The Riot Act

by Sebastian Sim

Winner of the 2017 Epigram Books Fiction Prize

A dark comedy by the author of Let's Give It Up for Gimme Lao!

Hashwini worries that she has accidentally started the 2013 Little India riot. Jessica is injured on the night, but her rescuer is put in a coma by her overenthusiastic boyfriend. Sharon manipulates the facts to further her political career. Yet among the life lost, modesty outraged, property destroyed, and lockdown of an entire neighborhood, what if the biggest casualty is the truth?

The lives of these three women intertwine when coincidence, accident and opportunity collide. In Gimme Lao!-style hilarity, they become wrapped up in a web of deception and intrigue. This perceptive, fast-paced satire asks "what if" of the recent riot that shook Singapore.

Genres: Fiction, Asian Literature

208 pages, Paperback

Published April 1, 2018

About the author

Sebastian Sim grew up in a two-room HDB flat with parents who were part of the pioneer generation of independent Singapore. Not one to shy away from the road less taken, he has travelled around the world to soak up different experiences and cultures, and tried his hand in diverse industries: a bartender at Boat Quay, an assistant outlet manager at McDonald’s, an insurance salesman, a prison officer in a maximum security prison, and a croupier in a casino.

He published three Chinese wuxia novels between 2004 and 2012, and his first English-language novel, Let’s Give It Up for Gimme Lao! (2016), was shortlisted for the 2015 Epigram Books Fiction Prize. The Riot Act won the 2017 Epigram Books Fiction Prize.

Reviews

[Natalie · Rating 2 out of 5]

given that sebastian sim’s ‘let’s give it up for gimme lao’ is one of my favourite books, i was very much looking forward to ‘the riot act’ & was pleased when i found out it won epigram’s fiction prize in 2017. however, i was thoroughly disappointed. while i commend sim’s ambition to tackle the little india riots, the alcohol ban, the local political activist scene, MDA’s introduction of a $50k bond deposit for political websites, the subsequent protest at hong lim park—all key events in the last five years in singapore & essential to be cemented within sglit canon—this is ultimately failed by sim’s choice to employ a juvenile & sensationalist writing style, the questionable plot, and the one-dimensional cartoon characters. crucially, his exaggeration results in a misogynistic portrayal of the female protagonists. if sim intended this to be a searing commentary of singaporean’s society, his stylistic choices result in the riot act severely missing the mark. i don’t recommend

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having strangely enjoyed Let's Give It Up for Gimme Lao! , I was looking forward to The Riot Act, especially since it won the Epigram Books Fiction Prize 2018, and in dealing with the Little India riot of 2013, has an intriguing focus on three Singaporean women instead of South Asian migrant men. Alas, this ill-advised, overly broad satire reads like thoughtless chick lit. In a seeming attempt to be relevant, the double claims of sexual assault bizarrely conflates labour-rights issues with the #metoo and #timesup movements (not to mention playing on the worst stereotypes of migrant labour), while undermining true victims. Any nuance in Gimme Lao in regard to the LGBT community is replaced with a sensationalistic style and tabloid treatment here. While I enjoyed moments of its "dark comedy", like picturing Singapore's cardboard policeman as BDSM master, Sim's overriding focus on local sex and salaciousness, especially when it comes to as historically significant an event as the riot, whose impact on marginalised communities is still felt, feels horribly tasteless. Can the subaltern speak?

[Tan Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

Upon finishing, initially I wasn't that impressed with the book and was supposed to give it a lower rating. Thankfully upon musing, that perspective has changed a lot.
Though I was indeed highly entertained by the absurdity of the satire and how everything spun so out of control, the way the book had concluded initially seemed so inconsequential. Then it hit me this morning. Despite the dark humour from all the other elements in the novel, the sheer realism of how the ridiculous has come to be of no consequence in Singapore, is no longer a laughing matter. Has laughter come to the point of becoming an opiate to numb us to life's horrors? These 4 stars are awarded with a heavy heart.

