Woman allegedly told victim to not sit beside her on bus, then hurled racial insult

SINGAPORE – She was on bus service number 51 when she allegedly extended her elbow to nudge the arm of an Indian woman and yelled at the latter to not sit next to her.

The pair later alighted and Connie Soh, 47, then allegedly abused the woman with a profanity-laced racial insult.

Soh, who is accused of one count each of using criminal force on the woman and deliberately uttering words to wound her racial feelings, had been expected to plead guilty in a district court on Tuesday (Aug 23).

But after a closed-door session in chambers before District Judge Shawn Ho, her case was adjourned for a pre-trial conference on Oct 5.

It was not heard in open court why the case was adjourned.

Soh had allegedly targeted the woman on the bus when it was near Haw Par Villa MRT station at around 10.25pm on Nov 11, last year.

The two women were at a West Coast Road block of flats about 25 minutes later when Soh allegedly abused her with vulgar language.

Soh, who was unrepresented, is now out on bail of $5,000.

For using criminal force, an offender can be jailed for up to three months and fined up to $1,500.

And for deliberately uttering words to wound another person’s racial feelings, an offender can be jailed for up to three years and fined.