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SINGAPORE : The third racist blogger charged under the Sedition Act, teenager Gan Huai Shi, walked away on Wednesday with a probation sentence instead of a jail term.
Gan walked into court for his sentencing, just a day after his "O' level examinations ended.
A month ago, after he pleaded guilty, his lawyer Edmond Pereira had argued for the 17-year-old to be spared a jail term, considering his age and clean record.
The judge agreed and sentenced him instead to 24 months of supervised probation, with conditions, for posting inflammatory comments about Malays and Muslims in an online blog.
Gan will:
- undergo psychological evaluation and follow-up to address the death of his brother,
- attend counselling sessions to correct his misguided dislike of Malays,
- post a $10,000 bond to ensure good behaviour, and
- perform 180 hours of community service.
The judge suggested that part of Gan's 180 hours of community service to be done in Malay welfare homes like the Mohamidiyah and Pertapis homes so that he could have positive opportunities for interaction with the Malay community.
The judge also suggested attaching a Malay probation officer who could serve as a role model.
"I think it's an unusual order but the court wants to impress upon him that, look, you should get to know the community better. Obviously from the way things went, he did not fully understand them or know them," said Edmond Pereira, Gan's lawyer.
He added that both Gan and parents were happy with the probation order.
The sentencing comes in the wake of the landmark jail sentences handed down to Nicholas Lim and Benjamin Koh for racist blogging offences in October.
They were the first people to be jailed under the Sedition Act since 1966.
- CNA /ls
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