Blogger Sheena Phua apologizes to Sikh community over ‘misinterpreted’ Instagram post

Screenshot of Sheena Phua’s Instagram story.
Screenshot of Sheena Phua’s Instagram story.

Blogger Sheena Phua last night apologized to netizens, including the Sikh community, over an Instagram video she posted showing two men wearing white turbans who blocked her view of the concert stage at the Singapore Grand Prix. The caption read: “Dang! 2 huge obstructions decided to pop out of nowhere.”

While she at no point referenced the men’s religion, the fact that part of the obstruction in question involved religiously required turbans meant people were quick to go on the attack as a screenshot of the now-deleted IG story started popping on other pages, including the popular Wake Up, Singapore.

Amid an online backlash that saw her accused of everything from racist to unfeeling, Phua took to IG to respond, saying the story in question had been “misinterpreted.”

 “I apologize for the distress it has caused. The obstruction being referenced in my video was a physical obstruction as the 2 Sikh men were taller than me and blocked my view of the show in front. This would have been the same were they (of) any other race or gender,” she said in the new post.

She added that the video had been “taken out of context” and that she had not meant it as “racist or derogatory.”

Here’s her full apology:

Screenshots of Sheena Phua's statement.
Screenshots of Sheena Phua’s statement.

This struck many on Instagram and Twitter as um, tall tale, with some calling out her apology as “fake.”

Instagram comments criticizing Sheena Phua's post.
Instagram comments criticizing Sheena Phua’s post.
Instagram comments criticizing Sheena Phua's post.
Instagram comments criticizing Sheena Phua’s post.
Instagram comments criticizing Sheena Phua's post.
Instagram comments criticizing Sheena Phua’s post.

Others, meanwhile, including some Sikhs, saw no malicious intent to Phua’s post and believed she was simply highlighting the men’s height, not their race or religion.

Instagram comments defending Sheena Phua's post.
Instagram comments defending Sheena Phua’s post.
Instagram comments defending Sheena Phua's post.
Instagram comments defending Sheena Phua’s post.
Instagram comments defending Sheena Phua's post.
Instagram comments defending Sheena Phua’s post.
Instagram comments defending Sheena Phua's post.
Instagram comments defending Sheena Phua’s post.

What are your thoughts about Phua’s Instagram post? Insensitive? Tempest in a teapot? Tell us in the comments, on Twitter or Facebook.

Related stories:

Tampines food stall cashier fired after racist remark targeting Indian customer found on receipt

‘This is legit brownface’: Ad by Singapore’s e-payment solutions initiative attracts backlash



Reader Interactions

Leave A Reply


BECOME A COCO+ MEMBER

Support local news and join a community of like-minded
“Coconauts” across Southeast Asia and Hong Kong.

Join Now
Coconuts TV
Our latest and greatest original videos
Subscribe on