SINGAPORE: Secretary-General of the Singapore Democratic Party, 44-year-old Chee Soon Juan has been fined S$5,000 for making an address without a licence at the open space between Blocks 259 and 260 Bangkit Road at Bukit Panjang on 15 April 2006.
One of his supporters, 44-year-old, activist Yap Keng Ho was fined S$2,000 for the same offence.
The court on Monday heard that Yap asked District Judge Jill Tan for the maximum sentence which is a fine of S$10,000.
That's because he wanted to "demonstrate his resolve" against what he referred to as "the unreasonable application of the law".
However, the judge said, the maximum sentence will only be handed out if the "case is the worst of its kind".
The Judge said the case involving Yap and Chee "doesn't fall into that category".
The two men committed the offence around the period of the 2006 General Election.
In his submission, Chee had told the court that he went to Bangkit Road with the intention to sell his party's newspaper, the New Democrat.
He said that their actions that day "cannot be construed as a speech".
They "did not publicise" their presence there beforehand and they did not "set up equipment to give a speech".
However, Deputy Public Prosecutor, S Sellakumaran said that "the relevant utterances" made by the two men were "highly suggestive that they did have the intent to make a public address that day".
The lawyer added that "common sense would dictate that if there was an opportunity for them to speak to their potential constituents and campaign on the issues, they would do so."
Chee has ten previous convictions while Yap has four. - CNA/vm
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