In an Aug 2 Instagram post, social activist Gilbert Goh said he will be carrying out a hunger strike, consuming only liquids, while he serves an upcoming prison sentence.
On July 26, Goh, 60, was convicted of one count of an offence under the Public Order Act and another for refusing to sign a statement he had given to the police.
He will be serving jail time in default of a fine.
His sentence will be announced on Aug 19, which is when the activist says he will begin the hunger strike. But he wrote in his Instagram post that he hopes the default prison sentence will not be more than a week to ten days.
“Hunger strikes were perpetuated by Mathama Gandhi who conducted many such personal acts while protesting against the British Empire’s rule – the longest was a 21-day hunger strike whereby he only took liquids,” he added.
Goh wrote that the aim of his “political hunger strike “ is “a better Singapore… for better human rights and personal freedom.”
“A hunger strike is more to reinforce one’s resolve for a certain cause than the actual fight for change – hopefully this will change the perception of the general population,” he added, asking the public for support in this endeavor.
He spoke to TISG in a brief interview.
When we asked the activist what he was doing to prepare for the hunger strike, he told us that he is exercising to gain more strength and energy as well as loading up on more carbohydrates and learning to meditate.
Goh also told us that Gandhi is his inspiration and that he has a vision for “a better Singapore” for “both locals and foreigners living together.”
He also shared with TISG the ‘theme’ or cause planned for each day of the strike, which include the following:
Goh, who leads a team of volunteers to provide meals and other essentials to the unhoused and needy, especially the elderly, was charged on Dec 15, 2021, with an offence under the Public Order Act.
He is said to have staged an unlawful protest on May 1 last year near the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority building at Kallang Road.
Goh held up a sign saying, “Please ban all flights from India. We are not racist! Just being cautious”, and posted a photo of himself on Facebook holding the sign up.
At that time, other than Singapore citizens and permanent residents, people who had been to India in the previous 14 days were not allowed to enter or transit through Singapore. That restriction was imposed following a sharp increase in Covid-19 cases in India.
The activist was also reported to have refused to sign his statement to the police on May 11, 2021, when the incident was being investigated.
/TISG