Police question activist Gilbert Goh after report made about foreigner at anti-CECA rally

It is not known how the foreigner was identified.

Belmont Lay | December 08, 2019, 04:34 AM

Gilbert Goh, a Singaporean activist who runs a non-governmental organisation counselling unemployed Singaporeans, is being investigated by the police.

Details of the investigation were revealed by Goh in a pair of Facebook posts on Dec. 6 and 7:

In the first post, he did not reveal the reason for being investigated, just that he was at the Police Cantonment Complex.

In the subsequent post, which showed Goh holding a sign in front of multinational Indian conglomerate Tata's headquarters in Singapore, he thanked supporters for their well-wishes, but refrained from stating the reason he was called up by the police.

According to CNA, a police report was made after a foreigner had allegedly participated in a Nov. 3 rally at Hong Lim Park organised by Goh.

The police received a report on Nov. 8.

However, there was no mention of who made the report, what was the nationality of the foreigner, or how the foreigner came to be identified at the event.

The regulations governing the use of Speaker's Corner is such that organisers must be Singaporean and must ensure that only Singapore citizens or permanent residents take part in the rally, according to the Public Order (Unrestricted Area) Order 2016.

A police permit is needed if foreigners are involved in the organisation, or participate in, an event at the Speaker’s Corner.

Anti-CECA protest

It was previously reported that some 1,000 people attended the protest against the Singapore-India Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) at the Hong Lim Park Speaker’s Corner.

CECA became a talking point after a man named Ramesh Erramalli was caught on video in October berating a security guard at the Eight Riversuites condominium in Whampoa.

Fake info

Contrary to rumours online, Erramalli is married to a local-born Singapore citizen and obtained his citizenship on the sponsorship of his wife, police later revealed in the wake of claims that the man was brought here on the basis of CECA.

Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing said on Nov. 9 that false information about free trade agreements were aimed to stoke fears among Singaporeans in times of economic uncertainties.

Chan also said the CECA trade agreement does not grant Indian nationals unconditional access into Singapore or immigration privileges.