Singapore: Jolovan Wham charged for holding up a smiley face sign

To the casual observer, it is just a photo of a man holding up a smiley face - an image used hundreds of millions of times a day in messages across the world to say "happy".

But this smiley face on a Singaporean street is different. This smiley face has landed the man holding it in court, potentially costing him thousands of dollars in fines.

And despite the risks, this smiley face has also inspired a wave of smiley faces in support.

So what exactly about this particular smiley face has upset authorities in one of the world's wealthiest and most advanced nations?