Singapore authorities have jailed a taxi driver for four months over a Facebook post in which he falsely claimed food outlets would close and urged people to stock up due to impending Covid-19 restrictions.

Kenneth Lai Yong Hui, 40, deleted the message sent to a private Facebook group with around 7,500 members after 15 minutes, case records show, but the public prosecutor called for a sentence that would deter others.

“The psychological fight to allay fear and hysteria is just as important as the fight to contain the spread of Covid19,” deputy public prosecutor Deborah Lee said in her sentencing submission, according to case records.

Opinion

Editorial

A new deal
Updated 16 Jun, 2026

A new deal

AFTER three and a half months of war between US-Israel and Iran and an acrimonious temporary ceasefire, a genuine...
Charter of economy
16 Jun, 2026

Charter of economy

NO one expected the PTI to accept the government’s invitation to sign a charter of economy; just as few expected...
Hostage seamen
16 Jun, 2026

Hostage seamen

SOME 50 days on, 11 Pakistani nationals are still in Somali pirates’ captivity. Their appeals to the Pakistani and...
Climate choices
Updated 15 Jun, 2026

Climate choices

The country is confronting increasingly volatile weather patterns with consequences for agriculture, infrastructure, public health and economic planning.
Brief opening
15 Jun, 2026

Brief opening

WE have been here before. Throughout the weekend, there was great anticipation that a tentative framework for peace...
Environmental disaster
15 Jun, 2026

Environmental disaster

IT was a heartbreaking sight. A recent news report in these pages carried a picture of a sea turtle lying half ...