While Singapore takes pride in its multicultural society, we need to pause, take a step back and reflect on the importance of kindness towards our friends and neighbours from diverse backgrounds.
Despite being a nation that advocates for racial harmony, we’ve unfortunately witnessed instances of racism—ranging from a former Ngee Ann Poly lecturer making disparaging remarks towards an interracial couple to a recent incident involving a Tada driver.
Unfortunately, a new case has emerged.
Perhaps it’s time for Singapore to consider celebrating Racial Harmony Day every day to foster greater acceptance and less racism among each other.
Recently, a 70-year-old woman has been under investigation by the police after a video capturing her verbally abusing two men at Our Tampines Hub went viral.
This incident unfolded during a football match screening, where the woman, unfortunately, yelled racist remarks.
70YO Woman Made Racist Remarks at a Football Match Screening
So, what exactly happened during this incident?
It all happened on Saturday (25 November 2023), during a match between English football giants Liverpool and Manchester City in an English Premier League (EPL).
Our Tampines Hub (OTH) organised a live screening of this highly anticipated game, drawing a substantial crowd of football fans.
The commotion between the elderly woman and the victims reportedly began when two men stood near a railing to watch the match, blocking her view.
A video of this incident was shared on Instagram by the account “sgfollowsall”, showing the elderly woman in a white T-shirt and hat shouting at the two men.
The woman allegedly hit the men on their backs and then proceeded to shout racist comments at them.
Although the caption mentioned that she physically struck them on their backs, the video footage did not capture this specific action.
The video starts with the woman shouting, “B*stard Indians!”.
She further criticised them by exclaiming, “They think it’s their father’s place, ah, bloody b*stards!”
As the situation escalated, a security officer intervened, trying to calm down the woman.
He also reported the incident to the police.
Police Alerted of the Incident
As reported by TODAY, the police were notified of an incident requiring their assistance at 1 Tampines Walk last Saturday, approximately at 9.55pm.
The woman is cooperating with authorities in a case involving charges of voluntary harm and intentional harassment, according to the police statement.
Fortunately, there were no reported injuries stemming from the incident.
The police have confirmed that investigations into the matter are still in progress.
After the video was posted, many users commented and humorously referred to the woman as a “Karen”.
For those unfamiliar with the term, “Karen” is slang used to describe a person, usually a middle-class white woman, who is seen as acting entitled or demanding in a way that goes beyond what’s considered normal. It’s about their attitude more than their race.
In this case, her behaviour makes her seem like a “Karen”.
