Singaporean actors Lim Kay Siu and Neo Swee Lin are among six people charged over public assemblies opposing the death penalty.
The married couple, best known for their roles in the long-running sitcom Phua Chu Kang Pte Ltd, appeared in court in Singapore on Monday alongside journalist and activist Kirsten Han and three others, according to Channel News Asia.
Lim, 70, played Frankie Foo, the rival contractor and former school friend of the sitcom’s titular character, while Neo, 63, played Phua Chu Kang’s mother, Phua Ah Ma. Lim has also appeared in international productions, including Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender, in which he played Monk Gyatso, while the couple have performed together as a musical duo in recent years.
Lim, Neo, and Han were charged over a gathering outside Singapore’s State Courts on 3 February 2025, along with activists Annamalai Kokila Parvathi, 38, and Howe Wen Khong Rocky, 31. Ten Leu Jiun Jeanne-Marie, 56, was separately charged over two candlelight vigils outside Changi Prison.
The gathering was held in support of abolishing the death penalty, and police have said that the participants were taking part in a public assembly in a prohibited area without the required permission. The State Courts and their surrounding area are among the locations designated as prohibited areas under Singapore’s Public Order Act.
“Members of the public should apply for a police permit prior to organising public assemblies,” the police said, reported The Straits Times. “Those wishing to express their views but do not have a permit can consider the Speakers’ Corner, a long-established space for Singaporeans to express their views.”
Lim, Neo, Han, Annamalai, and Howe each face one charge of participating in a public assembly in a prohibited area. Howe faces three further charges over his alleged participation in candlelight vigils outside Changi Prison.
Ten faces two charges over alleged participation in the November 2024 assemblies outside Changi Prison.
The vigils were held in support of people facing execution in Singapore. Singapore retains the death penalty for murder, certain drug-trafficking offences, and serious firearms offences, with mandatory capital punishment applying to some offences and limited provisions allowing courts to impose life imprisonment instead in qualifying drug cases.
Annamalai and Howe were asked to change T-shirts carrying political symbols or messages, as was activist Elijah Tay, who faces separate charges under the Public Order Act, according to Mothership.
Lawyer Derek Wong, who represented five of the defendants, asked the court to release them without bail or on personal bonds. Howe, who was unrepresented, made a similar request.
District Judge Wong Peck instead set bail at S$5,000 (£2,950) for each defendant. Howe questioned the decision, telling the judge that his discretion should be “exercised lawfully”, to which Wong replied that he was “exercising his discretion”.
All six cases have been adjourned until 20 October.
The charges are part of a wider series of cases involving public assemblies in Singapore.
Earlier this month, activist Jolovan Wham was charged over alleged involvement in the February 2025 State Courts gathering and candlelight vigils outside Changi Prison. Workers’ rights activist S Suraendher Kumarr was also charged last week over three alleged public-assembly offences.
