Who is Subhas Nair? The Indian-origin rapper who challenged racism in Singapore, now in jail

Subhas Nair, a Singaporean rapper known for his outspoken views on racism, began his six-week prison sentence on February 5 after being convicted of inciting ill will between different racial and religious groups.

The 32-year-old, who has openly criticised Chinese privilege and racial discrimination against minorities, was found guilty of multiple charges stemming from social media posts and public statements.

His supporters argue that Nair’s punishment is disproportionate, alleging that he is facing repercussions for challenging systemic inequality in Singapore. They point to his past warnings from authorities as evidence of an ongoing effort to silence his activism.

The charges and the case against Nair

Nair’s legal troubles began in 2020 when he received a two-year conditional warning for an Instagram post related to the 2019 Orchard Towers murder. The case involved a group of men attacking and fatally stabbing 31-year-old Satheesh Noel Gobidass, an Indian-origin Singaporean. One of the suspects, Chan Jia Xing, was initially charged with murder but later received a conditional warning for a lesser offence—an outcome that sparked accusations of racial bias.

Nair condemned the disparity in treatment, stating in an Instagram post: “Calling out racism and Chinese privilege = two-year conditional warning and media smear campaign. Conspiring to murder an Indian man = light sentence and media sympathy.”

Despite the warning, he continued to highlight racial issues in his music and public appearances. In 2021, during a performance at The Substation, he displayed a hand-drawn replica of his controversial post about the Orchard Towers case. He was later charged for this act.

Authorities also prosecuted Nair for a 2019 rap video criticizing a government-linked advertisement featuring actor Dennis Chew in “brownface.” The video included lyrics deemed offensive to Chinese Singaporeans, with a chorus stating, “Chinese people are always out here f**king it up.”

Another charge stemmed from a 2021 social media post where he criticized the lack of action against two Chinese Christians, social media influencer Joanna Theng and City Revival Church founder Jaime Wong, after they linked the LGBTQ+ movement to Satan. Nair argued that if two Malay Muslims had made similar statements promoting Islam, they would have been swiftly investigated.

Racial discrimination and Singapore’s response

Singapore, a multiracial society where ethnic Chinese make up about 74% of the population, has long struggled with racial tensions. A 2024 survey by the Institute of Policy Studies and NGO OnePeople.sg found that 23.4% of Indians and 23.7% of Malays reported workplace discrimination, compared to just 6% of Chinese respondents.

The government acknowledges these challenges. In 2022, Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam stated, “We discuss (racism) openly. We study it, for example (through) the Institute of Policy Studies surveys.” However, critics argue that laws such as the newly passed Maintenance of Racial Harmony Act could be used to suppress discussions on racial inequities rather than address them.

On February 4, a day before Nair began his sentence, Shanmugam reiterated in Parliament, “You cannot, by law, force people of different races to get along with one another. Nor can you prevent insensitivity or racist slights from happening in everyday interactions by passing a law.”