Published: 27 November 2025 Thursday. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online
Three young women in Singapore, Siti Amirah Mohamed Asrori, Kokila Annamalai, and Mossammad Sobikun Nahar, were expecting conviction for leading a pro-Palestine march under the country’s strict Public Order Act. With Singapore’s court cases historically having a 97% conviction rate and little tolerance for public protests, they were braced for jail time and fines.
The activists had led around 70 participants in February 2024 on a peaceful walk to deliver letters to the president’s office urging Singapore to cut ties with Israel over the Gaza conflict, where health authorities reported over 69,000 Palestinian deaths. They had prepared statements criticizing the system in case of conviction.
To the surprise of the nation, judge John Ng acquitted the three women on 21 October. The verdict was described by the women as surreal, a victory that could quietly transform Singapore’s civic landscape. Annamalai, 37, recounted her expectation of conviction and her readiness to speak out about what she believed was a flawed system.
The acquittal marks an unusual moment in Singapore’s legal history and demonstrates that even in a tightly controlled society, judicial outcomes can sometimes defy expectations. The case has sparked discussion about civic space and activism in the city-state.


























































