[Sruthi · Rating 3 out of 5]

It kept me hooked, in a dark way...like it had sunk its fangs in me and I couldn't pull away. I appreciate that the three women's stories are intertwined because it kept me wanting to know more, so much so that I finished reading it in just two days.
But I wish there was less raunchiness amidst the suspense...is there really a need for such explicit vocabulary for the story to unfold? I doubt so. The characters' interactions are intriguing enough without the need for certain unsavory descriptions.
Also, for a book that was primarily about the Indian community, it seems like the author didnt do much homework on the different communities within the Indian race, as apparent in his choice of names for his characters. And if you think that doesnt matter, or worse, try to justify that he's promoting diversity within cultures...let's agree to disagree.
Overall, this book caught my eye for one reason - that it was about the Little India Riots. On the cusp of adolescence at that time, I didn't know much about what had transpired except for what had been reported in the mainstream media. So I was hoping this book would give me more nuanced insights...with class, not weird phrases like "as slim as the thinnest sanitary pad"...
Yet, despite my personal distaste, I still find this book to be worthy of 3 stars because of its important message - dont just take the mainstream media's word as is, be critical and do your own fact checking if you can. Remember that everyone has an agenda.

[Xing Yi Ngiam · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's not bad as a commentary on Singaporean quirks and fiascos, and it reads smoothly if the reader is a Singaporean who identifies.

But it's not really good too. It's satire, but without any real impact on or reflection for the reader. Unnecessary sexual depictions only distract and are an obvious tool by the author to pull shallow readers in. I really don't think the author was successful in representing the three female voices too.

[Wei · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highlights

We can count on the other for emotional support and companionship. We just outsource the sex.

[Singbooksreview · Rating 2 out of 5]

It has some interesting story lines here and there, but overall it reads juvenile and childish, and not insightful. Some parts sounded forced and unnatural. I read about 100 pages and give it away. Not as good as Ishiguro or Murakami. Again probably it will sell less than 4,000 copies.

[Markthong · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoy some parts of the novel, especially the first portion. But the more I read, it sounds like a weak, pretentious, shallow and untalented imitation of the style of Han Kang whose novel The Vegetarian is much better.

In contrast, the Riot Act is flawed and superficial in its treatment of the attempted manipulation of social media and public perceptions and understanding of the truths, especially socio-political truths with racial undertones and the everyday and ugly struggles of the commoners and the elites and corporate climbers.

The public is not easily deceived. Most of them are aware of the Larger and 'unspeakable' truths regarding the rich, the influential and the politically well-connected, but they restrain to speak up. They hold back because as the public grows older and more mature, they see the darkness and hypocrisy, greed and maliciousness of the human hearts that create the sort of unseen, invisible social-political and plutocratic hierarchies, stratification, divisions and divisiveness that run through a country. And not because someone attempts to conjure up stories and can build up different versions of social-political truth. That is only for momentary entertainment. The public can differentiate to a significant extent, especially when they reach middle age and become more familiar and disillusioned with the official news media style of reporting. Self-interest and selfishness are the common traits that run through the real world and the hearts of the elites, the highly educated and the privileged as well as the commoners.

[Hanahchew · Rating 2 out of 5]

My honest feedback is that I prefer The Gatekeeper and Fire Fox Girl which are better written, although the latter two contain scenes that are less realistic. Although Sebastian Sim's two novels have potentially richer 'realist' substance, he did not artfully and carefully bring out the richness of his perceptions and insights from the entertaining cinematic situations he built into his novels.

Instead Sebastian wrote in a way which gives the impression of him struggling to be comic or darkly comic or entertaining in an artificial way, which upon closer reading, reveals some of his weaknesses. There are quite a number of instances where the comic comments or insertions in Sebastian's two novels that are quite artificial and lacking taste. Also regarding the Riot Act, he mentioned that a jittery sergeant lashed out with his baton at the witnesses who tried to explain to the sergeant on their perceptions of what caused the incident. Such sweeping 'jittery' insertion does not sound realistic, and does not blend well with a novelist's imaginative effort.

Each perception and observation need to be carefully weighed and considered, when you are penning a realistic novel. Pls read the masterpiece All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. Overall The Riot Act as well as his first novel are disappointing and half-cartoonic reads where the richness of the situations and the characters are not well explored, depicted and not emotionally engaging. Some way to go for Sebastian to improve his writing skills and ability.

