NTUC fires Assistant Director for racist comments
This Facebook screen capture shows Ms Amy Cheong's comments about weddings. -- PHOTO: SCREEN CAPTURE FROM FACEBOOK
UPDATE at 12:38pm: The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) has sacked an assistant director from its membership division after she posted offensive comments on her personal Facebook account.
In a statement sent to the media, its secretary-general Lim Swee Say said the trade organisation has "terminated with immediate effect the services of Ms Amy Cheong, Assistant Director, Membership department after establishing with her that she did post offensive comments... on 7 October 2012".
"Regrettably and rightly so, her comments have upset members of the public, including many union members. We are sorry that this has happened. We have counselled the staff and impressed upon her the seriousness of her action. She is remorseful and has apologised for her grave lapse of judgement," he added.
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UPDATE at 12:38pm: The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) has sacked an assistant director from its membership division after she posted offensive comments on her personal Facebook account.
In a statement sent to the media, its secretary-general Lim Swee Say said the trade organisation has "terminated with immediate effect the services of Ms Amy Cheong, Assistant Director, Membership department after establishing with her that she did post offensive comments... on 7 October 2012".
"Regrettably and rightly so, her comments have upset members of the public, including many union members. We are sorry that this has happened. We have counselled the staff and impressed upon her the seriousness of her action. She is remorseful and has apologised for her grave lapse of judgement," he added.
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Amy Cheong case gains international interest
WHO would have thought that a single Facebook status update would lead to one woman being talked about, not just in Singapore, but outside our borders as well?
Amy Cheong's case has piqued the interest of Australian media, The Star in Malaysia and even Britain's BBC News.
The current online vitriol over the Amy Cheong incident raises a pertinent question: Are Singaporeans not xenophobic and racist too?
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NTUC sacks assistant director over racist remarks on Facebook
In a statement on Monday, the NTUC said: "The NTUC takes a serious view on racial harmony in Singapore. We will not accept and have zero tolerance towards any words used or actions taken by our staff that are racially offensive."
The assistant director of NTUC's Membership Partnership & Alliance, Amy Cheong, had allegedly posted a disparaging comment on Facebook.
Earlier on its Facebook page, NTUC Membership said: "Dear fans of NTUC Membership, we have been alerted of an inappropriate comment, allegedly made by one of our staff recently. This matter is being investigated and we will have a report in due course. This is a serious concern to all of us and will be addressed shortly. The Labour Movement centers on inclusivity and we will not accept words or action of any of our staff that is insensitive or offending to any community."
related:
"Zero tolerance" towards racially offensive remarks: NTUC
NTUC assistant director apologises for racist comment
Void deck: Perfect venue for dream wedding
Confessions of a Malay wedding decorator
PAP Youth member quits over 'racist' online posting
Racist tweet whistleblower reported it as a 'good citizen should'
Two youths arrested for posting racist comments
'Awesome' racist jokes lands SIM student in trouble
Union official flees Singapore for Perth after tired, racial rant
Couriermail.com.au, 11 Oct 2012
A PERTH union official working in Singapore has been sacked for a racist Facebook rant about a Malay wedding being conducted below her apartment.
Amy Cheong, 37, a Malaysian-born Australian, was dismissed from her role as assistant director of the National Trade Union Congress for membership Partnership and Alliance on Monday, The Straits Times reports.
Ms Cheong, a University of WA graduate, posted the rant on Sunday after losing her temper at a noisy wedding running late into the night.
read more
WA woman in racism storm - Yahoo! 7 News
A Perth woman at the centre of a racism storm in Singapore has fled to WA after she was sacked over a Facebook post that sparked a public outcry.
University of WA graduate Amy Cheong, 37, caused outrage across the South-East Asian republic on Sunday by posting a comment about Malay weddings, which are often held in public spaces beneath housing blocks in Singapore.
Apparently frustrated by the noise from a wedding, she wrote: "How many f…ing (sic) days do Malay weddings at void decks go for? Pay for a real wedding you a……, maybe then the divorce rate won't be so high. How can society allow people to get married for 50 bucks?"
read more
Aussie Amy Cheong flees Singapore after rant
AMY Cheong, the writer of a Facebook post lambasting Malay weddings that has convulsed Singapore, has fled to Perth.
Ms Cheong, 37, unable to sleep last weekend because of the row from a wedding at the basement of her apartment building, posted an exasperated and expletive-laden comment.
When this was widely circulated and attacked as racist, she was swiftly sacked from her job as assistant director of membership at the National Trades Union Congress.
read more
Angry Facebook post puts union official Amy Cheong in hot water
AS Australia is convulsed by social media campaigns and revelations of gruesome messages and posts, Singapore - the Mr Clean of the region - is having its own far milder Peter Slipper moment.
