Jolovan Wham is a Singaporean activist. He has previously served as executive director of the
Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics. The
International Federation for Human Rights has stated that he has been the target of judicial harassment, while
Amnesty International
Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and sup ...
have stated that "Singapore authorities have repeatedly sought to make an example of his activism to deter Singaporeans who might dare criticize the government."
Biography
In March 2019, Singaporean authorities launched an investigation for illegal public assembly after Wham had posted a photo on social media of himself holding a sign calling for charges against the editors of
The Online Citizen
The Online Citizen is a blogging platform based in Taiwan. Founded in December 2006 by Andrew Loh and Remy Choo Zheng Xi in Singapore, it is known for its political activism. It describes itself as a group of advocacy journalists who report on to ...
to be dropped.
In March 2020, Wham was fined for contempt of court after having made a Facebook post the previous year criticising the lack of independence of Singapore's courts. After refusing to pay the fine, he was sentenced to a one-week jail term.
In May 2020, Wham posted a letter of apology to
Minister of Manpower Josephine Teo
Josephine Teo Li Min (née Yong; zh, s=杨莉明, t=楊莉明, poj=Iôⁿ Lī-bêng, p=Yáng Lìmíng; born 1968) is a Singaporean politician who has been serving as Minister for Communications and Information and Minister-in-charge of the Cyb ...
after she threatened to sue him over accusations of corruption.
In November 2020, Wham was charged with illegal public assembly by Singaporean authorities after having held up a cardboard poster of a smiley-face outside of a police station in support of two climate activists who had been issued with summons for interrogation by police.
When a 68-year-old Singaporean named
Abdul Kahar Othman
Abdul Kahar bin Othman (1953/1954 – 30 March 2022) was a Singaporean drug trafficker who was found guilty in 2013 of two charges of trafficking a total of 66.77 grams of heroin in Singapore, and later sentenced to death by the High Court in ...
was sentenced to death and hanged at
Changi Prison
Changi Prison Complex, often known simply as Changi Prison, is a prison in Changi in the eastern part of Singapore.
History First prison
Before Changi Prison was constructed, the only penal facility in Singapore was at Pearl's Hill, beside t ...
on 30 March 2022 for drug trafficking, Jolovan Wham organised and spoke at a 400-men protest at
Hong Lim Park
Hong Lim Park, formerly known as Hong Lim Green and Dunman's Green, is a heritage park in the Downtown Core district of Singapore located next to the Parkroyal Collection Pickering hotel and Clarke Quay station.
The park is notable locally a ...
to show opposition to the Singapore government's use of the death penalty on 3 April 2022, and urged the government to abolish capital punishment, especially when another drug trafficker and Malaysian
Nagaenthran K. Dharmalingam
Nagaenthran a/l K. Dharmalingam (13 September 1988 – 27 April 2022) was a Malaysians, Malaysian drug trafficker who was convicted of trafficking 42.72 grams of heroin in April 2009 upon entering Singapore from Malaysia at Woodlands Checkpoint ...
was at risk of imminent execution due to him losing his final appeal five days before. Nagaenthran was hanged on 27 April 2022 at age 34.
See also
*
List of Singaporean dissidents
References
Singaporean activists
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wham, Jolovan
Year of birth missing (living people)
Living people