Sitting in court awaiting the judge’s verdict earlier this month, three Singaporean women accused of organizing an illegal pro-Palestine protest were prepared to be outraged.
Living in a country where cases that come to court have a conviction rate of up to 97 per cent, and with a notoriously low tolerance for public protests and activism, Siti Amirah Mohamed Asrori, Kokila Annamalai and Mossammad Sobikun Nahar waited for a guilty verdict and faced up to six months in jail and a fine of S$10,000 (about £5,800).
They were charged, under Singapore’s strict Public Order Act, with organizing an “unlawful procession”, but on October 21 they were sensationally acquitted by Judge John Ng. talking to the independentThe women describe 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 on a peaceful walk along public roads to deliver letters to the president’s office demanding that Singapore cut ties with Israel over the war in Gaza, in which health officials say more than 69,000 Palestinians have died. The war in Palestine has become a sensitive issue in the country, which has a sizeable ethnic Malay-Muslim population and close ties to Israel.
“I was more confident that we would be convicted. So I prepared a statement to read in court after being convicted, you know, about how the system is screwed or whatever,” says Annamalai, 37. the independent.
The prosecution argued that the march was illegal because, although they were walking on ostensibly public sidewalks, their route passed through a prohibited zone along the outer perimeter of the Istana, Singapore’s presidential palace.
However, in his sentencing, Ng noted that there were no signs identifying the road as a prohibited area and the prosecution failed to prove that the women knew what they were doing was illegal, a crucial technical point that influenced the balance of their verdict. The tension in the courtroom dissipated, giving way to a wave of relief and quiet joy.
“It was a very strange reality, to be in court arguing over technicalities and legal arguments, when the essence of what we did was to be in solidarity with the Palestinians,” Annamalai says.
The women say they were forced to organize the protest because of Singapore’s continued friendship with Israel, despite having committed what a UN investigation has described as genocide in Gaza. As Singaporeans, the women said they found this “nauseating and infuriating”.
For Nahar, 26, the youngest of the three, the impulse was both moral and political. “There is an innate sense of responsibility towards the world and towards the people around it,” he says, especially towards the people of Gaza who have suffered tremendously. “What needs to be done, needs to be done.”
she tells him the independent that his actions were not planned for publicity; I didn’t expect them to become a big thing in the news. Nahar says she was motivated by the belief that more needs to be done in Singapore, where many people are unsure how to participate politically or hold the state accountable.
Beyond the courts, the acquittal has sparked conversations about resistance and courage in a society known for placing strict limits on dissent. Annamalai says what really moved the public was not just the verdict itself, but the stance the three women maintained throughout the trial.
They say that while they never directly discussed Singapore’s relationship with Israel during the court hearings, his choice to wear the colors of the Palestinian flag and keffiyeh The shawls at court made implicit reference to this, turning their clothing into an act of protest.
“The only statement you can make is what you wear to 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 would dress keffiyehs and the colors of the Palestinian flag. “It is the only voice we have… to show our defiance.”
Activists say her case has helped normalize dissent in Singapore (Kokila Annamalai)
“I think what has touched a lot of people in this case is the defiance that we have shown,” Annamalai says. “That is a very important energy to bring into our movement. In Singapore civil society… there is a habit of appealing to those in power rather than challenging them.”
Activists say her case has helped normalize dissent in Singapore. “We are trying to build a culture where the masses can mobilize,” says Annamalai.
For Nahar, Annamalai and Asrori, the trial became more than just a legal battle. It was about standing firm in their beliefs and showing that peaceful resistance still has meaning in Singapore.
His acquittal, although limited, is seen by young Singaporeans as a symbolic crack in an otherwise rigid system.
On social media, supporters have praised the three women as proof that dissent doesn’t always have to end in punishment, that even small acts of defiance can spark change.
Looking back, they hope the absolution inspires others to resist fear and embrace collective courage. “The biggest change that has happened in the last year and a half of our case is that the masses in Singapore really applaud the challenge,” says Annamalai. “That’s new. It’s a validation of the challenge as a strategy. Because it’s time for us to continue appealing to those in power.
“This victory means a lot. It’s about continuing to fight, even if the system is against us,” says Annamalai.