Amy Cheong, 37, who was assistant director of membership at the National Trades Union Congress, was prevented from sleeping last Saturday night because of the row from a wedding taking place in the "void deck" - the empty space for common use - at the bottom of her apartment block. She posted an exasperated comment on Facebook asking how many (expletive deleted) days did Malay weddings go on for in void decks. Such weddings, she said, "should be banned".
She went on: "(Expletive)!!! Pay for a real wedding u (expletive), maybe then the divorce rate won't be so high! How can society allow ppl to get married for 50 bucks?"
read more
Malaysian turned Australian, Amy Cheong skips town
Amy Cheong was sacked by her employer NTUC one day after she made racially offensive statements on the social media (‘NTUC sacks its Assistant Director Amy Cheong‘). Her posting went viral igniting a furious backlash online. It is believed that she has left Singapore after she was sacked.
According to a New Paper report, Amy Cheong was born in Malaysia before emigrating to Australia. She later became an Australian. She studied at the University of Western Australia in Perth.
She came to Singapore to work about 10 years ago when she was in her twenties. She said she had chosen to come to Singapore because of its “different cultures”. She had been working in Singapore for the past decade until the day before yesterday (8 Oct) when she was sacked.
Msian-born exec now Spore's most-hated woman?
In her own words, she went from having a bowl of instant noodles after venting on Facebook to losing her job. Within 24 hours of her rant about noise from a Malay wedding at the void deck, Ms Amy Cheong was sacked from her position as National Trades Union Congress (NTUC)'s assistant director, Membership Department.
The New Paper asked Ms Cheong in a 45-minute phone interview last evening: So are you Singapore's most hated woman? She replied: "No, people don't know me enough to hate me. They hate my comments." Comments that she claimed to regret making and which she clarified repeatedly throughout the interview were not meant to be racist. Choking back her tears, Ms Cheong said the incident had been taken out of context.
She said the breaking point came when netizens brought her family into the picture. An upset Ms Cheong told TNP: "When they were abusing me, that's fine. But when they started posting pictures of my family members and verbally abusing them too, I felt it was really uncalled for."
read more
S'pore racist saga shows online self-policing works
Sure, there will always be a few bad eggs but that's the nature of the Internet...you get the all the good along with all the vile.
Along with the right user policies and proper understanding of the risks, the Singapore government should never need to implement social media laws because online community will plays its role in weeding out unsavory comments.
Instead, it should redirect its emphasis to cultivate a society that embraces racial and religious acceptance, rather than tolerance.
read more
Lessons to be learnt in the void deck
It is a shame that Ms Amy Cheong's ignorant remarks about Malay weddings were expressed in racist tones, but it is good to see a national discussion on race relations, and it should include a study of the unique institution of the Malay wedding.
Ms Cheong's remark, "How can society allow people to get married for 50 bucks", is an unintended compliment to the effective bottom-up organisation of a Malay wedding, which brings a community together to create a lavish event with minimal resources. A highly productive Malay wedding may feed a thousand guests over the course of the weekend. Yet, the overall cost is relatively low.
While I cannot claim to be an expert on Malay weddings, I believe that one of the key successes of a Malay wedding is its communal nature. Go to enough Malay weddings and one will find family members pooling resources and sharing tasks, which helps to keep expenses in check. At the same time, everyone involved has a sense of ownership towards the event's success.
read more
The fault line of values
Ms Amy Cheong's racially-charged post is not the first and, it is probably safe to say given the ubiquity of social media, will not be the last either.
Writing on his Facebook page, Law and Foreign Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said that the incident "confirms what I had long suspected and said: There are deep fault lines in our society, based on race/religion … Her comments reflect a deep seated racist attitude coupled with contempt for those who are less well off, or who wish to spend less".
Race and religion will remain fault lines in our society for a long time to come, and new fault lines, such as the divide between locals and foreigners, will arise. However, I am not so pessimistic that these fault lines are deep
read more
Hard Truths or Plain Racism?The Government’s Hypocritical Outrage over Amy Cheong
While we can all condemn Amy Cheong for the unthinking racism of her remarks, we should wonder whether they just reflect the tone of institutional racism that is projected from the very top of the government. Her crime was perhaps that she took her cue from the frequent racist utterances from of our former Minister Mentor which instead of being condemned are labelled “hard truths to keep Singapore going.” Recently even the Australian PM praised MM Lee for his “straight talk” from three decades ago and said “We never forgot his warning that without reform we would be the “White Trash of Asia”
She obviously did not realise that the latitude accorded to the gods do not apply to mere mortals such as her. The PM was quick enough to jump on the bandwagon of condemnation from PAP ministers but has been noticeably silent about his father’s remarks. That surely ranks as hypocrisy or double standards to say the least.
