Tag: racial harmony

It’s been a week since the infamous E-Pay ‘brownface’ advertisement got called out for its portrayal of local artiste Dennis Chew as members of other races. The issue of racism has escalated since then, fuelled on by the chain of events that followed after: Preetipls’ K Muthusamy video, the apologies from each party, and the involvement of the Info-communications Media Development Authority (IMDA) and Ministry for Home Affairs (MHA). 

A lot has been said and done. There’s a lot of anger among Singaporeans and a lot of criticisms being thrown around at all the parties involved. But with so many people weighing in on social media, the discussions have—although well-intentioned—turned into just a whole shedload of noise. 

What Are We Arguing Over?

The entire saga has been blown out of proportion, to a point where many are just cherry picking behaviours they agree with and finding fault with parties they disagree with. It’s encouraging to see more Singaporeans getting involved in discussing a topic so close to our hearts, but it has also shown how ugly and bitter we can be with handling opposing viewpoints. 

The ad creators (Havas Worldwide Singapore) has since removed the contentious ad and released their apology statement. Despite the apology however, people still weren’t pleased.  

Screenshot taken from<a href=" Channel NewsAsia

The main gripe is that it is hard to understand how the ad creators could make such a mistake, especially since Mediacorp was already fined once for a similar incident in 2017. To most people, it also shows a cavalier attitude towards racism, which is highly unacceptable, particularly for groups of people whose actions have an impact on the masses. 

However, the fuel that sparked a greater divide was Preetipls and her brother’s rap video. While it was ostensibly understood to be a satirical parody video meant to depict the casual racism that minority groups face in Singapore, the way it was delivered only attracted the ‘wrong’ kind of attention. 

“Chinese people always f***ing it up” - possibly the most controversial line that got people riled up
Screenshot taken from Reddit 

IMDA stepped in to call Preetipls’ video to be removed and MHA criticised the video, as well as the Nair siblings' apology for being 'mock’ and ‘insincere’.

However, when IMDA and MHA stepped in, it was seen by many people as a move by the government to silence discussions. Judging from the comments one can find across social media, some also see this as a move for the government to take the side of the ad creators, since the Nair siblings seem to be receiving more flak from the authorities than Havas, or any parties involved in the production of the E-Pay ad, are getting. 

Screenshot taken from a Facebook friend's page

Let’s first establish that whether it’s the ad creators, the Nair siblings, the authorities, or any politician, I believe that whatever they have said or done are out of good faith. 

However, we also have to acknowledge that these individuals could have done better in addressing the situation, especially when there’s an increasing need to be even more racially sensitive.

No Point In Invalidating Each Other

For one, none of us should invalidate any of these parties’ experiences. 

In the case of the Nair siblings' video and subsequent apology, many people fought for and against them. 

Those who supported them felt that despite the seemingly offensive lyrics against the majority Chinese race, the video was just an edgy way to get people to listen to the grievances of minorities. And for one to take offence would mean that one is being overly-sensitive, or not being able to take self-deprecating humour.  

Though objectively, the lyrics alone were more offensive than respectful or meaningful. One can replace the race with any other race and it will be equally offensive.

Likewise for Preetipls as an experienced content creator, it should be known the kind of power that content (especially on social media) has on people. And it is quite clear that a content that literally raps about a certain race always “f***ing it up” would only create a greater divide among the racial groups. 

Screenshot taken from a Facebook friend's page

On the other hand, it’s no secret that there’s racism in Singapore and we must acknowledge that the Nair siblings would have had their share of unpleasant race-related experiences to have come up with what they had. 

Knowing the motivations that all parties have in this saga, I respect the right for the Nair siblings to want to raise awareness on the issue, but I disagreed with her video because even if it’s satire, there are better ways to get the message across. 

Yes, being controversial will get people to listen, but it is different altogether when it is fodder for more contemptuous remarks against each other. 

