Fathership

Meet Annamalai Kokila Parvathi - the activist who wants to establish 'drug consumption areas' in Singapore

Despite Kokila’s extensive efforts—ranging from protests to leveraging the influence of prominent figures and international media outlets—none of the causes she champions have seen significant impact or tangible outcomes.

|5 min read
Meet Annamalai Kokila Parvathi - the activist who wants to establish 'drug consumption areas' in Singapore

Singapore's activism circle typically includes a familiar group of individuals. One notable figure making waves is Annamalai Kokila Parvathi.

Recently, the 35-year-old was charged in court on Thursday, June 27, for organising a procession without a permit around the Istana's perimeter, a prohibited area, on February 2.

Kokila, a civil activist, is said to have abetted the alleged offence by engaging Mossammad, Siti Amirah, Alysha Mohamed Rahmat Shah, Anystasha Mohamed Rahmat Shah, and other unknown persons in the commission of the act.

Who is Annamalai Kokila Parvathi?

According to her blog, Kokila is an "independent writer, researcher, facilitator, and community organiser based in Singapore."

She used to work as a Campaigns Manager with the feminist-rights group AWARE and later as one of the key operators for the Transformative Justice Collective (TJC), an anti-death penalty activist collective.

Her educational background includes tutelage at the National University of Singapore and Chinmaya International Residential School in Tamil Nadu, India.

Kokila Calls CNB x Mosques Drug Campaign 'Racist and Weaponising Shame'

Last Thursday, on the podcast "boldplaysg," Kokila called the "Dadah Itu Haram" (Drugs are non-halal) campaign—a collaboration between the Central Narcotics Bureau and 71 mosques in Singapore—'racist and weaponising religious shame,' where she criticised how the mosques has turned into places where people judge and police each other instead of promoting healing and acceptance.

Kokila advocates for 'Drug Consumption Areas' in Singapore

In the same podcast, she expressed her desire to legalise drugs in Singapore, proposing designated 'consumption areas' with harm-reduction services. She suggested that community and healthcare workers oversee these spaces.

Kokila cited Spain's 'effective' drug laws as a model for legalisation and regulation. However, her argument focused on prohibition instead of the ease of access to such drugs which is the main crux of the regulation.

According to a 2019/2020 report from Spain's Ministry of Health, an estimated 237,000 people aged 15-64 started using cannabis, with the highest uptake among males under 25. Additionally, 61,000 people used cocaine for the first time, with the highest initiation rates among males under 25.

In 2018, 222,200 students aged 14-18 in Spain started using cannabis.

Kokila also did not address how the problem affects not only the drug abusers but also those around them. She overlooked the point that drugs can ruin the lives of the users and those in their vicinity, potentially leading to broader social problems in Singapore.

Kokila's previous run-ins with the law

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Kokila had previously been issued a stern warning on December 5, 2017, and a 24-month conditional warning on November 30, 2021, for her involvement in other public assemblies without a permit.

In 2021, Kokila, along with a group of activists, held placards in front of the Ministry of Education (MOE) building. They staged a "peaceful demonstration" and requested Education Minister Lawrence Wong to end what they perceived as discrimination against LGBTQ+ students at MOE schools.

In 2017, she participated in a 'silent protest' on an MRT train to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Operation Spectrum, the code name for a security operation against a Marxist conspiracy to overthrow the government through violent means in 1987.

Kokila's efforts to mobilise students to engage in civil disobedience

The abrupt decision to terminate the Yale-NUS partnership in 2021 presented an opportunity for Kokila to strengthen the student movement and protect their rights within educational institutions. She called for immediate student action to ensure they are never again "assaulted" by decisions that deprive them of important aspects of their student life.

Kokila also urged students to form strong, independent unions to fight for the democratisation and socialisation of education, resisting the injustices of authoritarian, capitalist bureaucrats. This approach mirrors Joshua Wong's actions in Hong Kong, where he similarly rallied students for democratic reforms and social justice.

Kokila wants to rally citizens to cause chaos and disruption

In her blog, Kokila Annamalai outlined strategies for civil disobedience against the death penalty.

She urged various segments of society in Singapore to unite in protest:

She emphasised resilience, urging protests to extend beyond Hong Lim Park and social media, advocating for collective action to achieve abolition.

Kokila encourages foreign influence in Singapore’s domestic affairs

Kokila Annamalai, along with other activists, actively encourages foreign pressure on Singapore's death penalty laws.

Richard Branson, a well-known businessman and human rights advocate, amplified Kokila’s story about Tangaraju Suppiah by sharing it on his Virgin Group website. Tangaraju was sentenced to death for abetting the trafficking of over 1kg of cannabis. Branson’s involvement brought significant international attention to the case, underscoring the severity of the punishment for drug-related offences in Singapore.

Additionally, Kokila reached out to Vice World News, criticising the harshness of sentencing drug traffickers to death. Vice subsequently published her statements, where she emphasised the minimal evidence required for a death sentence and the high risk of wrongful convictions.

