SINGAPORE: A man was sentenced to three months in prison on Monday (Aug 7) for directing racial slurs at a 57-year-old woman and kicking her in the chest in 2021.
Singaporean Wong Xing Fong, 32, was convicted on Jun 13 of wounding the racial feelings of Madam Hindocha Nita Vishnubhai and voluntarily causing hurt in a racially aggravated way.
The attack occurred on May 7, 2021, after Wong and his fiancee encountered Mdm Nita while she was brisk walking under a sheltered walkway next to the Northvale condominium along Choa Chu Kang Drive.
Mdm Nita had her mask pulled down at the time as she was exercising, but Wong told her to “mask up”. Mdm Nita gestured to them to indicate that she was brisk walking.
At the time, people in Singapore aged six and above were required to wear masks when outside their homes as part of COVID-19 pandemic rules. They were allowed to remove their masks while engaging in strenuous exercise outdoors, such as brisk walking or walking up a hilly terrain.
Wong approached Mdm Nita and swore at her. She tried to de-escalate the situation and told him: “God bless you.”
The man then kicked her in the chest in what Mdm Nita described as a “flying kick”. The victim fell and suffered various injuries while Wong ran away.
The incident drew comments from political leaders when it was reported. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong wrote on Facebook that he was “very disappointed” and “seriously concerned” that a racist attack could happen in Singapore.
Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam called the attack “unacceptable”.
Mdm Nita, a private tutor, testified at trial and said the incident made her feel it is “wrong to be Indian”.
More at
