On 13 May, a 59-year-old man was fined S$1,000 after pleading guilty to an unauthorised public assembly in Jurong. He had meditated while displaying a placard promoting the Falun Gong movement in July 2023.
SINGAPORE: A 59-year-old bus driver was fined S$1,000 on 13 May 2025 for taking part in a public assembly without a permit.
Peh Teck Hohad worn a placard promoting the Falungong movement while meditating on a grass patch along Science Park Road in Jurong.
The placard, displayed in Chinese, translated to: “Falun Dafa is good. Truthfulness, compassion, forbearance are good. Clean world network,” according to Lianhe Zaobao.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Jason Chua said Peh had parked his bus at Town Hall Link after completing his morning rounds on 5 July 2023.
He then placed Falun Gong-related messages on the front and rear windscreens of the vehicle.
He proceeded to the grass patch, where he meditated wearing the placard around his neck.
Chua noted that this was not Peh’s first instance of public Falungong promotion.
He had also posted similar writings in public areas in February and March 2023.
The prosecution requested a fine of at least S$1,000, citing the recurrence of such acts.
Peh’s lawyers, Foo Chuan Ri and Tan Seng Kiat, sought a lower fine of S$500.
They argued that Peh was acting from religious conviction without intending to offend.
They also told the court that Peh supports his family on a monthly income of about S$3,000, including a daughter studying in a polytechnic.
Under the Public Order Act, participating in a public assembly without a permit can lead to fines of up to S$3,000.