Maximum effort, minimal impact

Kokila’s extensive efforts—range from protests to leveraging the influence of prominent figures and international media outlets— and it seems that her latest effort is focused on criticising the efforts of mosques and Muslims for supporting Singapore's strong anti-drug policy.

None of the causes she champions have seen significant impact or tangible outcomes other than giving activism and activist groups a bad name.

Read next article ⬇️

Who is Nurul Afiqah, the activist who stormed Law Minister K Shanmugam's MPS?

Locum nurse by day, local disruptor by night.

|4 min read
Who is Nurul Afiqah, the activist who stormed Law Minister K Shanmugam's MPS?

What started as a polite exchange at a Meet-the-People Session (MPS) on Wednesday evening (Mar 12), spiraled into chaos at the Chong Pang Branch office in Nee Soon GRC.

Law Minister K Shanmugam found himself squaring off against a group of activists who stormed the session with a singular demand: a rhetorical back and forth over the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA)—Singapore’s 2019 weapon against online lies, and Palestine.

Activists branded Shanmugam a “coward,” flashed middle fingers, and clashed with volunteers trying to capture the melee on video.

Who Is Nurul Afiqah?

Enter Nurul Afiqah, aka Afiqah Kamel—a rising star in Singapore’s activist galaxy. By day, she’s a locum staff nurse; by conviction, she’s a megaphone for the downtrodden, tethered to Sick and Tired, a collective amplifying the voices of healthcare workers and patients.

Her first foray into public activism was on Labour Day 2024, Afiqah seized the mic, railing against the paltry wages and grueling conditions plaguing grassroots healthcare staff. But her fire burns beyond the hospital's burn unit—she’s a fierce advocate for Palestine.

Afiqah Kamel

Since December 8, 2023, she’s hosted Chapterwise Bookclubs every Friday night, first at Punggol - where she resides, and later on at Our Tampines Hub.

These aren’t your average book chats; they’re curated deep dives into the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Her activist streak flared in February 2024 with a cheeky “Free Airshow Attendee Shaming Service”—a satirical jab at Israel’s role in the Singapore Airshow.

Hungry for bigger waves, she teamed up with seasoned rabble-rouser Suraendher Kumaar, trading quiet defiance for full-on disruption.

The art of disruption

Afiqah’s baptism into disruptive activism kicked off on September 16, 2024, alongside Suraendher, targeting MP Edward Chia’s MPS in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC.

Edward Chia MPS

Armed with pointed questions about Singapore’s alleged ties to Israel’s actions in Palestine, they unleashed a verbal barrage. Chia humored them, and the night ended in a tense “agree to disagree,” with vague promises of follow-ups.

A month later, they cornered MP Sun Xueling—Afiqah’s own Punggol West rep—at her MPS.

The script was familiar: Singapore-Israel ties took center stage, and the back-and-forth felt like a broken record.

By January 2025, REACH, the government’s feedback arm, dangled a closed-door chat. Afiqah and her posse pushed for an open forum but got shut down.

REACH Meeting

The Playbook

The group, operating under the banner we.the.pofma, developed a clear modus operandi: "raid" MPS sessions, pose leading questions about Singapore-Israel ties, present a petition signed by over 70 people condemning Israel, and share interaction summaries on Instagram.

They’ve rallied the public with a battle cry—join the “ongoing initiative,” complete with talking points, constituency hit lists, and post-raid recaps.

Activist Strategy

Interactions reviewed by Fathership suggest the group plans to intensify MPS visits in the lead-up to anticipated elections later in 2025.

The People’s Action Party (PAP) tallies over 10 such ambushes across constituencies in recent months. They’ve slammed the group’s antics as disruptive and antisocial, lamenting the hijacking of a forum meant to serve residents.

Afiqah’s rebel alliance

Afiqah’s activism intersects significantly with Suraendher Kumaar (sometimes spelled Kumarr), a veteran activist known for championing workers’ rights, labor issues, minority rights, and the Palestine cause. Suraendher leads we.the.pofma, a seemingly collaborative group tied to prominent activists like Kokila, Kirsten Han, PJ Thum, Jolovan Wham, and Elijah Tay.

Activist Network

Suraendher Kumaar

His network also includes ties to Leon Perera, a former Workers’ Party member who resigned in 2023 over an infidelity scandal with Nicole Seah. Perera notably served as a keynote speaker at the launch of Suraendher’s People’s Manifesto in July 2024.

Afiqah, through Suraendher Kumar also works closely with SDP Young Democrats.

SDP Young Democrats

Afiqah’s on a collision course with Singapore’s status quo, hell-bent on spotlighting the Israel-Palestine saga and picking apart policies like POFMA.

She has opted for disruptive activism because her Chapterwise Book Club meets weren't impactful enough to change the world.

Trading quiet enlightenment for loud MPS ambushes proved disruptive activism is the real spice of life when polite discussion just won't cut it.