Remember when wearing masks outside became mandatory all of a sudden last year? People reacted to the news in two ways:
- “Oh okay, that sounds like a good idea”
- “They expect me to put a mask on every time I go out”?
Because there were large fines waiting for those who disobeyed, most people masked up before leaving their houses. Others went out bare-faced, while one man covered his mouth and nose with a neck gaiter.
Unsurprisingly, the man wasn’t allowed to board an SBS bus. What was surprising though, was that he reacted by abusing the bus captain with xenophobic language.
Now, he’ll have to pay the price for his actions.
Man Admits to Harassing Bus Driver With Xenophobic Comments on a Live Stream
The man, Nimal De Silva, pleaded guilty to a charge of harassment yesterday (1 Sep), around a year after the incident occurred.
Xu, as any driver would, refused entry to De Silva because he wasn’t sure if the neck gaiter was compliant with SBS’ onboard mask-on policy.
The 44-year-old live-streamed his exchange with SBS bus driver Xu Bo, a Chinese national, which showed him using vulgarities and xenophobic language against the bus captain.
If convicted of harassment, De Silva could be jailed for up to a year and fined up to S$5,000. He will return to court for sentencing on 27 Sep.
What Happened
On 19 Aug last year, at around 6pm, De Silva tried to board service 196 at a bus stop along Nicoll Highway.
At the time, he had covered his face with a neck gaiter, a piece of clothing worn around the neck for either warmth or protection from sunlight.
Xu denied the man entry since he wasn’t sure if it was sufficient, but De Silva forced his way in by using the door cock button outside the bus to open its doors.
The man claimed that the driver’s actions were racially motivated, but in the end, it was he who used exhibited his prejudice.
During their exchange, De Silva started a live-stream on Facebook.
In the video, Xu could be heard speaking to the Operations Control Centre (OCC) in Chinese, something which the man kept highlighting.
“This is the problem when you have China people working in Singapore”, De Silva said.
He constantly emphasised the fact that the driver could not speak English, calling him a “China man”.
“This is called Singapore government. Cannot hire Singaporeans, hire this kind of China man. Then after that make life difficult for every one of us,” he said.
Eventually, the police were called in.
The Ministry of Health later clarified that coverings such as neck gaiters, bandanas, scarves, and handkerchiefs should not be used in place of masks.
Understand the importance of masking up with an actual mask here:
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Featured Image: Facebook (SingaporeBoleh.sg)
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