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- Jun 21, 2012
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1.
Police have arrested two 17-year-old male Chinese youths for allegedly posting racist remarks online.
They had allegedly made derogatory comments aimed at a minority race here and were arrested last Thursday and Friday. This came after two reports on the racist posts, found on Facebook and Twitter, were lodged last Wednesday.
The police said in a statement yesterday that the posts could "promote ill-will and hostility between different races in Singapore".
It is understood that the two suspects are not related. Investigations are ongoing.
Netizens expressed outrage on Twitter over the posts, calling the suspects "racist" and "shallow" after a screenshot of two offending posts went viral last Wednesday.
One tweet of the screenshot had at least 92 re-tweets.
The police said that they take a "stern view" of the matter, adding that the public "should let the investigations take their course and refrain from adding comments that may further inflame the situation".
Police added that anyone who re-posts or makes offensive comments on the racist posts, and is found to have committed an offence, "will be dealt with in accordance with the law".
This is not the first incident of online acts of racism by youth this year. In March, a Nanyang Polytechnic student known as Shimun Lai wrote racist remarks on her Facebook and Twitter accounts.
She eventually expressed deep regret and apologised for her actions.
Under the Sedition Act, anyone found guilty of promoting feelings of ill-will and hostility between different races or classes here can be fined up to $5,000, jailed for up to three years, or both.
[email protected]
2.
A Young People's Action Party (YP) member has resigned from the People’s Action Party (PAP) after one of his online posts sparked accusations of racism.
Mr Jason Neo, 30, had posted a religiously and racially offensive caption to a photograph which he uploaded on his Facebook page.
The posting showed a photo he had taken of a school bus with Malay children from Huda Kindergarten, in Woodlands, dressed in their uniform which includes traditional Malay headwear.
His caption said: 'Bus filled with young terrorist trainees?'
This posting, which was made in February before he joined the PAP, went viral recently.
An online furore followed, drawing criticism from Malay opposition politicians and playwright Alfian Sa'at, among others.
His actions were also condemned by YP leaders, including YP chairman Teo Ser Luck.
At least three police reports have been made against him, and the police are investigating the matter.
Mr Neo has also issued an apology on his Facebook page, saying he made the post was out of a "moment's folly" and did not, in any way, represent the view of the PAP or the YP.
He said: "I hereby offer those within our Muslim community and anyone else offended my most sincere and unreserved apology."
Mr Neo, a volunteer at Meet-the-People sessions in Sembawang, had joined the YP in June.
3.
SINGAPORE - The National University of Singapore (NUS), the Singapore Institute of Management (SIM) and the police are investigating a YouTube video of a drunk student making racist jokes.
The first-year SIM student, Justin Wee, 24, was captured on video spewing vulgarities and passing derogatory comments on Malays and Indians, The Straits Times reported.
There were also other voices in the video egging the student to tell "more Malay jokes or Indian jokes", to which the student responded: "My racist jokes damn awesome right?"
In the video, Mr Wee was unable to sit up properly and was propped up by a friend.
The SIM student told The Straits Times that he had joined a dance team at the NUS annual Rag Day and that the jokes were told when he was drunk.
The New Paper reported that an SIM spokesman had said that the school was "appalled by what we see on the video." The university is also deliberating on an appropriate disciplinary action.
NUS also confirmed with The Straits Times that the video was shot by an NUS student, and that the students involved in the video have been reprimanded for their behaviour.
Mr Wee meanwhile sent out an email statement of apology on Monday expressing regret for his comments in the video.
In his email, he said that he realised the video was on YouTube the day after the incident and his requests to make the video private were ignored.
He admitted that he was a "fool not to insist on it", the paper said.
[email protected]
4.
SINGAPORE - When Mr Ashveen Nair saw the racist tweet posted up by a Nanyang Polytechnic student, he almost immediately headed to the police station nearby to lodge a police report.
The business development manager at a recruitment company found the rant against Indians, which included expletives, offensive and felt that there was malice behind it.
The tweet, made in complaint of the overcrowding situation in trains, singled out the race by comparing them to dogs and saying that they should ride in a separate train cabin.
He explained his reason for reading malicious intent into it, saying that comments came across as having been thought through for a while.
He acknowledged that the student, Ms Lai Shimun, may have done so in a fit of frustration, but said he still felt the need to report her as a 'good citizen should'.
He said as he is not in a position of authority to contact her and tell her that what she did was wrong, he turned to the police to step in.
Mr Nair also felt that the comments were more damaging to local society than the comments made by Chinese national Sun Xu.
The National University of Singapore undergraduate scholarship holder was fined $3,000 and had his final semester scholarship benefits terminated for his derogatory comments made about Singaporeans.
He explained that Ms Lai's comments were worse as she is a local girl who insulted a minority race, as compared to Sun Xu, who is a foreigner insulting Singaporeans.
"Because she is a Singaporean - one of us - and should know better," he said.
Mr Nair is asking that Ms Lai issue a public apology and to explain her remarks to the local Indian community.
