WP MP Raeesah Khan given stern police warning for social media posts that promoted enmity between different groups

Police reports were lodged on July 4 and July 5 over Sengkang GRC MP Raeesah Khan's social media posts. PHOTO: ST FILE

SINGAPORE - Workers' Party (WP) MP Raeesah Khan has been given a stern warning from the police for social media posts that promoted enmity between different groups and committed contempt by scandalising the court.

The police, in a statement on Thursday (Sept 17), said they have completed their investigations in consultation with the Attorney-General's Chambers, following police reports lodged against Ms Raeesah on July 4 and July 5 this year during the recent general election campaign.

The police statement said the offences come under Section 298A(a) of the Penal Code for social media posts that Ms Raeesah, an MP for Sengkang GRC, put up on Feb 2, 2018, and May 17, 2020.

The additional offence of contempt by scandalising the court, for her 2018 post, comes under Section 3(1)(a) of the Administration of Justice (Protection) Act, police said.

In a Facebook post on Thursday night, Ms Raeesah, who is an MP for Sengkang GRC, apologised, and said her intention was "never to cause social unrest or division".

She wrote: "I have spent most of my youth and adult life advocating, campaigning and organising for minority causes, such as working with families torn apart by incarceration, people with disabilities and women who have gone through sexual assault.

"In my passion, I have said things in a manner that may have caused hurt to certain communities. I apologise for this."

Ms Raeesah, 26, was part of the four-member WP team that won Sengkang GRC at the July 10 polls with 52.1 per cent of the vote.

On May 17, she put up a post about an incident in Robertson Quay involving seven foreigners who were caught on camera ignoring safe distancing rules during the circuit breaker period.

Ms Raeesah, in her post, had said: "Do you see police officers here? Imagine if this was a neighbourhood hawker centre. There would be policemen swarming the area and enforcing the law within minutes.

"Why is the law different for these people? Is it because they're rich Chinese or white people? Do you think expats will be treated with the same disdain as migrant workers who broke the law?"

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Another post, in 2018, was made in the context of the City Harvest Church ruling. Ms Raeesah had posted: "Singapore jails minorities mercilessly, harasses mosque leaders but lets corrupt church leaders who stole $50 million walk free. Who did they pay?"

At a press conference on July 5 - after it emerged that two police reports were made against her - Ms Raeesah said she regretted making "insensitive" and "improper" remarks, and apologised to those who may have been hurt by them.

She also said she did not mean to cause social division with her remarks, but had wanted to raise awareness about the concerns of minorities.

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