[Xuan · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book reads like a mish-mash of everything but the kitchen sink. So many popular references and incidents (e.g. Xiaxue, handsome billboard police, Anton Casey) that have made headlines before, are incorporated into the book like a "See how many popular references you can spot in this book" list.

It was also disconcerting and uncomfortable to read about how a man writes from the perspective of not just 1, not 2, but 3 WOMEN! I understand the need to diversify the writing perspective but this ain't it. This is evident throughout the book. All 3 female leads are stereotypically dumb, constantly make a crap ton of bad decisions, are unable to think for themselves and therefore easily persuaded by the people around them, and are overly sexualised.

The characters are paper-thin and the plot is almost non-existent.

This book is an unfortunate ironic reflection of the plight and voices of migrant workers in reality. They remained unheard in the cacophony of voices who claim to champion for their rights and the voices of those who seek to quash them.

[sha · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I understand what the author was trying to do, and I would say that it can still be an enjoyable read, this was an underwhelming take and lacks proper insight on the topics brought up.

[Ms.XvX · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I like several creative and colourful uses of metaphors, I am ruffled by many instances where events in the novel look contrived, forced if not flatulent.

Take the example when Haroon first meets Jessica (pg. 32). There is an explosion and Jessica falls and suffers an injury—“She feared to think the ear might have been torn off.” And because of this small injury, she allows Haroon to carry her in his arms as he stomps about to get help. Down the road, a passer-by opens an abandoned ambulance for Haroon and then disappear, leaving him to perform the incredible feat of getting up and into the ambulance while still carrying Jessica in his arms (without the aid of stairs or a ladder). While it is not mentioned explicitly, he likely closes the door after laying down Jessica flat on a stretcher. Though there is bleeding, the injury does not look serious as Haroon uses only a cotton bud to dab it with antiseptic. (So, probably just an abrasion and she should be sitting up rather than haplessly lying flat on her back.) Anyway, when Jessica tries to sit up, she feels a searing pain in her abdomen. Haroon suggests she should remove her attire for him to do an examination. Without hesitation, Jessica promptly pulls down her trousers. [Wow!] Then Chong Jin, Jessica’s boyfriend and a member of the Special Tactics and Rescue Team, bursts in and without a word of warning, buttstocks Haroon with his rifle to put Haroon into comatose for three months. He then carries his girlfriend over his shoulder and steps out of the ambulance--with her trousers still down to her thighs and her lacy panties for all to see. And Jessica does not seem to be in any pain with her abdomen (and body weight) fully resting on CJ’s shoulder. The whole episode in the ambulance is stated to last 15 minutes (pg. 71 and 82)—long enough for a rape to complete. In the midst of a riot, over 15 minutes, no one rattles, opens the door, or even bangs on the ambulance. Notwithstanding, a reading of the happenings on pg. 32 should not last more than a few minutes.

On page 12, we read of the first instance when the front bus rams into another bus behind. Such an impact and the driver is not even aware of it. The driver of the bus behind is equally nonchalant—he does not even bother to come down to inspect the damage. When it happens the second time (page 13), poor Sanmugan is crushed to death between the two buses. But on page 95 and 96, the police’s investigation has the bus runs over the poor man. On page 153, Hashwini says, ‘I was on the bus, the one that ran over the migrant worker…’. But on the next page, she says, “Before or after he was crushed by the two buses?” So, is it ‘ran over by one bus’, or ‘crushed between two buses’?

In another instance, on page 9, Hashwini calls the police to report the upskirt incident. Yet, she is a “mysterious girl who made a report about someone taking an upskirt photo OF HER…” (Page 97). Mysterious? So, how are the police to follow-up on a crime if they do not record particulars of victim when a report is made?

On page 7, we read that Hashwini maintains a precarious balancing act on a shaky ladder for 3 full minutes while Sanmugan talks on his phone. Wow, Three Full Minutes. There are ‘throng of shoppers’ around and yet no one passes by her way during that long period. On the following page, we read that she climbs higher to the third-last rung of the ladder and then s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-s for the bottle of conditioner. She is 1.5 metres tall, plus the length of her hand and the height of the rung she is on (says, at just a meagre one metre high), that bottle must be 3 metres up or higher. Wow again.

