Singapore – Iris Koh, leader of the anti-vaccination group Healing the Divide, says that she has managed to raise close to half of the $100,000 she reckons she needs to pay her legal expenses
On Wednesday (Feb 8), she posted to her Facebook and YouTube accounts – a weepy video with a background of soft piano music a public appeal for donations to support her in her “fight for the truth”.
By Thursday afternoon, the video had been taken down from YouTube and Facebook, with no accompanying explanation.
“Please support my legal law suit,” she wrote across the top of her video.
Healing the Divide claims to be made up of “intelligent vaxxers,” but the Ministry of Health has issued public warnings about the group since November last year. The ministry said the group “adopts an anti-vaccination stance and claims to warn people about the dangers of vaccination” and has called them out for peddling falsehoods regarding Covid-19.
On Jan 28, Koh was charged with conspiring with a doctor, Jipson Quah, to defraud the Health Ministry by having certain people certified to have received the Sinopharm vaccinations when they had not.
On Feb 4, she was charged with obstructing a police inspector from discharging her duties. She allegedly tore up a printed copy of her statement which had recorded on Jan 25 at the Police Cantonment Complex.
Additionally, Koh is being investigated for allegedly flooding the hotlines of some government agencies, including the MOH, as well as endeavoring to disrupt operations at paediatric vaccination centers.
“I hope to raise any initial fee of one hundred thousand for legal purposes, and I hope that you can support me with this,” she said in her video.
By the following morning, Koh provided an update to her fundraising efforts, writing that $48,840.78 had come in from 280 donors, including a super generous soul who is said to have contributed $4,000.
In the video, Koh says, “I’m just a simple woman. I’ve always been a musician and entrepreneur all my life. I am not a conspirator. I’ve never gone against the government. And I’ve always been a law-abiding citizen my entire life.”
She insists that the only thing she is guilty of is “telling the truth about COVID-19 vaccinations”.
She spoke at some length about the charges she is facing, categorically denying the conspiracy charge, and adding that she regretted having torn up her statement.
As for her connection with her co-accused, Jipson Quah, she insists that she was only a client at his clinic.
Koh apologised for having torn her statement, and asked for the public’s understanding, saying that she had been under considerable mental and emotional duress at the time.
She also complained about how she had been treated by the authorities, when she was released from custody at Singapore General Hospital. She claimed that she was not allowed to take a shower or brush her teeth properly at a sink.
Koh added that she been under so much stress to the point of being diagnosed with “Graves’ disease,” an immune system disorder resulting in the overproduction of thyroid hormones, or hyperthyroidism.
She clearly believes her cause is a just one, saying that “millions” have stood up against vaccine mandates around the world. “I believe that Singapore will rise up too and I thank you in advance for your support,” she added.
That support will definitely be needed as Koh now faces a possible 20 years in jail if convicted of criminal conspiracy to make false representations.
As if that’s not enough, for voluntarily obstructing a public servant in the discharge of their duties, Koh faces up to three months jail and a S$2,500 fine.
/TISG
Read also: Healing the Divide’s Iris Koh ‘utterly disappointed in Worker’s Party’ and its leader
Healing the Divide’s Iris Koh ‘utterly disappointed in Worker’s Party’ and its leader