Social worker and activist Jolovan Wham appeared at a Singapore court on Monday for standing alone outside a police station holding a placard with a hand-drawn smiley face in March.

He was showing support to young climate change activists charged for similar one-man protests. 

Residents are only allowed to participate in public assemblies with police permission at ‘Speakers Corner’, a small public park in the city. 

Singapore has strict laws on public assembly and tightly controls the media and freedom of speech and expression.