Hashwini works as a croupier in Resort World, and in the final chapter, as a stewardess with Tiger Airways. A simple google search should show that the minimum height requirement for croupiers and air stewardesses in both organisations is 1.58 metres for females. Hashwini is 8 cm short. [See www.rwsentosablog.com/were-still-hiri... and www.flygosh.com/2016/03/tiger-air-fli... ] And the author should know better. He was a croupier himself.

There are others, but I have rumbled enough.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

On December 8, 2013, a construction worker from India was run over and killed by a private bus in the Little India district in Singapore. His death sparked a riot involving hundreds of migrant laborers that lasted two hours. It was the first riot in the country in more than 40 years, and led to heated discussions about ethnic tensions, income inequality, and the poor working conditions and overall bad treatment of migrant workers.

The Riot Act by Sebastian Sim is touted as a dark comedy centered on this incident. I am a big fan of Sim’s 2015 novel Let’s Give It Up for Gimme Lao!, and was eager to read this follow up. However, I just finished The Riot Act feeling rather baffled.

To be clear, this is definitely a fictionalized account of the riot. Sim’s imagination is allowed to run wild as he recreates the cause of the bus accident and the subsequent maneuverings by politicians and activists. And it really runs in a weird, salacious direction - it’s obsessed with sex, and somehow the issue of labor rights gets tangled up with sexual assault and a #metoo-like movement. Which gets a big fat ?!? from me. (And what’s with all the sex pic blackmail!) As the narrative progresses the riot becomes inconsequential, a way for the author to explore the workings of social media and the shaping of public opinion.

In short, the plot feels overly wacky and ambitious. I wonder about Sim’s decision to view events involving migrant men through the eyes of three local women, and the depiction of the LGBT community is quite shallow and caricatured, even for a satire. I don’t hate the novel - it’s very readable, and some passages are as funny as promised. I love the brief references to Gimme Lao! Sim shines a bright light on greed and hypocrisy, but to me, maybe a historically significant, extremely racial event like the Little India riot is the wrong frame.

[Kes · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an alternative version of Singapore that's related to Let's Give It Up for Gimme Lao! (and in fact, the characters overlap a little). It takes the Little India riots, changes some of the surrounding circumstances, and uses it as a social commentary on Singapore - in particular, the ruling party's politicians.

We follow three women: Hashwini, who wonders if she triggered the Little India riots (and then fans the flames by using her blog as a socio-political blog to get page views); Jessica, who is suspected of being raped but does not say anything - and allows others to profit over her image as a victim, and Sharon, whose ambition has led her to becoming a Member of Parliament.

I actually felt for Sharon - it feels a little like Sharon drifted into politics because of her ambition, rather than an urge to make life better for people in general (and the author meant it as an indictment of ruling party politicians. (Her counterpart is Omala, or perhaps Jessica - both of who quietly actually work to improve people.) I have a feeling I was supposed to come away with the sense that "oh, the ruling party politicians don't care for the people", but honestly - that sort of ambition to better yourself is great (though mirrored on some level by Andreae, who takes advantage of Jessica's newfound fame to start her own business).

I didn't quite like how Jessica seemed passive, in contrast - a lot of the situations were caused by people telling Jessica "oh you should do this" and Jessica agreeing, and then reacting to it.

3/5 stars; bumped up for the Singapore connection.

[Daryl Dela Cruz · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Riot Act is set in 2013 when the Little India Riot happened in Singapore. It follows Jessica, Hashwini, and Sharon, with each character being involved in the riot one way or the other.

I found the book an enjoyable read. The shennanigans that the three characters got themselves involved with due to the riot were interesting, and I was genuinely interested on reading on to find out more.

One thing that disappointed me though was that there wasn't enough focus on the migrant workers/the people who work closely with migrant workers. You'd think that a book that is titled "The Riot Act" with the book cover being an overturned bus would feature more characters that would be closely impacted by the riot. I just wish that at least one character was a migrant worker, so that we could see from their first-hand POV what happened during the riots, how their fellow workers felt, how they reacted to everything etc. I found it hard to empathise with the workers because there was no main character that WAS a migrant worker. All the main characters just KNEW OF migrant workers.

