Recalcitrant Racists
I didn’t think I’d spend four — yes, four full articles on this issue. But the gravity of two gleeful media outlets goading each other on to new heights of ethnic derision, warrants that I whip out my wand once more to repel the racists this scandal brought to the surface.
I previously called for Mediacorp to be taken to task by IMDA — in the form of heftier fines and other penalties. Having reviewed more closely the historical behavior of both Preetipls and Mediacorp, I now advance a much stronger argument — they should both be charged under the Sedition Act.
This would make them both liable to taste between three different flavors from the menu of justice: 1) a fine of up to $5,000 (likely not E-Payable) or 2) imprisonment up to three years or 3) a delicious double scoop of both. And, if they are found guilty of going for second helpings of sedition, they stand to win an up-sized jail term of up to five years.
Insincerity
When put under the metaphorical microscope, Mediacorp’s defence of their deeds start to smack of the same insincerity that I’d originally caught a whiff of in Preetipls’ MV.
“Well-known for his ability to portray multiple characters…” — True, Dennis Chew is well-liked for his versatility as an actor, playing different personas, ages, and even genders throughout his acting career. But there is no evidence from his acting record to suggest that he is adept at accurately portraying people of different races.
“…in a single production” — suggests a cost and convenience factor. Once again, this is difficult to believe given the sheer ease of hiring four different models from each racial group in Singapore. In fact, anyone could easily do so at any given apartment block in Singapore— thanks in large part to one rare success in Singapore’s slew of state-sponsored attempts at social engineering. Not to mention the fact that four off-the-street models might well cost less than hiring Dennis alone.
Given that this was largely a print ad, it is difficult to imagine why Dennis (an actor) seemed like an appropriate choice. Dennis was only slated to appear at an event, and a video shoutout on Instagram. The possibility that he might have been chosen to appeal to the older generations falls flat given the nature of the chosen channels. My grandma isn’t into Instagram much, and I’m betting neither is yours. Mediacorp’s explanations are starting to look less and less like genuine clarifications, and more like sneakily-spun excuses — deliberately designed to deflect deeper investigative scrutiny.
Preetipls and Subhas are similarly guilty of malicious compliance. Days before they issued a formal statement of apology, I wrote an article calling their sincerity into question. Today, their mockery of an apology fell right in line with my charge of insincerity.
“This spoofing is a pretence of an apology, and in fact shows contempt for the many Singaporeans who have expressed concern at their blatantly racist rap video.” — Ministry of Home Affairs
Recalcitrance
They’ve done it before, they’ve done it now, and they’ll do it again. Mediacorp is demonstrably at a high risk of re-offending. In 2017, an episode of a Chinese-language series “I Want To Be A Star” was broadcast on Mediacorp’s own knockoff Netflix.
…one of the characters … said that Indians and Africans were the same and that it would make no difference casting an Indian as an African in a TV production… featured a Chinese male actor with “blackface” makeup role-playing an African. — Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA)
For that, IMDA served them with a fine, and a takedown of the video. In response, Mediacorp issued an ersatz apology saying “We take race-related issues very seriously … and will ensure something like that doesn’t happen again”. But given their latest punt at wanting to become a brownface star, I find that hard to believe.
Similarly, Preetipls and Subhas appear as equally enthusiastic as Mediacorp is in outdoing themselves as serial racists.
This is not the first time Ms and Mr Nair have expressed racist sentiments. About a year ago, Ms Nair published a video where she acted as a Chinese and mocked the Chinese community’s practices, culture and traditions. — Ministry of Home Affairs
The current MV may be a response to Mediacorp’s “brownface” ad. But this earlier video by Preetipls calling a Chinese character “Little Yellow”, and Chinese people “FOOLS” — was an entirely unprovoked assault aimed at spurning the sensibilities of ethnic Chinese in Singapore.
A first-time criminal may be forgiven with a slap on the wrist, and a hope for rehabilitation. But to commit the same offence repeatedly while issuing carefully-crafted, caveat-laden apologies is just taking the piss.
“Drunken Murder” Defence?
Many of my detractors on both sides have told me to take a joke. That the offending parties “didn’t really mean it that way”. That I should be “charitable” in my reading of both Preeti racist rap and Mediacorp’s seditious speech. But history hath shown — both in Singapore and elsewhere — that unchecked hate speech leads to literally lethal consequences. Thus, I must decline their generous offer to f*ck off.
The council of the Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore (ASAS) stated that did not find Mediacorp’s brownface ad to be in breach of its 65 page-long Code Of Practice. Fortunately for us, ASAS’ Code is a stack of polite suggestions, while the Sedition Act that criminalizes the promotion of ethnic ill-will is binding law.
And while ASAS’ chairman felt that the advertisement was not done “with harm in mind or to deliberately put down any ethnic groups”, thankfully, Section 3(3) of the Sedition Act states in so many words that it basically doesn’t give a flying f*ck what Preeti or Mediacorp intended or had in mind.
(3) For the purpose of proving the commission of any offence under this Act, the intention of the person charged … shall be deemed to be irrelevant if in fact such act had, or would, if done, have had, … a seditious tendency.
“… I didn’t know what they were going to do. I swear to you. Read my journal.
…I’ve not come for what you’ve hoped to do. I’ve come for what you did”
Mediacorp and Preetipls have demonstrated beyond reasonable doubt that they are both recalcitrant racists, keen on outdoing each other in a race to be the bigger, badder bigot. Moreover, Singapore’s Sedition Act invalidates the possibility of either party claiming the cover of innocent intentions. For that, Mediacorp, and Preetipls — should be charged with both sedition, and inciting ethnic ill-will.
