Singapore court charges Indian origin man for e-mails containing abusive language

A Singapore court on Thursday charged a 72-year-old Indian-origin man for using abusive language towards the city-state's public servants and a Member of Parliament, a local media reported.

Manickam Manohar, who is a Singaporean national, reportedly sent multiple e-mails to the Marsiling-Yew Tee Town Council, containing accusations of unlawful conduct and abusive comments directed at Chinese-origin Member of Parliament (MP) Hany Soh.

The e-mails were sent between August 19 and October 6, 2025.


Manickam was handed six charges in total under the Protection from Harassment Act, The Straits Times reported.

His case will be heard in court again on July 9, it added.

In emails to Soh, Manickam accused her of "receiving cheating money", "misusing her MP power unnecessarily by keeping a criminal", and that she "behaves exactly like a criminal", reported the Singaporean English daily.

He also sent e-mails containing abusive language to a town council employee, who is also of Chinese descent, calling him a "useless manager" and falsely accusing him of "stealing" and "cheating", the report added.

The police said on Wednesday that the accused had previously been investigated for similar offences under the Protection from Harassment Act due to abusive conduct directed at the same MP and various town council employees.

"Members of the public who have concerns regarding municipal or public service matters should raise them through appropriate official channels," the police said in a statement.

The police have zero tolerance for harassment and abusive conduct directed at public officers and town council staff who carry out their duties in the service of the community, it added.

Offenders charged with using or communicating abusive words or materials towards a public servant may face a fine of up to SGD 5,000 and a jail term of not more than 12 months.