With the above being said, it feels like the book does a slight disservice to migrant workers and the Little India Riot. The migrant workers and Little India Riot faded into the background and just became a set-up to hook the readers into the different situations that the 3 main characters faced.

I understand that the book is a dark comedy and is satire. While it does highlight the imperfections of Singapore through comedy (eg. our laws, social systems, xenophobia etc.), I still feel that the book could have gone deeper into the migrant workers POV on the riot.

[Quentin Tan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't even use GoodReads anymore but I had to come back just to note how much I hate this book that I am due to discuss in class in nine hours - easily one of the worst novels I've had the displeasure of reading. A spiteful, embarrassingly self-indulgent work with the ostensible purpose of criticizing the Singaporean society of spectacle that has itself surrendered to the logic of the spectacle by (1) its inability or reluctance to imagine the world beyond shallow "phone bad"-type analysis (sacrificing, of course, attempts at examining the actual material causes of the phenomena the novel feebly decries) and (2) its poor stylistic imitation of chick-lit sensationalism for ironic effect that would only impress the dullest of minds. The latter is particularly worse because it signifies that the author has given up not only on writing but also on the utopian impulse of art. The plot plays so fast and loose with notions of coherence and the reality it purports to describe one feels insulted upon finishing the work - if they can overcome their dread to do so, that is. In the end, one is left unsure which the author hates more - Singapore or humanity; in either case, the work takes a dim view of both, which I do not believe is warranted. At least not from a book as inane as this. I've read 100-tweet-long threads of pointless "discourse" that are more entertaining, meaningful, and, frankly, edifying (on a meta-level at least) than this drivel.

[auguste · Rating 1 out of 5]

What a dreadful, insufferable book. I was really excited to read this as I thought the premise was very interesting, but the characters were so unlikeable - Sim reduced them to caricatures of the most intolerable archetypes possible, zero nuance.

Also this feels very irresponsible, Sim throws in every single issue about race equality, migrant rights, and privilege in every turn, without providing thoughtful (or even considered) commentary through the characters. This is just made to make the local reader feel immense shame and a non-local reader to feel aghast at the state of Singapore. These issues require a lot of nuance, which was clearly not a thought that crossed Sim in the writing of this book. I get that this book is fictitious, meant to show that Singaporeans are filled with prejudices and discriminate against the people who help build this country; loosely based off of our short history. But surely there is a better, more responsible way of writing this?

All in all, feels like a social justice warrior meets The Onion. I’d rather bite out of a raw onion.

[Annabelwong · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like the strain of dark humour and comic twists here and there, and I like some aspects of the plot, although some parts read like cliched, essay-style social commentary. it does not have articulate freshness, as compared to Pulitzer and National Book awards shortlists. The Riot Act sounds like striving to win the Singapore Literature Prize with various patches of stiff prose, and in this aspect, it is not as good as Sebastian's previous novel. This novel gives me the impression that even if it wins the Singapore Literature Prize, it does not have fresh insights and sufficient depth to endure as a work of literature. Resembles a string of self-ruminating, gossipy, ephemeral , fading away stories that cannot last. Anyway it's just my personal taste. I believe Sebastian can produce more authentic and creative and unconventional works in the future, by sloughing off the subtle and hidden desires to win literary prizes. cheers

[Prudentukfrank · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like some of the darkly comic and satirical passages which are entertaining, although the tincture of its wacky, flippant tone mixed with stiffness in some of the chapters put me off. I prefer Sebastian's first novel even though it is more cliched. I have read quite a number of Epigram Books novels. With the exception of State of Emergency, Death of A Perm Sec and the Ministry of Moral Panic, many of the free online stories and novels in Smashwords and Wattpad are better than Epigram Books novels. As a suggestion, Epigram Books can consider to change their company into a website that selects, edits and posts free Singaporean stories. This is more beneficial to Singapore Literature and can expand local and regional readership.

