S'pore man, 59, who made TikTok videos, to be charged with defamation & attempting to promote ill will between racial groups

A 59-year-old man in Singapore will be charged in court on Mar. 11, 2026, in relation to four videos he had posted on TikTok in 2023 and 2025, which allegedly contained false statements of fact, as well as content promoting ill will between different racial groups.

According to a joint Singapore Police Force (SPF) and the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) Office news release on Mar. 10, the man had also made statements that were criminally defamatory of various public officials.

He will be charged with two counts of defamation and one count of attempting to promote feelings of ill will between different racial groups on grounds of race.

He will also be charged with three counts of communicating false statements of fact under POFMA.

Videos

In a video posted on Aug. 26, 2025, the man allegedly made remarks that promote ill-will between the Chinese community and other racial groups in Singapore.

The video alleged that the government was using its money and resources to nurture leaders only from the Chinese race, which is false, the release noted.

Prior to this, on Jul. 17, 2023 and Aug. 12, 2023, the man also posted videos on his TikTok account that contained false statements of fact.

In the video posted on Jul. 17, 2023, he said the government can trace votes in order to penalise voters.

In the video posted on Aug. 12, 2023, he said no one among low and middle-income Central Provident Fund (CPF) members who utilised their CPF monies to repay their Housing and Development Board (HDB) loan has met either the basic retirement sum or full retirement sum in their CPF accounts.

The release noted that these statements are false.

Conditional warnings

In relation to his videos posted in 2023, the man was issued with 24-month conditional warnings in 2024 by the police and the POFMA Office, respectively.

The conditional warnings required him to refrain from criminal conduct within the specified period.

Since he breached the conditional warnings by allegedly committing the offences arising from the video posted on Aug. 26, 2025, he is now also being charged for the offences arising from the 2023 videos, the release noted.

Man identified previously

CNA reported that it understands that the man is Jay Ish'haq Rajoo.

Jay had previously alleged that National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat had announced that the Singapore government would be "providing money and resources to attract mainland Chinese to Singapore, and nurture them for leadership positions".

Jay was issued a conditional warning by the POFMA Office in 2024 for failing to comply with previous POFMA correction directions.

Jay was the one who posted four TikTok videos between July and August 2023 that contained falsehoods relating to voting secrecy, CPF policies and the affordability of HDB flats, according to news reports previously.

Penalties

Those convicted of defamation face a fine, up to two years' jail, or both.

Those convicted of attempting to promote feelings of ill will between different racial groups on grounds of race face a fine, up to three years' jail, or both.

Individuals convicted of communicating false statements of fact face a fine of up to S$50,000, up to five years' jail, or both.

Top photos via Canva