February 10, 2022, 04:31 AM
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Iris Koh, who is the founder of anti-vaccine group, Healing the Divide, has raised some S$30,000 out of her S$100,000 target to pay her legal fees in court hearings in the near future.
The 46-year-old is headed to court for allegedly lying to the Ministry of Health (MOH).
Raised S$30,000 within a day
She raised the money within a day after appealing for donations on Feb. 8, she said in response to media queries.
Video appeal for donations
Healing the Divide members stay connected via the "Healing the Divide Discussion" Telegram chat group.
The platform was where Koh put up her 12-minute video appeal for funds via PayNow.
The video is also on Facebook.
Koh said she has not tallied the number of donors, but said there were “a lot”.The biggest donor to date purportedly gave S$1,000.
She said: “I'm confident that I will raise the S$100,000. I don't know by when, but enough time for me to have money parked aside for my legal defence.”
Made multiple claims in video
She said she will declare to the public when the donation goal is reached.
She also gave her assurance that any money left over will go towards other legal efforts for Healing the Divide community.
This includes helping members make employment claims, as well as suing Health Minister Ong Ye Kung and the government “for judicial review”.
Koh also sounded defiant by insisting she has not said anything to cause her to be slapped with a Pofma (Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act) notice in 2021.
She said: "I want to state for the record that for the entire 2021, the website of Healing the Divide, and everything that I have written and produced in Zoom, has received zero Pofma from the government."
Recounting her time in hospital, Koh also said in the video that she was made to “shit and pee” next to her bed while warded, instead of allowing her to use a hospital toilet.
Timeline of events
Koh was initially denied bail on Jan. 23, during her first court appearance.
On Feb. 4, she was released after her husband put up a S$20,000 bail, only to be slapped with another fresh charge.
Background on Iris Koh's two charges
Number of charges currently: 2
Jan. 23: Charged with one count of conspiring with a doctor, Jipson Quah, to cheat MOH.
They allegedly passed off unvaccinated people as vaccinated with the Sinopharm vaccine.
Charged subsequently upgraded to criminal conspiracy to give a false representation to MOH, which is a more serious charge.
Feb. 4 Charged with obstructing a police inspector from carrying out her duties.
Koh had allegedly, in lockup, tore up a copy of the police statement that she refused to sign.
Koh will appear in court again on March 14.
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