[Joey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Satirical take on the Little India Riots in 2013 SG, and little Singaporean things like the handsome policeman standee, the $50,000 "deposit" on media outlets. Easy read - reminiscent of Kevin Kwan's style IMO. Not sure if author is trying to generate conversations about certain topics like LGBTQ community and migrant workers rights in SG, but it's not really effective....? It tipped over the point of raising awareness over to too much of a joke. 3 stars for entertainment value hahaha but really?? This is the winner for EBFP 2017??? Kappa Quartet was a longlist and a 5-star IMO (not the same year I know, but still) :-(

[Sngsweelian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book because of the many local references and the various swipes at famous politicians, bloggers and significant people (including the Chief Editor of The Straits Times!). A little melodramatic at times (especially the tangled web of relationships among the various characters - I mean, I know Singapore is small but surely life cannot be so coincidental?!) but I will cut Sebastian Sim some slack -- this book is largely a work of fiction, although the resemblance to real people is intentional and is what makes the book interesting and funny. I will be looking out for other Sebastian Sim's books for sure.

[Deepika · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with many a SingLit I have read , I found the lives of the characters in the novel so vastly different from my own , despite us sharing the same country of residence :- The foreign-educated politician (Sharon) who's ambition blurs her morality , the university student (Jessica) who flits from one boyfriend to the next , the casino croupier (Hashwini) who becomes the catalyst for the Little India Riot. Yet , it was a fluid read - entertaining and with lots of drama to keep you hooked.
The ending was rather abrupt when I expected a bit more depth and hence the 3 stars.

[Devane S · Rating 5 out of 5]

*spoilers*
Sebastian Sim's follow up to the widely-acclaimed Gimme Lao continues telling the Singapore story through fiction. Albeit a more contemporary one this time with parallels to recent issues that made the headlines here. The humour left me smiling as I read through much of the book ("Kong Hee's miracle ointment that cures all" comes to mind) and its balanced by a fair take at the Singaporean psyche of today. Highly recommended for anyone with any interest in Singapore.

[Elizabeth Zhou · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this a rather disappointing read. While I recognise the effort to tackle a broad range of social issues - little Indian riots, alcohol ban, TWC2, etc in the form of a satire, the plot just didn’t work for me. What also did not work for me was the representation of female characters as sexually starved (??).

The countless thinly veiled references to reality were however, really fun to read. All in all, an enjoyable read.

[Marissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Amusing because i live in Jalan Besar GRC and i could tell the author had something to say about racism and the plight of migrant workers in SG but it was poorly executed and not as fleshed out as it could have been. The "twists" were obvious and i didn't like how he wrote the women characters (even though all the "protagonists" were women). I think my favorite part was the first scene with Hashwini causing the riot but then it was pretty downhill from there

[Deannapolsky · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting read, although I can't appreciate some of the cultural and sociopolitical significance. The writing style is a bit flippant sounding, sort of floating around with some logical holes and trivial generalisations that debase the realistic sense and atmosphere of the novel. Personally I prefer a more serious tone.

[Ron Tan · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exciting and interesting take on Little India Riots through the lives of 3 different ladies, affected directly by it.

Intense and nerve-racking, yet comical and slightly hilarious. The author definitely put in much thought into creating a marvellous piece of work with relevant current local issues and topics.

If you like “Let’s Give It Up for Gimme Lao”, you will definitely like this one!

[Farid Hamzah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hashwini don't you worry too much! Such an adventure reading. I've always been sceptical on politics genre book but luckily this book have change my opinion on this type of book! Reading this in an eBook version makes everything more entertaining! Link for this eBook is right here:-https://www.e-sentral.com/book/info/2...

[Jane Koh · Rating 3 out of 5]

A rich piece of work about local (Singapore) politics - helping us understand the feelings around Migrant workers issues. Based on the imaginations of Sebastian Sim on a true event that took Singapore by surprise. I would recommend it if you wish to gain local insights, however I must say that Give it up for Gimme Lao (his previous book) had a more tantalising storyline to it.

[Nancy Chiok · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading Sebastian Sim's works of late. So far, this is the third book.
Sebastian's books tend to be local, adhering to the lives in Singapore, and also the political scene.
He is able to weave the riot incident (there was such a big deal here then) to the stories.
While, I enjoyed the other two books more than this one, I am proud that we have good writers in our little red dot.