A hero amid the Little India riot
In this video posted online of last night's riot in Little India, a mystery man was seen trying to prevent the rioters from causing further damage to the bus.
Did you witness the incident? Do you know who he is?
The New Paper would like to meet with this mystery man. If you saw him or know who he is, please do share with us.
The man who died in a traffic accident that sparked the riot at Little India last night (Dec 8) has been identified, the Straits Times reported this morning.
Indian national Sakthivel Kumaravelu, 33, had worked for scaffolding company Heng Hup Soon for about two years, a man who identified his body at the Singapore General Hospital mortuary this morning told the newspaper.
Little India Riot: Shopowners pick up the pieces
Shopowners and residents affected by the riot in Little India on Sunday night were seen clearing up the debris from the violence, with most counting their losses.
Mr Abdul Hakeem, a shop assistant at fruits and vegetable retailer Guru's Marketing, said on Monday morning that it would most likely take him "all day" to determine how much costs he would incur.
Most businesses along Race Course Road were open as usual on Monday with restaurants along the stretch starting to fill up by noon. Groups of foreign workers were seen chatting among themselves at the nearby Tekka Lane, getting updates on what had happened the night before.
Construction worker Mr Roejan Raj who stays in a rented room along Kerbau Road said: "I came down to check out what was happening. Everyone is still asking questions."
Raja Gopal, the Vice Chairman of the Little India Shopkeepers Association (LISHA), speaks to reporters at Tekka Market, close to the scene of last nights riot in Little India.
Heavy police presence seen in the area following last night's violence
Ministers urge calm in riot aftermath
In the wake of Sunday night's riot in Little India, the Prime Minister, President and other political office-holders have gone online to urge calm and reassure the public that justice will be done.
Navigating race issues in Singapore: a maze with no easy way out
The headline from The Straits Times was short and sharp: "Race not an issue in Singapore, study finds".
It reported on a joint study between national body OnePeople.sg and the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), and Singapore scored fairly well in most of the 10 indicators, leading the researchers to proclaim that "there is much that Singaporeans can celebrate about their strong affinity to multiracialism".
But before we celebrate and start swapping traditional dresses of the Chinese and Indian ethnic groups such as cheongsams and saris for another Racial Harmony Day event, we should all have a long hard think about the veracity of the claim.
It doesn't take long to realise that "race is not an issue" is nothing more than a mantra we chant to ourselves.
There is no law, no national conversation, no state-sponsored exercise that can replace this self-reflection that all of us need.
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