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Harinder Veriah, a Malaysian lawyer, passed away at the age of 33 in 2000 at Ruttonjee Hospital in Hong Kong. Her husband, British author and columnist Martin Jacques, believed that racial prejudice and medical negligence contributed to her death. Jacques met Veriah in 1993 during a jungle trek on Pulau Tioman, and their love quickly blossomed.

When the couple moved to Hong Kong with their son in 1998, Jacques began to witness the racial discrimination Veriah faced. She experienced issues such as being ignored in shops and restaurants and being treated differently by her Chinese colleagues. Jacques said that Veriah's death was a turning point in his understanding of race.

Although the Hong Kong inquest recorded her death as natural causes, Jacques remained unconvinced and brought a medical negligence lawsuit against the Hospital Authority in 2010. The lawsuit was settled out of court shortly before trial, but the authority continued to deny negligence and discrimination. Veriah's story became closely linked with Hong Kong's broader push for racial equality, and her case helped to strengthen the movement for stronger legal protections against racial discrimination.