The Info-communications Media Development Authority (IMDA) has sent notices to a couple of individuals from Singapore to remove social media posts featuring the vulgarity-laden controversial response rap video by siblings, Preeti and Subhas Nair.

The two individuals who received the letters were activists Jolovan Wham and Roy Ngerng.

They had put up the video despite the IMDA on July 30 having assessed that it constituted prohibited content under the Internet Code of Practice.

The video is deemed objectionable on grounds of public interest and national harmony.

IMDA issued a notice to the Nair siblings, who are the publishers of the video, to take down the content from their various social media platforms.

The siblings complied within the same day.

Jolovan Wham shared video

Wham, an activist in Singapore, subsequently shared a duplicate of the video on his Facebook page on July 31 at 9:46am.

By 1am on Aug. 1, it had received nearly 18,000 views and over 300 shares.

In another post at 8:10pm on July 31, Wham wrote that he had received an "order" from IMDA to take down the video, as leaving it up would cause "racial hatred and strife".

He also asked anyone reading the post to watch the video while they still had the chance.

Roy Ngerng shared video

Ngerng also shared the video on his Facebook page.

But he has since taken it down.

In a separate post, Ngerng shared a copy of the letter he received from IMDA.

It stated that IMDA deemed the video to contain material that incites "racial hatred, strife and intolerance".

This constitutes prohibited material pursuant to the Internet Code of Practice, which is issued by IMDA.

Ngerng said he was "angry" to have received such a letter.

He added:

"If anyone else received such a letter or the take down of the YouTube video in a real democracy, or in Taiwan and Hong Kong, the people would go on the streets to protest.

Because how dare the state try to silence the people for talking about the discrimination they face."

The letter by IMDA stated that the video must be taken down "within 6 hours of receipt of this notice".

IMDA and police warn public not to share video

In a joint advisory put out on July 31 at 4:05 pm, IMDA and the Singapore police advised members of the public to refrain from sharing the video.

It said that the video was currently under investigation by the police.

The Facebook post also included another post from OnePeople.sg, which is Chaired by Janil Puthucheary, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Transport & Ministry of Communications and Information.

It called the video "offensive, vulgar and aggressive."

Other ethnic minority MPs who are part of the ruling government have also slammed the video.

Background

The video by the Nair siblings was done in response to a controversial advertisement featuring a Chinese actor in "brownface", portraying ethnic minority characters.

However, the video by the Nair siblings was deemed to have crossed the line by the government.

Minister for Law and Home Affairs K Shanmugam said there was a "zero-tolerance approach" towards such videos.

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Top image from Jolovan Wham and Roy Ngerng's Facebook pages.