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November 25, 2005
Singapore: Slanderer Of Muslims Spared Jail
We reported last month on the case of two bloggers who criticised Islam. Two people were convicted of posting "racist" remarks about ethnic Malays on a weblog.
Their comments came in response to Muslim complaints about dogs being transported in taxis. Nicholas Lim Yew, aged 25 and unemployed, was given a one-day sentence and was fined the maximum of $2,969 (US) for racist remarks against the Malay community, who comprise 13.7% of Singapore's population.
The original letter that started it all was written by one Mrs Zuraimah Mohammed, writing to the Straits Times:
ON JUNE 3, while I was on a bus, I noticed a taxi with a small dog in it.The Inquirer states that most Malay Muslims in Singapore belong to the Syafie sect, which forbids contact with dog saliva.The dog was not in a cage and was standing on the backseat beside its owner.
I am curious to know if cab companies allow uncaged pets to be transported in taxis. Dogs may drool on the seats or dirty them with their paws.
Animal shelter worker Benjamin Koh Song Huat, aged 27, was jailed for two one-month periods, ordered to run concurrently, for expressing opinions about this.
It transpires now that a third blogger, student Gan Huai Shi will not be serving a jail sentence, according to Terra.net, following a court case last month.
He had pleaded guilty of sedition after he posted remarks disparaging Malay Muslims, under a Sedition Act left in place after British colonial rule.
Gan Huai Shi's lawyer, Edmond Pereira, announced that instead of a jail sentence for the sedition charge, he has been given a term of 180 hours community service. "The court felt that probation was appropriate for him. The probation officer also recommended that he be put on probation", he said.
Gan Huai Shi has also been put on probation for two years.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at November 25, 2005 8:42 AM
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