Singapore charged Jay Ish'haq Rajoo on 11 March 2026 with three counts under its online-falsehoods law; Human Rights Watch says he is the first person to face criminal charges under the Act
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Human Rights Watch reports that Rajoo was charged on 11 March 2026 with three counts of communicating 'false statements of fact' under section 7 of the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA), plus two counts of defamation and one count of promoting feelings of ill will between racial groups under the Penal Code. He had earlier received POFMA correction directions over TikTok videos in 2023 and 2025, which he complied with. HRW says that under section 7 an individual may face a fine of up to US$39,300, imprisonment of up to five years, or both. HRW and FORUM-ASIA have called for the charges to be dropped. HRW says the government stated the charges follow his 2025 video, which it said breached a conditional warning issued to him in 2024.
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