In a shocking incident of racism in Singapore, a Chinese man was caught on camera making derogatory remarks to an interracial couple. The video of the incident went viral on social media after the victim, Dave Parkash shared it on his Facebook page.
Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam, described the entire incident as “quite unacceptable” and “very worrying.” He further added that while he doesn’t have the full facts of the story, it seemed like more people are finding it acceptable to make “in-your-face” racist statements openly.
Expressing his disappointment, Mr Shanmugam said that he used to believe that Singapore was moving in the right direction in terms of racial tolerance and harmony, but in the light of recent events, he is “not so sure” anymore, according to The Straits Times report.
Here’s what happened on Sunday with Dave Parkash:
Racism In Singapore: Chinese Man Accuses Singaporean Of ‘Preying’ On Girl
Image courtesy: Facebook
In the five-minute video, the Chinese-Singaporean man is seen accusing Mr Parkash of “preying on a Chinese girl.” He further adds that a Chinese woman should not be with an Indian man.
He told the couple that they should only date people of their own race.
In the video, Mr Parkash clarified that he is half-Indian and half-Filipino while his girlfriend is half-Singaporean-Chinese and half-Thai.
He said, “We both are mixed-race but we are proud to be Singaporeans.”
The Chinese man called himself racist and even blamed the couple for being racist because they were from different races.
Elaborating the entire incident on Facebook, Parkash shared that they were humiliated in public as if they did something wrong.
“I feel we shouldn’t be publicly shamed just because of our skin colour. Love is love. Love has no race love has no religion. You and I should be able to love whoever we wanna love. Let’s not become like this man in the video. To this man who may end up watching this, I hope you learn to stop being a racist and let us all live in harmony,” he said.
The video appeared to be filmed by his girlfriend.
Racism In Singapore: Citizens Condemn Derogatory Remarks
In addition to K. Shanmugam, other senior ministers from Singapore government also condemned the unfortunate incident.
Janil Puthucheary, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Communications and Information of Singapore, condemned the “blatant racism and bigotry” of the man who confronted Mr Parkash.
Commenting on the incident, Dr Janil, who is chairman of OnePeople.sg, said, “Such behaviour is caused by ignorance, intolerance and anger” and is unacceptable.”
Similarly, Minister Leon Perera, showed his support and said he was glad Mr Parkash drew public attention to the racist abuse he and his partner endured, as incidents like this can shape society’s attitudes towards race and other sensitive topics.
He said, “If all those who stand for the values of equality, fairness and kindness stand up for what we believe in, that minority can only get smaller.”
The video received hundred of comments from citizens supporting the couple and condemning racism in Singapore.
Racism in Singapore
A user wrote, “I stand with u Dave Parkash #SayNotoRacism
Another Facebook user said, “You handled it very well man. Kudos to you. Like in every society there are few people with very different views. Keep rocking and loving always and thanks for sharing.”
Police said that a report has been lodged about the incident and that the 60-year-old Chinese Singaporean man is currently assisting with police investigations.
Indian-origin woman attacked for not wearing her face mask properly
Just a month back, an Indian-origin woman was assaulted and racially abused in Singapore for not wearing her face mask properly. Mr Shanmugam had strongly condemned that incident as well.
At the time, he warned that Singapore would fail if it allowed racism and xenophobia to prevail, adding that racist behaviour could not be justified by the pandemic or isolated cases of Indians behaving badly.
According to a Reuters report, violent hate crimes against people of Asian ethnicity have risen especially in the United States, coinciding with the spread of the coronavirus first detected in China in late 2019.
If you are a victim of racial abuse, here are few helpline numbers to assist you in times of crisis.
Racism In Singapore: Helpline Numbers To Report An Issue
TAFEP
TAEFEP or Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices was set up to promote the adoption of fair, responsible and progressive employment practices.
Call: 6838-0969
AWARE
Call: 6950 9191
Email whda@aware.org.sg
In the light of the latest COVID-19 situation and measures in Singapore, AWARE is providing its services remotely.
As a parent, it is very important to ensure that you don’t pass on your bias and negativity to your kids. Sometimes, the best way to make your child colour blind is to lead by example. Have friends from different ethnicity and embrace their culture. Create an inclusive environment for them to watch and learn.
Let’s make this world a better place for our kids!
News source: The Straits Times
ALSO READ:
‘He Said I Was A Virus’: Kid Attacked, Insulted, And Had Phone Thrown Into Drain By Man
With Mums Like These, Singapore Can Never be Truly Racist!