A Singaporean cab driver, Peh Boon Hua, received a SG$3,000 fine for hurling racial insults at a passenger during a dispute over the drop-off spot. The incident, recorded by the passenger, captured Hua's derogatory remarks, mistaking her for Indian during an argument.
Despite her clarifications about being of Eurasian descent, Hua persisted with offensive language, prompting the passenger to point out his racist behavior. Hua pleaded guilty under the Protection from Harassment Act, acknowledging his offense.
The Deputy Public Prosecutor emphasized the inadmissibility of such racial remarks in Singapore, regardless of Hua's lack of prior criminal records and early admission of guilt. Tada, his cab company, swiftly suspended and later permanently barred him, citing his comments as violating their community guidelines and values, asserting zero tolerance for racial divisiveness.
Key Points:
1. Singapore fined cab driver Peh Boon Hua SG$3,000 for racist insults directed at a passenger during a dispute over the drop-off spot in September.
2. Hua, in a video shared online, verbally abused the passenger, labeling her Indian despite her Eurasian descent, causing distress.
3. Pleading guilty to using insulting words causing distress under the Protection from Harassment Act, Hua faced legal consequences.
4. The argument erupted as Hua diverted the route, prompting the passenger to record the altercation, escalating Hua's racial remarks.
5. Despite the passenger clarifying her ethnicity, Hua persisted in derogatory language, emphasizing racial differences.
6. Deputy Public Prosecutor Sheldon Lim condemned Hua's racial insults, deeming them unacceptable in Singapore, urging a deterrent sentence.
7. Hua, with no prior criminal record, demonstrated remorse through an early guilty plea, noted by the court.
8. Tada, Hua's cab company, suspended and later permanently barred him in response to the circulated videos and racial insinuations.
9. Tada reaffirmed a zero-tolerance policy for racial discrimination, aligning actions with community guidelines and values.
10. The incident highlighted the importance of combatting racial discrimination in Singapore, both legally and within corporate settings, emphasizing intolerance for discriminatory behavior.
(With Agency Inputs)
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