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Jolovan Wham charged for taking part in 5 candlelight vigils for death row inmates without permit

Not the first time Wham tangled with the law.

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February 03, 2025, 11:52 AM

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WhatsappSingaporean activist Jolovan Wham has been charged with five counts of taking part in a public assembly without a permit.

Wham was charged on Feb. 3 for attending candlelight vigils for death row inmates on five separate occasions between Mar. 29, 2022, and Apr. 26, 2023.

Five vigils

According to court documents, Wham took part in five public assemblies without a permit, in numerous locations.

On Mar. 29, 2022, Wham attended a candlelight vigil at 11pm outside Changi Women's Prison to mark the execution of an inmate named Abdul Kahar Bin Othman.

On Apr. 26, 2022, Wham took part in another candlelight vigil in the vicinity of Changi Prison on Apr. 26, 2022, at 1am, marking the execution of an inmate named Nagaenthran a/l K Dharmalingam.

Wham also participated in a candlelight vigil at the playground near Mariam Walk on Apr. 27, 2022, at around 5:55am. The vigil was also for Nagaenthran a/l K Dharmalingam.

On Jul. 22 at around 6:13am, Wham took part in another candlelight vigil at a bus stop outside Changi Prison to mark the execution of Nazeri bin Lajim.

On Apr. 26, 2023, at about 6am, Wham attended a candlelight vigil in the vicinity of Changi Prison to mark the execution of an inmate named Tangaraju s/o Suppia.

Each offence carries a fine of S$4,500 or 18 days' imprisonment in default.

According to The Straits Times, the deputy public prosecutor sought an eight-week adjournment for investigations to be completed.

He added that there is no plea offer for now as Wham is still being investigated for five other cases.

Wham's case has been adjourned to Apr. 1, said ST.

Candlelight vigils

Recently, on Jan. 23, Wham posted a video of his interaction with an SPF officer who came to stop Wham's candlelight vigil outside Singapore Changi Prison.

The SPF officer asked Wham and his group what they were doing, to which Wham replied that they were lighting candles.

The officer told Wham he could not light candles outside the prison as it was "against the law".

The officer then "advised" Wham that lighting candles outside the prison was "an offence" before telling them to leave.

When Wham asked the officer what "law" and "offence" the group was flouting, the officer did not provide any specifics, saying he was not there to discuss the law with Wham.

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Jolovan Wham (@jwham)

Following that incident, Wham shared on Jan. 25 that he received a letter from the SPF summoning him to the Bedok Division police station on Jan. 27.

Photo via Jolovan Wham/Instagram

Wham was then sent a letter summoning him to court to answer the five charges against him.

Photo via Jolovan Wham/Instagram

Previous convictions

Organised silent protest

In 2021, Wham was convicted of organising a public assembly without a permit, an offence under the Public Act.

He was also convicted of one charge of vandalism and one charge of refusing to sign his statement to the police, and two other charges were taken into consideration.

According to the SPF, Wham was sentenced to a global fine of S$8,000 or 32 days' imprisonment in default.

Wham stated that he pleaded guilty to the charges and paid the fine for refusing to sign his statement.

Instead of paying the rest of the fine, he served 22 days in prison—18 for organising a public assembly without a permit and four for vandalism.

Wham had organised a silent protest onboard an MRT train in 2017.

The demonstration was held in commemoration of the 30th anniversary of Operation Spectrum, when in 1987, 22 people accused by the government of plotting a Marxist conspiracy to overthrow the state were detained without trial under the Internal Security Act.

Several commuters — including Wham — were shown in photos holding the book 1987: Singapore’s Marxist Conspiracy 30 Years On.

Pieces of printed paper with the words, "Marxist conspiracy?" and "Justice For Operation Spectrum Survivors" accompanied them.

Illegal protest outside state court

In 2018, Wham shared a photo on social media of himself standing on the steps in front of the former State Courts building, holding a sign that read "Drop the charges against Terry Xu and Daniel De Costa".

That day, Terry Xu, editor of The Online Citizen (TOC), and Daniel De Costa, a contributor to TOC, were charged for publishing an article accusing the Singapore government's higher officers of corruption.

In 2022, Wham was convicted and slapped with a S$3,000 fine, CNA reported.

Held up a smiley face

On Mar. 28, 2020, Wham held up a cardboard sign with a smiley face drawn on it in Toa Payoh Central.

He did so in support of two Singaporean youths who were being investigated after holding up climate action signs without a permit.

The police said that by doing so, Wham had allegedly staged a protest without a permit.

The charge was eventually withdrawn.

Top photos via Jolovan Wham/Instagram

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