Can you truly tell mixed-race kids that their colour doesn't matter?

Singapore is not colour-blind. But whenever we hear a racial slur, we should not let it go unchallenged.

- Vanessa Paige Chelvan

As a mother of mixed-race children, I knew the day would come when I would have to explain to my twin boys why our family is not the same colour.

We were at a playground a few months ago when one of my sons ran up to me, arms outstretched. "Mama?" he asked, his tone unsure.

"What colour am I? That boy said I'm black."

My heart sank. I felt panicked and fiercely protective. Was this the moment that would forever change the way my son sees himself?

I felt angry — at the boy who had taunted my son, at his parents, at the unfairness of it all. How can a child be racist, when racism is something you learn from others?

I looked down at my son who, at five years old, expects me to have all the answers.

I wanted to tell him: "It doesn't matter what colour you are."

But of course it does.

A racial slur uttered before a crowd of hundreds — and on live TV — by a candidate in the 2025 General Election has brought race issues to the fore again.

At a rally on April 26, Dr Gigene Wong of the Singapore Democratic Party called her teammate Ariffin Sha "keling kia", a derogatory term historically used to demean people of Indian descent.

It caused a stir, and I'm glad it did.

I'm glad Mr Ariffin did not take the slight lying down. I'm glad the Singaporean Indian community used the moment to highlight that, for them, this offhand racism is not new.

Most of all, I'm glad the jaw-dropping comment got Singaporeans — particularly those from the majority community — talking.