The Chinese man who confronted a couple who are of mixed ethnicities and made racist remarks is a lecturer at Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP).

The 60-year-old man is a staff member of NP and he has been suspended from his teaching duties.

NP said via a spokesman: “We regret that the individual in question is a member of our staff.”

The police said on June 6 that a man is currently assisting with investigations.

The man has since been identified as Tan Boon Lee, a senior lecturer at the polytechnic’s School of Engineering.

The polytechnic is conducting an investigation internally, and it is considering the appropriate disciplinary action to be taken.

“We take a very serious view of the matter as the remarks made by the individual are highly offensive, disrespectful and goes against our staff code of conduct and values as a community,” the NP spokesman added.

Tan appeared to have been awarded The Long Service Medal in 2019 under the annual National Day Awards, an achievement listed on the Prime Minister's Office website.

Background

The video of the confrontation between Tan and the couple was first uploaded on Facebook on Sunday, June 6 by Dave Parkash.

Parkash was with his girlfriend, Jacqueline Ho, 27, on Saturday night in Orchard Road when they were approached by Tan.

Tan said that it was a disgrace for a Chinese girl and an Indian man to be dating.

Shocked at the remark, Parkash confronted the man.

Ho recorded the nine-minute long video.

Parkash said he hoped that people will know it is "not okay to shame others based on their race and skin colour" by posting the video online.

"We're in a modern world where things are changing and people should be given equal chances," Parkash said.

He added it was not the first time that he had experienced racism when he was out with his girlfriend.

There have been instances where people would look disapprovingly at them during their seven-year relationship, said Parkash, who regarded this as "subtle racism".

Parkash is part-Indian and part-Filipino.

His girlfriend is half-Thai and half-Singaporean Chinese.

Parkash said their parents were shocked to learn about the encounter.

He added that their parents are glad that the stigma towards interracial relationships can now be discussed in the public sphere since the video has gone viral, he added

Parkash also admitted that his comments in the video that he is "half-Indian" in response to the Chinese man might have come across as insensitive to the Indian community, but he had not meant any offence.

He said they were uttered in the heat of the moment.

He said as someone of mixed race, it is sometimes difficult for him to fully identify with either race.

All photos via