SINGAPORE — A 36-year-old man who wrote in a Facebook post that he wanted permission to “open fire” on lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders (LGBTs) was charged in court on Thursday (June 30) with inciting violence against the LGBT community. In a comment posted on June 4 this year, Bryan Lim Sian Yang said: “I am a Singaporean citizen. I am an NSman. I am a father. And I swore to protect my nation. Give me the permission to open fire. I would like to see these £@€$^*s die for their causes.”

The comment, made on the anti-LGBT Facebook page of We Are Against Pink Dot in Singapore, was in response to a post about foreign sponsorship for the annual LGBT event,  which was held at the Speakers’ Corner on June 4.

Lim, clad in a long-sleeved blue shirt and formal pants, was represented by lawyer Adrian Wee. No plea was taken from Lim on Thursday. 

Speaking to reporters after the hearing, Mr Wee said Lim was notified on Wednesday that he would be charged in court. Lim’s laptop and desktop computers were seized by the police on the same day, while his mobile phone had been taken away earlier during the investigation. 

After Lim’s post went viral, several police reports were made. He later apologised for what he described as a misunderstanding, and said his words had been taken out of context. 

“I did not mean physical bullets nor physical death. I mean open fire in debate and remove them from Singapore domestic matters,” he said. Lim also took down his Facebook page and deleted the offensive post. 

His employer, Canon Singapore, published a statement on social media stating that the firm was taking the issue seriously and was looking into it. 

Lim returns to court on Aug 4. For making an electronic record inciting violence, he could be jailed five years, fined or both. 

Bail has been set at S$10,000.