harvest Church leaders being able to walk free.
Another post, dated 17 May 2020, notes that police patrols are frequent in her neighbourhood, but apparently not in Robertson Quay. The post links to an article about Robertson Quay crowds during the ‘Circuit Breaker’.
Ms Khan then asks whether the case would be different if the location was a neighbourhood hawker centre, saying that there would be policemen swarming the area “within minutes”.
Then she questions why the law appears different for the people shown in the picture, and asks if their fate would be the same if they weren’t rich Chinese or white people.
In the police statement, they said that they consulted the Attorney-General’s Chambers, who advised that an offence of promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion or race under Section 298A of the Penal Code is disclosed.
It seems that police are investigating her posts based on whether she committed such an offense.
If found guilty, offenders can be fined and/or jailed up to 3 years.
This case may adversely affect the WP’s chances in Sengkang GRC, despite the popularity of Dr Jamus Lim, who’s running alongside Ms Khan.
We’ve reached out to WP for comment.
Featured image adapted from Facebook.
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