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A 47-year-old man is being investigated by the police for public nuisance and uttering offensive racial remarks at an Indian family in Pasir Ris.

Police investigating incident

According to a statement by the police, the incident occurred on May 2 at around 6pm at Pasir Ris Beach Park.

"The man had allegedly uttered offensive remarks towards an Indian family and confronted a male member of the family for not wearing his mask," the statement said.

Police investigations are ongoing, and the man is assisting with investigations.

The offence of public nuisance carries an imprisonment term of up to three months, a fine of up to S$2,000, or both, while the offence of uttering words with deliberate intent to wound the racial feelings of any person carries an imprisonment term of up to three years, a fine of up to S$5,000, or both.

The police added that such acts that have the potential to damage racial harmony in Singapore are taken seriously. Anyone who makes remarks and takes action that can "cause ill-will and hostility" between people of different races will be dealt with swiftly and in accordance with the law.

Background

The man, who identified himself as a Singaporean, was caught on camera gesticulating wildly and repeatedly shouting and accusing an expatriate family of four of spreading the coronavirus here.

A footage of the incident was shot and forwarded to Mothership by the expatriate family who were in the park at the time.

The expatriate family consists of the husband, who is seen in the video in pink, and his wife, who was taking the video, as well as two of their children -- the couple's son, 11, and daughter, 7, who were off-camera.

The husband and wife are both aged 42.

Shocked something like this happened in Singapore

The wife said in an email to Mothership that her family was shocked to witness the unprovoked and overtly "racial comments" directed at them, which was the first time they experienced something like this in Singapore having been here for the last 10 years.

The man had allegedly taunted them initially by continuously shouting in their direction, "Bloody Indians go back, spreading virus here", said the wife.

And she was concerned her children are most affected by this incident.

The mother-of-two said, "More shocking for my daughter who was born in Singapore and had only visited India four times."

Top image via Mothership reader, SPF