Activist Kokila Annamalai contests charge of allegedly defying POFMA order in first such trial

Singaporean activist Kokila Annamalai, 38, faced trial on October 7, 2024, for allegedly defying a correction direction issued under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) in October 2024. The trial was the first of its kind since POFMA's enactment in 2019. Annamalai, whose full name is Annamalai Kokila Parvathi, faced allegations of making two false statements on social media about a death row drug trafficker.

The prosecution alleged that she claimed the government arbitrarily schedules and carries out executions without due legal process, and that the state does not bear the burden of proving drug trafficking charges against the accused. Annamalai's lawyer argued that POFMA did not apply to factual statements and opinions, and contended that the correction notice was overly long and exceeded the government's authority under the Act.

The prosecution insisted that Annamalai had ample notice of the correction directions and available challenges, but chose to ignore them. They urged the court to confine the proceedings to the elements of the charge and reject any attempts to introduce irrelevant issues. Annamalai's defense included allegations that she was suffering from health issues, which were granted bail with conditions, including a S$5,000 bail on top of her existing bail.