Singaporean national gets 4-week jail term for making racial comments against Indian-origin woman

A 40-year-old Singaporean woman on Wednesday was sentenced to four weeks of imprisonment for making racial comments against another woman of Indian descent while they were both travelling in a bus, according to media reports.

The incident occurred on September 3 last year.

Siti Ai’sha Jaffar called the 33-year-old victim a “stupid Indian” during her tirade, which the court heard was unprovoked, The Straits Times reported.

According to court documents quoted by the Channel News Asia, the victim was listening to music on her earpiece, when she observed that Siti Ai’sha was staring and pointing at her “multiple times”.

"The victim then switched off her music and heard the accused shouting remarks towards her, calling her an Indian with dark skin," it said. The victim took out her mobile phone and recorded the incident "discreetly", the report said.

In the two clips played in court, Siti Ai'sha can be seen gesturing and shouting at the woman, calling her a "minority".

In the video clips, she was heard saying to the victim, "You and your black magic face". "Your heart is also black... everything is black."

Siti Ai’sha also told the victim, who is a Singaporean national, that “your native country is India, not Singapore” and added that she should go back there. "Stupid Indians...you are an Indian, so black... I hate your skin... I don't like your face."

While pronouncing his judgement, District Judge Tan Jen Tse said Siti Ai’sha's offence was “serious”.

“Your tirade was prolonged and occurred in a public place,” the judge said, adding that such offences where people abuse others racially cannot be condoned in society.

For her offence, Siti Ai’sha could have been jailed for up to three years, fined or both.