Peoples Voice members stopped at Pasir Ris MRT station for demonstrating: Police

SINGAPORE — Three members from the opposition party Peoples Voice were demonstrating against politicians from another party around Pasir Ris MRT Station earlier this week when they were stopped by police officers, the police said on Saturday (June 27).

In response to TODAY’s queries, the police said in a statement that on Thursday at about 7pm, officers responded to a report and found the three men standing together around the MRT station.

One of them was holding a placard with a "photo collage of politicians from another political party", along with a Peoples Voice flag, they said. 

While the police did not specify which politicians were depicted on the placard, TODAY understands that they were from the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP).

“Their actions thus amounted to a public demonstration, which requires a police permit,” the police added, noting that the members had four other placards with the same photo collage.

The officers called for an ambulance when one of the members claimed that he had a medical condition, but he was not taken away after being examined. The officers then advised the trio to put the placard away.

In a Facebook post on Friday, Peoples Voice chief Lim Tean said that the members had been detained by police officers for more than two hours. 

“No charges, no legal reasons cited,” Mr Lim added.

Rebutting this, the police said: "Contrary to what has been alleged, the police officers did not inform (the Peoples Voice members) that there was no offence disclosed."

The police reiterated that political parties and their members can continue with their usual meet-and-greet sessions, which have been going on even before the Covid-19 crisis, subject to the prevailing safe distancing measures.

TODAY has reached out to Mr Lim for comments on the police's statement.

Another Peoples Voice party member, Mr Prabu Ramachandran, had said in a video streamed live on Facebook on Thursday evening that the three members — not including himself — were conducting outreach at Pasir Ris MRT Station that evening.

The MRT station is located within Pasir Ris-Punggol Group Representation Constituency, which Peoples Voice will be contesting in the upcoming General Election.

Separately, Peoples Voice conducted a mini walkabout around Pioneer MRT Station on Saturday, located in the Pioneer Single Member Constituency (SMC).

Mr Lim, who was present with Mr Ramachandran and some volunteers, formally introduced their first candidate for the election: Activist Gilbert Goh. 

Mr Goh is set to contest in Pioneer SMC, which the Progress Singapore Party, led by Dr Tan Cheng Bock, also plans to field a candidate.