SINGAPORE: The Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) has filed an appeal with the High Court against a correction direction issued to the party in June last year.
The appeal was filed on Monday (21 April).
The correction order had been issued by Minister for Home Affairs and Law, K Shanmugam, under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA), in response to the party’s statements regarding a case involving three women charged with organising a procession along the perimeter of the Istana without a permit.
In a Facebook post on Tuesday (22 April), the SDP said it had submitted an originating application to the High Court on Monday to challenge the correction order.
The party cited two main grounds for its appeal.
“Firstly, we argue that we did not make the first subject statement that we are accused of making,” the party said.
“Secondly, we believe that Part 3 of the POFMA — and by extension, the correction directions issued under POFMA — is an impermissible derogation from Article 14 of the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore, the highest law of our land.”
The SDP also explained that it was taking action now to prevent a repeat of what it described as the circumstances surrounding the last General Election.
“July 2020 was the month when the highest number of correction directions in history were issued,” it noted.
Background of the Case
The controversy stems from statements made by the SDP regarding three women — Annamalai Kokila Parvathi, Siti Amirah Mohamed Asrori, and Mossammad Sobikun Nahar — who were charged on 27 June 2024 with public order offences.
The women had allegedly organised a pro-Palestinian procession near the Istana on 2 February 2024 without a police permit. The Istana is designated as a prohibited area under the Public Order Act (POA).
Following the charges, the SDP published social media posts on 27 and 28 June 2024, stating that the women were prosecuted for expressing solidarity with the Palestinian cause.
It argued that the case reflected “the continuing inability of the PAP-led Government to be tolerant of the views and actions of those it disagrees with.”
In response, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued a correction direction on 29 June 2024, refuting the SDP’s claims.
The ministry clarified that the prosecution was based on the unauthorised nature of the procession in a restricted area, and not because of the women’s political views.
While the SDP complied with the correction order, it continued to criticise the government’s actions, calling them an infringement on constitutional rights and accusing the authorities of hypocrisy.
The party also highlighted a perceived contradiction between the government’s stance and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s stated vision of inclusivity and democratic discourse.
Appeal to Vary 2024 Correction Order Rejected
On 8 April 2025, the SDP submitted an application to vary the correction direction, stating that the appeal aimed to raise important issues ahead of the 2025 General Election.
The party reiterated that it did not claim the women were prosecuted solely for supporting Palestine, but said it was defending the constitutional right of citizens to express themselves peacefully.
It also raised concerns about the use of POFMA, noting that the legislation had been “used at an unprecedented rate” during the 2020 General Election.
The SDP emphasised that individuals must not be penalised for statements they did not make.
On 11 April 2025, the Minister for Home Affairs and Law, K Shanmugam, rejected the application to vary the correction direction.
In a statement, the MHA said the application had been carefully reviewed but was found to have no merit.
It reaffirmed that the SDP’s original posts contained falsehoods and confirmed that the party had been notified of the Minister’s decision.
The ministry maintained that the women were charged specifically under Section 15(1) of the POA for organising a procession at the Istana, a location protected under Section 12 of the same Act and the Public Order (Prohibited Areas) Order, which prohibits all processions without prior approval.
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