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SWhile awaiting a judge’s decision in court earlier this month, three Singaporean women accused of organizing illegal pro-Palestine protests were ready to be outraged.
Living in a country that has a very high conviction rate in cases that reach court 97 percentAnd with very little tolerance for public protests and activism, Sati Amira Mohammed Asrori, Kokila Annamalai and Mosammad Sobikun Nahar awaited guilty verdicts and faced up to six months in jail and a S$10,000 (about £5,800) fine.
He was charged under SingaporeHe was charged under the strict Public Order Act with organizing an “illegal procession”, yet was sensationally acquitted by Judge John Ng on 21 October. talking to IndependentWomen have described the verdict as a surreal victory, and one that could be quietly transformative for the country’s civic landscape.
In February 2024, activists led about 70 people in a peaceful march on public streets to deliver a letter to the President’s office demanding that Singapore cut ties with Israel over the war in Gaza, in which health officials say have killed more than 69,000 Palestinians. The war in Palestine has become a sensitive issue in the country, which has a large ethnic Malay-Muslim population and close ties with Israel.
Annamalai, 37, explains, “I was pretty confident that we would be convicted. So I had prepared a statement to read in court after we were convicted, you know how the system is rigged or whatever.” Independent,
The prosecution argued that the march was illegal because, although they were marching on public footpaths, their route passed through a prohibited area along the outer perimeter of the Istana, Singapore’s presidential palace.
Nevertheless, in his judgment, Ng said that there were no signs identifying the road as a prohibited area and that the prosecution failed to prove that the women knew what they were doing was illegal, an important technical point that affected the balance of his judgment. The tension in the courtroom dissipated, giving way to relief and quiet joy.
Annamalai says, “It was a very strange reality that we are in court arguing about technicalities and legal arguments, when the essence of what we did was to be in solidarity with the Palestinians.”
The women say they were forced to organize the protest because Singapore’s friendship with Israel continues despite this UN investigation calls it genocide in GazaAs for Singaporeans, the women said they found it “nauseating and annoying”.
For Nahar, 26, the youngest of the three, the impulse was as much moral as political. “There’s this innate sense of responsibility to the world and to the people around us,” she says, “especially to the people of Gaza, who have suffered tremendously.” “What needs to be done needs to be done.”
she tells Independent that his actions were not designed for publicity; He didn’t expect that they would become a big deal in the news. Nahar says she was motivated by the belief that more work needed to be done in Singapore, where many people are unsure how to engage politically or demand accountability from the state.
Beyond the courtroom, the acquittal decision has sparked conversations about resistance and courage in a society known for its strict limits on dissent. Annamalai says that what really impressed the audience was not just the verdict, but the stance maintained by the three women throughout the trial.
He says that although he never directly discussed Singapore’s relations with Israel during the court hearing, his choice to wear the colors of the Palestinian flag and Sheet Shawl indirectly referenced this in court, causing her to change her attire in protest.
“The only statement you can make is what you’re wearing in court,” Nahar says. “The mainstream media will take pictures and use them in the article. So that’s the only message you can send. We’ll wear keffiyehs And the colors of the Palestinian flag. This is our only voice to show our defiance.”
“I think what has impressed a lot of people in this case is the defiance we have shown,” Annamalai says. “This is a very important energy to bring to our movement. Singapore’s civil society… has a habit of appealing to those in power rather than defying them.”
Activists say his case has helped normalize dissent in Singapore. “We are trying to create a culture where people can organize,” says Annamalai.
For Nahar, Annamalai and Asrori, the trial became much more than a legal battle. It was about standing firm on their beliefs and showing that peaceful resistance still means something in Singapore.
His acquittal, though narrow, is being seen by young Singaporeans as a symbolic crack in an otherwise harsh system.
On social media, supporters have hailed the three women as proof that dissent does not always end in punishment, that even small acts of defiance can make a difference.
Looking back, he hopes the acquittal will inspire others to resist fear and embrace collective courage. “In our case, the biggest change in the last year and a half is that the public in Singapore is really cheering for defiance,” says Annamalai. “This is new. This is an affirmation of defiance as a strategy. Because now is the time for us to continue appealing to those in power.
“This victory means a lot. It’s about continuing the fight, even when the system is stacked against you,” says Annamalai.