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GE2020: Police probing person who allegedly made report on WP candidate Raeesah Khan’s social media posts

SINGAPORE — The police said on Tuesday (July 7) that they are investigating a person using the Facebook moniker Abdul Malik Mohammed Ghazali for allegedly posting comments with the deliberate intent to wound religious or racial feelings.

Workers' Party candidate Raeesah Khan speaking to the media on July 5, 2020.

Workers' Party candidate Raeesah Khan speaking to the media on July 5, 2020.

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SINGAPORE — The police said on Tuesday (July 7) that they are investigating a person using the Facebook moniker Abdul Malik Mohammed Ghazali for allegedly posting comments with the deliberate intent to wound religious or racial feelings.

The moniker is the same one used by a person who claimed to have reported Workers’ Party (WP) candidate Raeesah Khan over posts she made in May this year and February 2018, which are also being investigated by police.

In its statement on Tuesday, the police did not make the link between the latest investigation and Ms Raeesah.

However, the Facebook and Twitter accounts of Abdul Malik Mohammed Ghazali — which have since apparently been taken down going by checks by TODAY on Tuesday — included numerous references to her.

On the Facebook page, the person claimed to be “glad I was one of the first to leak out and viral screenshots of her (Ms Raeesah's) Twitter account”.

“Thanks to the many unnamed sources with helping to provide the information as well,” the person added.

On Tuesday, the police said the person is also being probed for alleged harassment under the Protection from Harassment Act.

The police did not disclose his or her age or real name.

Ms Raeesah is a WP candidate for Sengkang Group Representation Constituency (GRC) in the July 10 General Election.

The police said on Sunday that her social media posts, which resurfaced during the hustings, were being investigated over allegedly promoting “enmity between different groups on grounds of religion or race”. Two reports had been made in relation to them.

The 26-year-old apologised for the posts later on Sunday, saying that it was never her intention to cause any social division. Rather, she was trying to raise awareness about the concerns of minorities.

WP chief Pritam Singh said then that while he was not aware of the two posts, he would be “a bit disappointed” if WP candidates tried to sanitise their past.

He also noted that Ms Raeesah is the youngest WP candidate in the election and is part of a generation that has grown up on social media.

A day after her apology, the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) called on WP to state its stand on the incident.

It said: “In fairness to voters, both in Sengkang and elsewhere, the WP should state its stand on Ms Raeesah’s posts, since she has admitted to making highly derogatory statements about Chinese and Christians.”

PAP also asked that Ms Raeesah make public her other posts, so that voters can assess her suitability to be elected into Parliament.

On Tuesday morning, Dr Tan Cheng Bock, the leader of opposition Progress Singapore Party (PSP), told reporters that the timing of the police reports against Ms Raeesah was an example of “gutter politics”.

Ms Raeesah is contesting the newly formed Sengkang GRC with Ms He Ting Ru, 37, Dr Jamus Lim, 44, and Mr Louis Chua, 33.

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