Singapore Cab Driver Fined SG$3,000 for Racist Insults Amidst Drop-off Dispute
Singapore, Dec 19 – A cab driver in Singapore, identified as Peh Boon Hua (54), has been fined SG$3,000 for hurling racist insults at a passenger in September following a disagreement over the drop-off location. This incident was captured on video by the passenger and shared on social media, leading to legal consequences for the driver.
According to *The Straits Times* newspaper, Hua pleaded guilty to one count of using insulting words causing distress under the Protection from Harassment Act. The court documents reveal that the argument unfolded when the 46-year-old passenger, of Eurasian descent, was traveling with her nine-year-old daughter in a Tada cab to Pasir Ris Drive 6 around 2 p.m. on September 23.
As the disagreement escalated, Hua made a U-turn and drove towards Pasir Ris Street 12. The passenger, recording the altercation on her phone, faced racist remarks from Hua, who shouted, “You are India, India ah, I am Chinese okay, you are India, I am a Chinese, you are the very worst… worst… worst customer.”
Despite the passenger clarifying her Singaporean Eurasian identity, Hua continued with racial slurs, insisting, “I know you India. I am Chinese, you try to be funny with me.”
Deputy Public Prosecutor Sheldon Lim emphasized the “overtly racial nature” of the insults, deeming them unacceptable in Singapore. Lim acknowledged Hua’s lack of prior criminal record and early guilty plea but stressed the need for a sentence that deters such behavior in the future.
Additionally, *Tada*, the cab company associated with Hua, suspended him in response to the incident going viral on social media. The company has permanently barred Hua from working as a driver, stating, “The driver’s remarks that insinuated racial differences are completely unacceptable within Tada’s community guidelines and ethos.”
This incident underscores Singapore’s commitment to combating racial discrimination, as reflected in legal actions and company policies.
