Police not taking further action against SMRT Feedback page on its post about S'porean Muslims

All investigations and enquiries into the matter will cease.

Sulaiman Daud | July 12, 2021, 08:13 PM

The police will not be taking further action against Facebook page SMRT Feedback by the Vigilanteh.

Syazana Yahya, a lawyer who lodged a police report after the page questioned the loyalties of the Singaporean Muslim community in times of conflict, shared that according to the police, the case will be closed.

Letter

Speaking to Mothership, Syazana shared that the police had sent her a letter on the status of the report.

The letter is dated June 29, 2021. The text of the letter is reproduced verbatim below:

"Dear Ms Syazana,

Police Report - [Number]

You reported a case to the police on 22 May 2021.

After careful considerations of the facts and circumstances of the case and in consultation with the Attorney-General's Chambers, the police have decided not to take further action.

All investigations and enquiries into the matter would cease and the case will be closed. We take this opportunity to thank you for your cooperation during the course of this investigation."

The letter was signed by an Inspector from Bedok Police Division.

Reaction

Syazana added that she had previously given a statement to the police regarding this case as well.

Of the letter, she said she was surprised, but she accepted the decision.

However, she said that she wished the authorities could explain why the decision was made.

She added that she and others who were enraged by the post made by SMRT Feedback would have appreciated that.

The incident

SMRT Feedback shared a post on May 21 that called into question the loyalty of Singaporean Muslims towards their country in times of potential conflict.

Syazana made a police report, explaining her decision in her own post:

"The FB post is seditious. It casts aspersions on a Singaporean Muslim’s loyalty to its nation. It falsely suggests that when a Muslim person is in a war with a religious element, he/she will turn his/her back on Singapore."

SMRT Feedback took down the post and made an apology.

After that, it changed its Facebook vanity URL name. As of July 12, its URL has been changed back to the original one.

At the time, Syazana noted the apology, but said that she would proceed with her complaint as historically, apologies have never absolved individuals of liability.

Playwright Alfian Sa'at also weighed in, saying that while he was "ambivalent" about getting the police involved, they did have the power to expose the identities of the person or people who run the page through an official investigation.

"And I think it’s important that a page that purports to be a widely-read forum for social commentary be able to have names and faces attached to their opinions. Anonymity is often impunity."

Related stories:

Top image from SMRT Feedback by the Vigilanteh Facebook page and Kamil K via Google Maps.