'You are the very worst customer': Private-hire driver fined for using insults, racist words on passenger

SINGAPORE: A private-hire driver got into a dispute with a passenger after he was unable to find her intended destination due to a malfunction in the TADA app.

In the exchange, 54-year-old Singaporean Peh Boon Hua made racist remarks to the victim, telling her she was the "very worst" customer.

Peh was fined S$3,000 (US$2,230) by a court on Wednesday (Dec 13) after pleading guilty to one count of using insulting words causing distress under the Protection from Harassment Act.

The charge was amended from an earlier one of deliberately wounding racial feelings with his words.

The court heard that the victim, a 46-year-old Singaporean woman, booked a car on ride-hailing application TADA at about 2pm on Sep 23.

She set the pick-up location as Block 470, Pasir Ris Drive 6. She intended to set the drop-off location as Block 194, Pasir Ris Street 12, but was unable to do so due to a malfunction in the app.

Therefore, the passenger set the drop-off location at Block 194, Pasir Ris Street 11. There is no such address, according to a check by CNA on Google Maps.

Shortly after the victim made the booking, Peh was assigned to the job. He picked up the victim and her nine-year-old daughter before driving off.

However, when Peh drove to Pasir Ris Street 11, he was unable to locate Block 194.

He began arguing with the victim about the drop-off location. Eventually, Peh made a U-turn and drove towards Pasir Ris Street 12.

They continued to quarrel, and the victim used her phone to record a video of Peh.

Peh got increasingly angry and 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."

The victim felt deeply offended by Peh's remarks and unsafe.

She told Peh that she was a Singaporean Eurasian and not an Indian. She also told him that he was being racist.

Peh raised his voice and replied: "I know you India. I am Chinese, you try to be funny with me."

When the vehicle arrived at Block 194, Pasir Ris Street 12, the victim alighted with her daughter and made a police report the next day. 

Deputy Public Prosecutor Sheldon Lim asked for a fine between S$3,000 and S$4,000 for Peh.

"The overtly racial nature of the accused's insults is unacceptable and cannot be disregarded," he said.

"There is no place for such language or sentiment in Singapore, and any sentence imposed on the accused must sufficiently deter him and others from repeating this mistake in the future."

Mr Lim added that while the insulting language was targeted at the victim, the victim's young daughter would also have heard Peh insulting her mother loudly.

However, he noted that Peh had no prior convictions and had demonstrated remorse by pleading guilty early.

For causing distress with his insulting words, he could have been jailed for up to six months, fined up to S$5,000, or both.

In response to CNA's queries, TADA said it took "immediate action to suspend" Peh after an investigation into the incident.

"He is now permanently barred from working with TADA as a driver. The driver's remarks that insinuated racial differences are completely unacceptable within TADA's community guidelines and ethos," said the company.