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Malay Mail
19-05-2025
- Malay Mail
Retired Singapore doctor fined RM33,000 for ‘objectively insulting' anti-Muslim Facebook post made despite prior warning
SINGAPORE, May 19 – A retired doctor in Singapore was fined S$10,000 (RM33,200) today for posting offensive remarks against Muslims on Facebook, which prosecutors said were made with deliberate intent. CNA reported that Dr Kho Kwang Po, 85, who no longer holds a valid practising certificate, had reposted the inflammatory content in 2021 despite receiving a prior warning over the original post in 2016. 'As a doctor, you should have known better than to propagate such views on the internet,' District Judge Eddy Tham was reported saying, highlighting he found Dr Kho's words 'objectively insulting' Two police reports were filed against Dr Kho: one from an anonymous individual who described the post as 'highly insulting' towards Islam, and another who alleged the doctor had posted similar content for years. Deputy Public Prosecutor Sean Teh initially told the court that while the offence could warrant jail time, the prosecution considered Dr Kho's age, guilty plea, remorse, and the limited reach of his post. Dr Kho's lawyers, Kenneth Au-Yong and Josiah Tan, told the court he was remorseful and had no intention of repeating the offence. 'He is not likely to repeat this offence, and as the [prosecution] said, he has shown remorse and made a plea of guilt,' said Au-Yong. The judge also noted Dr Kho's personal mitigation plea, in which the doctor admitted to being overly influenced by online content and failing to evaluate it critically. Judge Tham said he hoped Dr Kho had come to understand the consequences of his actions. Taking into account the prosecution's arguments, the judge agreed a fine was appropriate and imposed the maximum penalty allowed under the Magistrates' Courts.
CNA
19-05-2025
- CNA
Doctor fined S$10,000 over anti-Islam comments in Facebook post
SINGAPORE: A doctor who posted offensive remarks against Muslims in a social media post was fined S$10,000 (US$7,700) on Monday (May 19). Dr Kho Kwang Po, 85, is a registered medical practitioner whose practising certificate expired on Dec 31, 2020, the Singapore Medical Council previously told CNA. Two police reports were lodged against him - one by an anonymous person who stated that Dr Kho made racist remarks on Facebook that were "highly insulting" towards Islam. The other person reported that Dr Kho had posted seditious content denigrating Islam for "many years". Dr Kho, who was the only person with access to his account, first made the Facebook post on Apr 21, 2016, but reposted the same content on Apr 21, 2021, even though he had been administered a conditional warning over the original post. His post was available for the public to see, and Dr Kho intended for the public to view it, Deputy Public Prosecutor Sean Teh told the court. The prosecution urged the court to fine Dr Kho S$10,000, arguing that Dr Kho made the posts with some deliberation. Mr Teh said the offence would have ordinarily warranted an imprisonment term, but the prosecution had factored in Dr Kho's advanced age, his plea of guilt to the charge of deliberately intending to wound the religious feelings of Muslims, and how the posts had not gained significant traction. Dr Kho's lawyers, Kenneth Au-Yong and Josiah Tan, said their client apologised for his misjudgment. Mr Au-Yong echoed the prosecution's points about Dr Kho's age and the limited impact of the social media posts. "He is not likely to repeat this offence, and as the (prosecution) said, he has shown remorse and made a plea of guilt," said Mr Au-Yong. District Judge Eddy Tham said he found the words "objectively insulting". "As a doctor, you should have known better than to propagate such views on the internet," Judge Tham said. The District Judge added that he had read Dr Kho's personal plea in mitigation, expressing his remorse, where the doctor had admitted to being overly fixated on what he read on the internet, and accepting propaganda without critical examination. Judge Tham said he hoped that Dr Kho realised the folly of his actions. Referring to the grounds the prosecution had raised in arguing for a fine, Judge Tham agreed that a non-custodial term would be sufficient.