And on that part, perhaps IMDA and MHA could have done better when they first stepped into the picture. There’s long been displeasure with the government, and their heavy-handed approach of immediately denouncing and calling for the video to be taken down without first acknowledging the experiences the Nair siblings had only gave people more reason to criticise them. 

Should IMDA Have ‘Clamped Down’ On The Video?

However, when you put yourself in the shoes of a ministry, especially one whose vision is to “make Singapore our Safe and Secure Best Home”, it is a tough decision that needs to be made. For a country that has spent the last 50 odd years trying to build a racially harmonious society, I’d say we’ve done a pretty good job in cultivating a society that respects each other as fellow Singaporeans.

But there’s also a very important need to acknowledge that yes, there are many little nuances in our society, like casual, but hurtful racist remarks, that affect people. I am not a minority and I cannot speak for them on the kind of racism they face, or how they truly feel about casual racism. But what I do know is that race and religion issues are very close to each of our hearts, and if not handled properly, is something that constantly threatens to divide us. 

And for MHA, this is a serious matter. Singapore cannot afford another racial riot. In Minister’s Shanmugam’s latest Facebook post, he also elaborated on Racism and the reason behind his stance on the saga involving Preetipls’ video: “If everyone starts discussing race and religion in the way they did, then you will in fact get more racism, not less.”

I spoke to 20-year-old Hafez, who facilitated the first Youth Conversations session on Race and Religion last year. A Persian who has had his share of unpleasant brushes with racism, shared how even though the E-Pay advertisement was “done in poor taste and was inappropriate for our Singaporean context, the lyrics, gestures, and insinuations used in the Nair siblings' rap video could hurt people and cause more racial tensions.”

“At the same time, it can lead to a normalisation of trading insults and slurs between people of different racial groups, seeding resent and unhappiness between friends, neighbours, and strangers.”

We are nowhere near the extreme racism that minority groups in other nations face, but what minorities face here, are these little but equally important microaggressions that potentially create an “Us vs. Them” mentality. 

So What’s Next?

There’s no winner in fighting to pin the blame on someone. All of us know that there’s a certain degree of ‘wrong’ in all that has happened, so instead of harping on the ‘wrongs’, we can do better in figuring out what we can do moving forward. 

As much as there are many people making a lot of extremely one-sided and downright revolting comments online, majority of Singaporeans are actually hopeful for a racially harmonious society, and are very receptive to helping us achieve that.  

Perhaps this also comes apt as we are counting down to another national day. We are reminded of how delicate maintaining the peace is, in the sense where one insensitive remark or behaviour can threaten to put Singapore back 50 years. 

Hafez added, “I encourage everyone to join the conversation on race and religion; but do so in a manner that actually forwards a good intention for Singapore.”

There will always be some people who are simply racist and for them, there’s nothing we can do. However, I truly believe that many are either not aware of how their comments are hurting another individual and just require more exposure on how to be racially sensitive. 

And because these are issues that are so close to our hearts, the power is in us to control the narrative. Nobody with enough power could have said or done the ‘right thing’ that appeases every side but how we choose to move on, stronger together, lies within us.

Also read: 'I Converted To Christianity And My Muslim Friends And Family Condemned Me'.

Singapore is known to be a racially harmonious country, but are we really? Slightly over a week ago, we posted a video where an Indian girl shared about her experience with racism in Singapore. Hundreds of comments came in, with many Singaporeans sharing their own run-ins with racism in our country. Recently, there was also a huge hoo-ha surrounding a Facebook post by local actor Shrey Bhargava, in which he expressed his disappointment and disgust over being told to perform as “a full blown Indian man” and to “make it funny” at the Ah Boys To Men 4 casting. He said the incident made him “feel like a foreigner in my own country”. The post caught the attention of Shrey’s friends and followers, with many agreeing that minorities are often typecasted into moulds the majority has set. The post garnered even more attention when Singapore blogger Xiaxue posted her thoughts on it. She explained how “movies are chockful of stereotypes” and said Shrey should “stop being so hypersensitive and uptight”. Many Singaporeans also took to their social media to weigh in on this whole ‘Minority VS Majority Race Thing’. This is all worrying proof of how divided we are right now. Take for example the Geylang Serai Ramadan Bazaar. What should have been a happy celebration over the Ramadan period has become the subject of heated racial debates. What is happening, guys?

