Singapore police on Tuesday said it is looking into an online rap video featuring Indian origin duo, which is allegedly containing offensive content. The rap was made in response to a recent advertisement by an e-payment website.
The rap video by Indian origin YouTuber Preeti Nair and rapper Subhas Nair was posted on social platform Facebook and video-sharing website YouTube on Monday, according to the report by Straits Times.
Supposedly the video was in response to an advertisement that was created for an e-payment website epaysg.com by the country’s government, featuring Mediacorp actor and DJ Dennis Chew portraying four characters – seemingly a Chinese man and woman, a Malay woman and an Indian man with darkened skin.
In a statement, the police said it was aware of an online video that is directed against the e-Pay advertisement. A police report has been lodged against the video for its offensive content and investigations are on.
The police will not tolerate any offensive content that causes ill-will between races, the statement said.
The advertisement triggered sharp opinions, anger and kudos for its apparent depiction of racial togetherness, the paper said. Some people felt that it was in “poor taste,” it added.
Ruby Thiagarajan, editor-in-chief of Mynah Magazine, criticized the advertisement on Friday. “Brownface in a Singaporean ad in 2019. I thought we already went over this…” the tweet, which captured a picture of the ad, said.
Broadcaster Mediacorp, through its celebrity management wing, later apologized for the advertisement. The epaysg.com website too has removed the controversial advertisement.
Singapore maintains a multi-racial status with Chinese, Malays and Indians making up the mainstream of the society.
