Singapore rap video attacking Chinese people sparks police probe

Their rap was a response to an ad campaign for cashless payments that featured a Chinese actor, Dennis Chew Chong Kheng, portraying characters of different ethnicities.

The siblings took issue with his portrayal of an Indian, which saw him darkening his skin, and their rap response mocked “Chinese people” for “f****** it up”.

Mediacorp, Chew’s employer, had said in its apology: “We’re sorry for any hurt that was unintentionally caused. Behind the ad is an initiative to provide greater convenience to consumers, merchants and small food businesses.”

The broadcaster’s mea culpa was attacked by some online for not being unconditional, and following the siblings’ latest posts, their fans lauded their so-called “clap-back” – a millennial term referring to a withering comeback in response to criticism.

Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs took a dim view of the siblings’ apology, however. In a statement released on Friday evening, the ministry said their post contained a “mock, insincere apology” and showed contempt for Singaporeans who had expressed concerns about their “blatantly racist rap video”.

The ministry also said it was not the first time the Nairs had “expressed racist sentiments”, citing a video published by Preeti a year ago, and that police would be continuing their investigations.

Mediacorp had previously described Chew as an actor well known “for his ability to portray multiple characters in a single production in a lighthearted way”.

In a similar vein, the siblings’ apology read that “K. Muthusamy”, played by Subhas in the rap video, was “well known for his ability to address privilege, power and censorship in a single production in a lighthearted way”.

“Great subversive apology … stay strong,” civil activist Jolovan Wham wrote on Preeti’s Instagram account, where she uploaded the apology.

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Other commenters also noticed the similarity between the two apologies. “I see what you guys did there!” one Facebook user said on the account of Preeti, who goes by the stage name Preetipls.

There was no immediate official response to the siblings’ statement.

The law and home affairs minister K. Shanmugam on Tuesday issued a sharply worded condemnation of the siblings’ video, and said he had ordered police to launch an investigation.

Police said they had received police reports from the public over the clip’s “offensive” content.

Despite the probe, and Shanmugam’s slamming of the clip as an effort to pit the country’s minority groups against its majority Chinese population, the duo have received considerable support from Singaporeans.

Some questioned why authorities were not investigating the “brownface” advertisement, but were probing Preeti and Subhas.

Shanmugam, speaking to local reporters, said government lawyers who examined the advertisement found it did not break any laws. The country’s Advertising Standards Authority has also said the campaign did not breach guidelines and that “no further action is currently required”.

Separately, a petition was circulating calling on the national news agency CNA to rescind its decision to remove Subhas from an upcoming musical documentary produced in conjunction with the Lion City’s National Day.

The state-backed agency said it did not want to associate itself with someone who had produced content that could hurt the country’s social harmony.

Police said it was inappropriate to comment on the current status of investigations into Preeti and Subhas.

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Social media companies including Facebook and YouTube appear to have blocked the video from being viewed in Singapore, but did not respond to queries as to why.

The saga continues to be a top talking point in the multiracial city state.

Online, commenters offered views for and against the government’s hardline stance on the video. The ruling People’s Action Party has long said it is unapologetic for its strict management of racial issues that have at times raised eyebrows among outside observers.

In the national broadsheet The Straits Times, one forum writer wrote that “tit-for-tat” ripostes were damaging to the country’s painstakingly forged ethnic peace.

“While some people may not find the video offensive, it just takes someone who is paranoid to trigger social unrest,” wrote Seah Yam Meng. “I fully support strong action to stamp out public displays of racism that may unravel Singapore’s multiracial harmony that has been painstakingly built over the years.”

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