Non-Halal Items At A Ramadan Bazaar

The Geylang Serai Ramadan Bazaar have been around for a long time. Spanning the entire month of Ramadan, the annual bazaar is more than a glorified festival or pasar malam. The bazaar is meant to be a celebration of the traditions and heritage of the Muslim community, tying in Muslim beliefs like giving back to the community, abstaining from anything Haram (forbidden by Islamic law), and spending time with loved ones. This year's Ramadan Bazaar boasts 1,000 F&B stalls – a large number, which had the team at The Halal Food Blog raising their eyebrows. With that, they went through the tedious effort of checking out every stall at the bazaar <a href=" suss out what’s halal and what’s not. What they found: “it seems like just around 50% of the stalls could be verified as Halal or Muslim-owned. The other half were either not Halal/Muslim-owned OR when we asked, they were not able to justify whether or not their stall was Halal.” There were stalls that put up makeshift signs that say “Halal” or “Halal Foods”. Upon probing, they were told by the stall attendants that it’s “no pork no lard”. The blog post stirred the sentiments of the Muslim community. Some find it disrespectful, because it taints the very existence of a Ramadan Bazaar – why is there non-halal food in a Ramadan Bazaar? For some, it boils down to giving basic respect to the Muslim community, whether it be by giving priority to Muslim tenants, or by being transparent about whether their food and beverages are halal or not.

Conversation With A Muslim Friend Of Ours

Racially Sensitive Remarks

The other issue plaguing the bazaar is even more troubling as it touches on issues of Chinese privilege and of Malays being a minority. It all started when local influencer Ellie posted Instagram Stories about the bazaar with captions like “Food sucked. Don’t go to (the Ramadan Bazaar)”, and “Sucked Balls”. Twitter user Dil (@punkylemon) responded with screen captures of these IG Stories, coupled with a tweet saying “What makes you think the ramadan bazaar is for your privileged chinese ass.”

Image captured from @punkylemon’s Twitter profile

With over 3,000 retweets, it seemed the public consensus was with Dil; Ellie was being rude and disrespectful to the Bazaar and/or the Muslim tradition. Dil followed up with several related tweets.

Images captured from @punkylemon’s Twitter profile

Ellie, who goes by the moniker ell4d on Twitter and Instagram, has since removed the Stories in question and has posted a public apology.

Image Credit: @ell4d’s Twitter profile

There are those who sided with Dil on “Chinese privilege”, as you can see from the following tweets.

Image captured from @asyikinyusoff’s Twitter profile

Image captured from @jobot935’s Twitter profile

Image captured from @punkylemon’s Twitter profile

Tweets on the other end of the spectrum came in too.

Image captured from @hadi_abd92’s Twitter profile

Image captured from @SIYUAN20’s Twitter profile

Image captured from @KereneRawrhs’s Twitter profile

What’s wrong? What’s right?

Is the bazaar getting too commercialised for its own good? Now that more non-Muslims are flocking to the bazaar for the food and festival vibe, are Muslims bothered by it? As a Muslim in Singapore, how affected are you when non-Muslim Singaporeans make remarks like those mentioned above? Instead of deciding for ourselves, we asked our Muslim friends and here are their thoughts.

Natasha: I think it’s insensitive to make such remarks but I try to think of it positively.

Ain: I do get annoyed, but when did we become so intolerant of one another?

Maira: I don’t really care about such comments, but generally people should watch what they post.

Siti: I’m not offended, everyone is entitled to their opinion.

We all have our own personal beliefs, but in this racially hypersensitive time, we think all of us should be more aware of what we say to one another. What do you say? Also read People Leave, But You Don't Have To Be The One Left Behind (Top Image Credit: theodysseyonline)