Blogger pleads guilty to being public nuisance, protesting without permit

SINGAPORE — Blogger Roy Ngerng was fined S$1,900 for organising a demonstration without approval at Hong Lim Park in September last year and for being a public nuisance. 

Ngerng, 34, pleaded guilty to both charges in court today. He is the second among six people accused of disrupting the YMCA Prom @ The Park 2014 event held on Sept 27, the same day as their Return Our CPF protest march. 

In March, a co-accused, 42-year-old Chua Siew Leng, was fined S$300 for causing public nuisance, with the district judge noting, among other things, that Chua’s involvement in the incident was minor. 

The remaining four — blogger Han Hui Hui, Goh Aik Huat, Koh Yew Beng and Low Wai Choo — have claimed trial and will have their cases heard next week.

The court heard today that between Sept 22 and Sept 26 last year, four applications were made to the Commissioner of Parks and Recreation to give a speech at the Speakers’ Corner within Hong Lim Park. All the applications were approved.

However, at no time did any of the four applicants, including Ngerng, seek approval to organise a demonstration at Hong Lim Park or Speakers’ Corner on Sept 27, said deputy public prosecutor John Lu.
Under the Parks and Trees Act, no one can carry out public speaking activities, organise or participate in an exhibition and performance, or organise any demonstration, without the approval of the Commissioner of Parks and Trees.

At about 2.20pm on Sept 27, National Parks Board (NParks) officers spotted some of the accused persons, along with a few others, gathering at the area next to the YMCA registration tentage and advised them to use the adjoining lawn. However, the group did not comply. 

The NParks officers subsequently spoke to Han and repeated their earlier advice but she insisted on holding the CPF event in the area where the YMCA event was held. 

The guest-of-honour for the YMCA event, then Minister of State for Trade and Industry Teo Ser Luck, arrived at Hong Lim Park around 5pm that day. 

At this point, the people attending the CPF event became more emotive. Ngerng also agreed with Han’s suggestion to “walk one round”, where both of them led a group of about 20 people to march four times around the general vicinity of the YMCA event, chanting slogans, blowing whistles and beating drums. 

Defence lawyer Eugene Thuraisingam pointed out that Ngerng was a first-time offender and has contributed to society, such as teaching children with autism for three years. He added that Ngerng was unaware that a specific approval was needed to hold a demonstration. 

In meting out the sentence, District Judge Liew Thiam Leng said that a fine was the appropriate sentence, but pointed out that Ngerng had higher culpability as the group’s leader. 

Asked by reporters later why he chose to plead guilty instead of claiming trial like the other four accused, Ngerng said all of them were doing this to help the country and he would like to focus on that. When asked if he would continue with Opposition politics, Ngerng said he would focus on “putting food on the table”.

For being a public nuisance, Roy Ngerng could have been fined up to S$1,000. For organising a demonstration without an approval, he could have been fined up to S$5,000.