She undoubtedly violated her corporate code of conduct. However she was dismissed without being given a chance to defend her actions by going through the company’s usual disciplinary procedure. Should not a reprimand or a written warning have been the first stage as she had already issued an apology? It was a salutary reminder of how few employment rights Singaporeans have. As Subra points out in his Article 14 blog (http://article14.blogspot.sg/2012/10/race-responsible-speech-and-hasty.html) it is particularly shocking, or would be to a naive observer, that a so-called government trade union should dispense with due process.
read more
Chan Chun Sing, look at yourself in mirror before commenting on racial issues
Chan Chun Sing is still talking much cock. For many years in the SAF, his brain had been tuned to believe that the Malay Bogeyman is out to get us. So much so, he even had to preach that ideology to us when he was campaigning during his last 2011 GE. Who is he to preach racial harmony now?
Today, he sings a different tune because he is in charge of Community Development. Sure makes you believe that these highly paid ministers are just following a ready made template to deliver their speeches.
Finally, note that the PAPpy has a huge hand in molding people into believing stereotypes about certain races. Then when the product of their mold comes to fruition and individuals start making racist remarks, the PAPpy govt tries to shirk responsibility by sacking individuals and/or charging them with sedition.
read more
Amy Cheong & the controversial Foreign Talent policy
read more
Amy Cheong violated NTUC's values
NTUC is the embodiment of multiracialism and racial tolerance.
If one of its employees cannot identify with its core value, then NTUC is absolutely right in firing Ms Amy Cheong for posting such racist comments on her Facebook page ("NTUC fires exec over online racist remarks"; on Tuesday)
I strongly urge all government-related organisations to refrain from employing her. This may sound harsh. Nevertheless, Singapore companies should send a strong signal to deter such actions.
read more
Amy's Story
It was a bad hair day. For past weeks the noise pollution at a typical Singapore congested neighborhood had worn her down,
The Malaysian Insider, 11 Oct 2012
OCT 11 — Now that the dust is settling and the online anger has abated somewhat on the matter of Amy Cheong’s Facebook rant, it is necessary to take a step back and ask: what went wrong?
For this was not an isolated incident — as has been observed, in recent years there have been other instances of online comments made of a racist nature. Indeed, in September 2005, the situation was deemed serious enough that the Sedition Act was used for the first time in recent history to prosecute two men over online postings deemed insulting to the Malays and their religion.
These incidences might lead one to think that there is something wrong with our nation-building process. We could point a finger at the emergence of social media and sound a warning, but this does not address the root of the matter. Social media is not the problem to be managed — signs point to a racialised thought process that is in need of urgent attention.
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Have compassion, too
I came to know of Ms Amy Cheong's vulgar comments through my friends on Facebook and the page "Fire Amy Cheong". It is unfortunate for Ms Cheong to have such a view. Many may make a racist remark in private, but Ms Cheong, like some, did it on a public domain.
Commendably, the Government does not tolerate public expression of racism. And private organisations have been swift in taking action against their own who were guilty of such acts.
But those who posted the same vulgarities and ridiculed Ms Cheong, in response to her remarks, were also being racist. Most of them felt entitled to take offence, hence their nasty comments.
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The Social Geek talks racism
So the talk around town yesterday was the "racist comments" posted by a certain Amy Cheong on social media. Cheong, who happens to work in a trade union whose Secretary-General also happens to be a PAP (People's Action Party) member and a Minister without portfolio.
The government in Singapore promotes racial harmony and the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), where Cheong worked at, had to show a zero tolerance policy with regard to racial issues.
Was her firing justified? I personally think not (though you may, of course, disagree). Counselling or a suspension and community service would have been more an appropriate course of action. While her remarks were offensive to the Malay community, the same can be said for remarks uttered by politicians from the PAP. It's all a matter of perspective, of course. After all, I'm a majority race in a tiny island state.
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In a Malay wedding, the groom (usually from a different kampung) will meet the bride at her kampung. The couple would be treated as the ‘king and queen’ for the day. The arrival of of the groom is accompanied by the ‘kompang’ (did I get spelling right?), which is the familiar Malay drum beating we now all know. This ceremony at the bride’s kampung is called bersanding. That’s the time you also see the couple on the dice. Family members, friends and neighbours would welcome the groom.
