An 85-year-old doctor was charged on Wednesday, February 26, for making derogatory remarks about Muslims in an internet post.
Kho Kwang Po was handed one charge for hurting Muslims' religious sentiments intentionally over his Facebook post on April 21, 2021.
His chargesheet revealed that Kho, a Singaporean, wrote and uploaded the message that included anti-Islamic remarks. The remarks implied that religious leaders were dishonest and connected Muslims to crime and bloodshed.
The Singapore Police Force said in a press release on Tuesday, February 25, that it was notified of the posts made on Kho's Facebook page on June 29 and 30, 2021. According to the authorities, investigations revealed that Kho had reposted screenshots of his abusive Facebook messages from five years prior on April 21, 2021.
The police added that Kho left Singapore in January 2022 while under investigation and didn't return until October 2024.
The physician did not have a lawyer when he appeared in court. When the judge had asked Kho what he planned to do, he said, "I think I will plead guilty." Kho refused to hire a lawyer for mitigation when the judge inquired if he would like to opt for it.
Following that, his case was postponed until April 9 in order to express his plea of guilty.
Kho previously made headlines as a co-author of a letter demanding that Singapore's COVID-19 vaccination program be discontinued.
An offender who willfully intends to offend someone's religious or racial sentiments faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison, a fine, or both.