Ever since a media storm was ignited by her tweet, Ms Lai has been uncontactable. Her Twitter and Facebook page have also been deactivated.
While public opinion is largely against her, with netizens calling her a 'racist' and 'disgrace', others have said she was a victim of friends who spread her private rant that was meant to be shared with only a small circle of followers online.
Some even opinioned that Mr Nair is wrong for calling the police for such a small incident. But Mr Nair has justified his action saying that Ms Lai has to "come out to face the fire and clean up (her) mess" to answer to those she has offended.
[email protected]
5.
SINGAPORE - NTUC has fired an assistant director who posted a racist comment on her Facebook page.
In a statement on Monday, the NTUC said: "The NTUC takes a serious view on racial harmony in Singapore. We will not accept and have zero tolerance towards any words used or actions taken by our staff that are racially offensive."
The assistant director of NTUC's Membership Partnership & Alliance, Amy Cheong, had allegedly posted a disparaging comment on Facebook about Malay weddings at void decks.
Earlier on its Facebook page, NTUC Membership said: "Dear fans of NTUC Membership, we have been alerted of an inappropriate comment, allegedly made by one of our staff recently. This matter is being investigated and we will have a report in due course. This is a serious concern to all of us and will be addressed shortly. The Labour Movement centers on inclusivity and we will not accept words or action of any of our staff that is insensitive or offending to any community."
NTUC, or the National Trades Union Congress, is Singapore's labour movement, whose vision is for 'better and more meaningful life where working people of all collars, all ages, and all nationalities can live, work and play together in Singapore'.
Her comment generated a flurry of responses and comments online, including a Facebook page called FIRE Amy Cheong, which has 2,030 likes when last checked.
In a comment in the AsiaOne forums, a reader known as oldrupert said: "Such comments are uncalled for, rude and totally unacceptable in a multi racial society like ours."
Ms Cheong later posted another comment on Facebook, saying: "It is in no way a reflection of NTUC and the good works it has done and is doing for its members. It was my own bad judgement for which I truly regret. I certainly do not mean to distress the Malay community with my comment, I was just upset with the noise. I truly do not mean to be judgmental or critical. I am truly sorry.
She also later replied to various people on microblogging site Twitter with an apology, saying: "Hi All, It was a silly comment. It was not meant to be 'racist' comment and I do apologize for any distress it has caused."
"The postings on this site are my own and do not represent any organisation I am associated with," she said.
She also said: "After this episode, i have realized how one generic post can create so many hurtful and cruel posts from strangers."
Police have arrested two 17-year-old male Chinese youths for allegedly posting racist remarks online.
They had allegedly made derogatory comments aimed at a minority race here and were arrested last Thursday and Friday. This came after two reports on the racist posts, found on Facebook and Twitter, were lodged last Wednesday.
The police said in a statement yesterday that the posts could "promote ill-will and hostility between different races in Singapore".
It is understood that the two suspects are not related. Investigations are ongoing.
Netizens expressed outrage on Twitter over the posts, calling the suspects "racist" and "shallow" after a screenshot of two offending posts went viral last Wednesday.
One tweet of the screenshot had at least 92 re-tweets.
The police said that they take a "stern view" of the matter, adding that the public "should let the investigations take their course and refrain from adding comments that may further inflame the situation".
Police added that anyone who re-posts or makes offensive comments on the racist posts, and is found to have committed an offence, "will be dealt with in accordance with the law".
This is not the first incident of online acts of racism by youth this year. In March, a Nanyang Polytechnic student known as Shimun Lai wrote racist remarks on her Facebook and Twitter accounts.
She eventually expressed deep regret and apologised for her actions.
Under the Sedition Act, anyone found guilty of promoting feelings of ill-will and hostility between different races or classes here can be fined up to $5,000, jailed for up to three years, or both.
[email protected]
2.
A Young People's Action Party (YP) member has resigned from the People’s Action Party (PAP) after one of his online posts sparked accusations of racism.
Mr Jason Neo, 30, had posted a religiously and racially offensive caption to a photograph which he uploaded on his Facebook page.
The posting showed a photo he had taken of a school bus with Malay children from Huda Kindergarten, in Woodlands, dressed in their uniform which includes traditional Malay headwear.
His caption said: 'Bus filled with young terrorist trainees?'
This posting, which was made in February before he joined the PAP, went viral recently.
An online furore followed, drawing criticism from Malay opposition politicians and playwright Alfian Sa'at, among others.
His actions were also condemned by YP leaders, including YP chairman Teo Ser Luck.
At least three police reports have been made against him, and the police are investigating the matter.
Mr Neo has also issued an apology on his Facebook page, saying he made the post was out of a "moment's folly" and did not, in any way, represent the view of the PAP or the YP.
He said: "I hereby offer those within our Muslim community and anyone else offended my most sincere and unreserved apology."
Mr Neo, a volunteer at Meet-the-People sessions in Sembawang, had joined the YP in June.
3.
