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SDP leader fined for making speech without licence in April 2006
By Shaffiq Alkhatib | Posted: 05 July 2010 1317 hrs
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SINGAPORE: Secretary-General of the Singapore Democratic Party, 44-year-old Chee Soon Juan has been fined S$5,000 for making an address without a licence at the open space between Blocks 259 and 260 Bangkit Road at Bukit Panjang on 15 April 2006.
One of his supporters, 44-year-old, activist Yap Keng Ho was fined S$2,000 for the same offence.
The court on Monday heard that Yap asked District Judge Jill Tan for the maximum sentence which is a fine of S$10,000.
That's because he wanted to "demonstrate his resolve" against what he referred to as "the unreasonable application of the law".
However, the judge said, the maximum sentence will only be handed out if the "case is the worst of its kind".
The Judge said the case involving Yap and Chee "doesn't fall into that category".
The two men committed the offence around the period of the 2006 General Election.
In his submission, Chee had told the court that he went to Bangkit Road with the intention to sell his party's newspaper, the New Democrat.
He said that their actions that day "cannot be construed as a speech".
They "did not publicise" their presence there beforehand and they did not "set up equipment to give a speech".
However, Deputy Public Prosecutor, S Sellakumaran said that "the relevant utterances" made by the two men were "highly suggestive that they did have the intent to make a public address that day".
The lawyer added that "common sense would dictate that if there was an opportunity for them to speak to their potential constituents and campaign on the issues, they would do so."
Chee has ten previous convictions while Yap has four. - CNA/vm
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Yap asked for the maximum $10,000 fine as he 'wanted to demonstrate his resolve against the unreasonable application of the Act'.
<!-- story content : start --> OPPOSITION leader Chee Soon Juan and a friend was fined $5,000 and $2,000 respectively on Monday for making public speeches without a licence in the lead-up to the 2006 general elections. They are appealing and were released on a $5,000 personal bond each.During the 15-day trial that started in March, Chee, 47, the secretary-general of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), and Yap Keng Ho, 48, a party supporter, argued that they were not speaking publicly.
They said they were merely promoting the sale of party publications on April 15 in 2008 near Bangkit Road in Bukit Panjang. Both had no lawyers.District Judge Jill Tan said the prosecution had proved that both men had addressed the public without a licence issued under the Public Entertainment and Meeting Act.
Asked by the court to explain why he was pressing for a light sentence, Chee said he had nothing to say. Yap instead asked for the maximum $10,000 fine as the businessman 'wanted to demonstrate his resolve against the unreasonable application of the Act'. However, Judge Tan said that the maximum fine was not appropriate in this instance.
