SINGAPORE: A 34-year-old man in Singapore is under investigation for allegedly promoting enmity between different racial groups by posting an offensive tweet against Indian migrant workers in the city-state, according to a media report.
Police on Saturday said they received a report on April 18 relating to offensive content against Indian migrant workers posted on Twitter by a user under the handle @sharonliew86, the Channel News Asia reported.
The Twitter account has been removed. Police have identified the accused and said that preliminary investigations revealed that the man is believed to be involved in two other cases involving offensive tweets. Investigations are on and if found guilty, the man can be jailed up to three years and/or fined.
Assistant Commissioner Julius Lim said police will continue to take a tough stand against those who seek to stoke community tensions in multi-racial Singapore. "At a time when we need the nation to stand as one, acts that sow racial discord cannot be condoned," said Lim, who is also commander of Bedok Police Division under which the case is being investigated.
Indian nationals are among the largest foreigners working in the labour-intensive industries such as construction and shipyards in the city state. Foreign workers in Singapore - many of them Indian nationals - have been hit hard by the coronovirus pandemic, with several foreign worker dormitories being placed under quarantine.
Singapore government and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong have been assuring that foreign workers will be taken care off during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
As of Saturday noon, Singapore's Health Ministry has preliminarily confirmed an additional 618 cases of COVID-19 infection, the vast majority of whom are Work Permit holders residing in dormitories for foreign workers.