SINGAPORE - The National University of Singapore (NUS), the Singapore Institute of Management (SIM) and the police are investigating a YouTube video of a drunk student making racist jokes.
The first-year SIM student, Justin Wee, 24, was captured on video spewing vulgarities and passing derogatory comments on Malays and Indians, The Straits Times reported.
There were also other voices in the video egging the student to tell "more Malay jokes or Indian jokes", to which the student responded: "My racist jokes damn awesome right?"
In the video, Mr Wee was unable to sit up properly and was propped up by a friend.
The SIM student told The Straits Times that he had joined a dance team at the NUS annual Rag Day and that the jokes were told when he was drunk.
The New Paper reported that an SIM spokesman had said that the school was "appalled by what we see on the video." The university is also deliberating on an appropriate disciplinary action.
NUS also confirmed with The Straits Times that the video was shot by an NUS student, and that the students involved in the video have been reprimanded for their behaviour.
Mr Wee meanwhile sent out an email statement of apology on Monday expressing regret for his comments in the video.
In his email, he said that he realised the video was on YouTube the day after the incident and his requests to make the video private were ignored.
He admitted that he was a "fool not to insist on it", the paper said.
[email protected]
4.
SINGAPORE - When Mr Ashveen Nair saw the racist tweet posted up by a Nanyang Polytechnic student, he almost immediately headed to the police station nearby to lodge a police report.
The business development manager at a recruitment company found the rant against Indians, which included expletives, offensive and felt that there was malice behind it.
The tweet, made in complaint of the overcrowding situation in trains, singled out the race by comparing them to dogs and saying that they should ride in a separate train cabin.
He explained his reason for reading malicious intent into it, saying that comments came across as having been thought through for a while.
He acknowledged that the student, Ms Lai Shimun, may have done so in a fit of frustration, but said he still felt the need to report her as a 'good citizen should'.
He said as he is not in a position of authority to contact her and tell her that what she did was wrong, he turned to the police to step in.
Mr Nair also felt that the comments were more damaging to local society than the comments made by Chinese national Sun Xu.
The National University of Singapore undergraduate scholarship holder was fined $3,000 and had his final semester scholarship benefits terminated for his derogatory comments made about Singaporeans.
He explained that Ms Lai's comments were worse as she is a local girl who insulted a minority race, as compared to Sun Xu, who is a foreigner insulting Singaporeans.
"Because she is a Singaporean - one of us - and should know better," he said.
Mr Nair is asking that Ms Lai issue a public apology and to explain her remarks to the local Indian community.
Ever since a media storm was ignited by her tweet, Ms Lai has been uncontactable. Her Twitter and Facebook page have also been deactivated.
While public opinion is largely against her, with netizens calling her a 'racist' and 'disgrace', others have said she was a victim of friends who spread her private rant that was meant to be shared with only a small circle of followers online.
Some even opinioned that Mr Nair is wrong for calling the police for such a small incident. But Mr Nair has justified his action saying that Ms Lai has to "come out to face the fire and clean up (her) mess" to answer to those she has offended.
[email protected]
5.
SINGAPORE - NTUC has fired an assistant director who posted a racist comment on her Facebook page.
In a statement on Monday, the NTUC said: "The NTUC takes a serious view on racial harmony in Singapore. We will not accept and have zero tolerance towards any words used or actions taken by our staff that are racially offensive."
The assistant director of NTUC's Membership Partnership & Alliance, Amy Cheong, had allegedly posted a disparaging comment on Facebook about Malay weddings at void decks.
Earlier on its Facebook page, NTUC Membership said: "Dear fans of NTUC Membership, we have been alerted of an inappropriate comment, allegedly made by one of our staff recently. This matter is being investigated and we will have a report in due course. This is a serious concern to all of us and will be addressed shortly. The Labour Movement centers on inclusivity and we will not accept words or action of any of our staff that is insensitive or offending to any community."
NTUC, or the National Trades Union Congress, is Singapore's labour movement, whose vision is for 'better and more meaningful life where working people of all collars, all ages, and all nationalities can live, work and play together in Singapore'.
Her comment generated a flurry of responses and comments online, including a Facebook page called FIRE Amy Cheong, which has 2,030 likes when last checked.
In a comment in the AsiaOne forums, a reader known as oldrupert said: "Such comments are uncalled for, rude and totally unacceptable in a multi racial society like ours."
Ms Cheong later posted another comment on Facebook, saying: "It is in no way a reflection of NTUC and the good works it has done and is doing for its members. It was my own bad judgement for which I truly regret. I certainly do not mean to distress the Malay community with my comment, I was just upset with the noise. I truly do not mean to be judgmental or critical. I am truly sorry.
She also later replied to various people on microblogging site Twitter with an apology, saying: "Hi All, It was a silly comment. It was not meant to be 'racist' comment and I do apologize for any distress it has caused."
"The postings on this site are my own and do not represent any organisation I am associated with," she said.
She also said: "After this episode, i have realized how one generic post can create so many hurtful and cruel posts from strangers."
