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.
