Man, 59, charged for posting videos promoting ill will between racial groups and false statements

A 59-year-old man was charged in court on Wednesday (March 11) for posting four videos on TikTok in 2023 and 2025 which had content which promoted feelings of ill will between different racial groups and also false statement of facts. 

Jay Ish'haq Rajoo is also accused of defaming Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat in videos posted in 2023 and 2025 respectively. 

In a joint statement on Tuesday (March 10), the police and the Pofma Office said he had allegedly made remarks promoting ill will between the Chinese community and other racial groups in Singapore in a TikTok video posted on Aug 26, 2025. 

The man claimed that Chee had announced that the Government would provide money and resources to attract mainland Chinese to Singapore and nurture them for leadership roles. 

He had falsely stated in the same clip that the Government is using money and resources to nurture leaders only from the Chinese race.

A correction direction for the video was issued to Rajoo on Sept 7, 2025. 

The defamation charge involving Lee relates to an August 2023 video, in which Rajoo allegedly insinuated that Lee's nomination of his former personal lawyer Lucien Wong as Attorney-General showed nepotism and conflict of interest. 

Separately, the man had posted two videos in 2023 about the Central Provident Fund and voter secrecy which were false. He was subsequently issued a two-year conditional warning in 2024 for those videos. 

The joint statement said that the TikTok user had breached the conditional warnings by allegedly committing the offences arising from the video posted in 2025. 

He will hence also be prosecuted for the offences arising from the 2023 videos. 

The case will be heard in court again on April 8. 

The penalty for communicating a false statement of fact is a fine of up to $50,000 and/or jail of up to five years.

The punishment for attempting to promote feelings of ill will between different racial groups is a fine and/or up to three years' jail. 

Defamation carries a jail term of up to two years and/or a fine.

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lim.kewei@asiaone.com