Opinion | The race riots remain Singapore’s biggest bogeyman. It’s time to have an honest discussion about prejudice

The race riots: Singapore’s biggest bogeyman. Growing up, we were taught that the island state’s success depended on peace between ethnic groups. From race-based housing quotas to prevent ghettoisation to annual Racial Harmony Day celebrations in schools, the government promotes the coexistence of Chinese, Malays, Indians and Others (this is an official category). If you believe the rhetoric about slippery slopes, we are always one malicious tweet away from descending into chaos.

And so last month, when the sibling duo Preeti and Subhas Nair released a rap video with the lyrics: “F*** it up sis, keep f***ing it up, Chinese people always out here f***ing it up,” the official response was swift. Police launched an investigation; the video was wiped off the internet; a regional news network dropped Subhas from a music documentary.

Unsurprisingly, the context was lost. The Nair siblings had been parodying an advertisement for an electronic payment app, in which a Chinese actor’s face was painted brown for his portrayal of an Indian character.

Brownface or blackface does not necessarily violate advertising standards in Singapore; there have been other racially insensitive media representations here. But amid an online furore over the ad, the advertising agency Havas Worldwide issued a defensive apology. After some silence, the Nair siblings said sorry for the rap video as well.