After the bersanding, the groom will bring his new bride back to his kampung to meet his family members, friends and neighbours. This ceremony at the groom’s kampung is called bertandang (again, did I get spelling right?)
In view of the fact that kampungs are no longer in existent, the only viable thing left to do to carry on this tradition is to hold it at void decks. The void deck now becomes the default symbol of the ‘kampung’ of the bride and groom at their respective HDB blocks.
There is a big difference between Malay and Chinese weddings. Last week, I went for a Chinese wedding in a hotel. It’s completely different from this. Malay wedding is usually held at the HDB void deck. The cooking is also done there. Lots of decorations and setting up for the wedding reception and venue. Needless to say, there must be lots of painstaking planning for such a big function catering to hundreds of guests.
The visitors and well wishers started streaming in at night on the eve of the wedding. Food was already prepared and served to those who came on the eve of the wedding. Some of them may not be free on the actual day to attend so they came on the eve instead. Whereas the Malay wedding is a whole day affair, invited guests could just saunter in as they like. There is also no seating arrangement. It’s free and easy. The spread of sumptuous food is laid out by the side, guests are at liberty to pick and choose what they would prefer. Drinks are free flow. Fruits are aplenty.
I notice that most of them brought their whole family with children in tow to the wedding reception. The live band – Hindi live band just like Bollywood fare in this case – is there to entertain guests with rendition of a variety of Hindi and Malay songs. It’s a pretty noisy affair with loud music blaring from those huge speakers.
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Unfair to pressure Malays to make a stand on Amy Cheong
Worryingly, I have come across a backlash from the Amy Cheong incident that appears to be putting the Malays in the unwanted limelight again. There appears to be some groups who wish that the Malays be magnanimous to state they forgive Amy Cheong. I feel that just because the Malay community has been generally silent, does not mean that they are unforgiving. Hey, Malays are truly a docile and silent lot to start with
What is done cannot be undone. What is done is that Amy has posted those comments. What is done is that Amy has been sacked. These cannot be undone. Stop pressurizing the Malays to forgive and show compassion. IMO, they have been a very tolerant and silent lot all along. What more do you want?
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inSing.com, 10 Oct 2012
Still, your sacking angers me. Not because I was utterly sympathetic to your predicament, although I was, a bit, but because the action by the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) smacked of short-sightedness.
What was the objective and message sent here? To deter racists and suppress racism, we need to resort to fear mongering through punitive measures? Indeed, the issue is tricky considering NTUC depends on the support of unions, and due to its close relationship to the ruling party, it has to do some damage control.
But what else can NTUC do, give you a spank? Send you to the punishment corner? So, here are your walking papers, it said. By the way, they’ve placed an advert of your job post. How indispensable you are! Full story
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Do we need a lynching party?
Many police reports were made by the public against people, some times kids, making racist or anti religious remarks in the internet or facebook. Though all racist and anti religious remarks are not acceptable and cannot be condoned, is there really a need to make a police report?
In many instances the comments were made in the heat of the moment or at a thoughtless moment by someone who could not understand the seriousness of the remarks or the consequences that could follow. Many would not have done so if they knew what they were doing. Not many, not even one in all the reported cases, was there a recalcitrant who had the intent to stir racial or religious hatred.
It is right to put such people into their proper place and telling them what they did was wrong. And if they need to be punished, let it be. Making police reports often is only aggravating a bad situation that is unnecessary. The last thing is to treat making police reports callously, like people making calls for ambulance service for the slightest reason. Making police reports is not like going for a pee. It must be a serious matter that needs the police attention
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Wow, I didn't have to wait long at all for Lionel De Souza to present himself in his usual apple polishing ways.
I am interested in him because he filed the police report over Amy Cheong's terrible facebook fiasco. I was telling wifey that I recognize that name because he was such a stand out flatterer in the ministers and MPs facebook pages. Lionel de Souza latest, "With you, Mr Yeo at the helm of Kerry, this slogan holds true" Lately this bootlicker has done less than nothing for racial harmony.
Now let me see, I might have an earlier entry on Mr. De Souza. Yes, it was posted in May: PAP Apple Polishers
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PM Lee and his ministers join the lynch mob
Yahoo! News Singapore, 8 Oct 2012
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Monday condemned the "offensive" Facebook post of a labour group executive, even as he called it an isolated incident.
Law Minister K Shanmugam in a Facebook post on Monday also decried Cheong's comments, saying they "are shameful and completely unacceptable".
NTUC Secretary-General Lim Swee Say, who holds the rank of minister in the Prime Minister's office, announced Cheong's sacking on the organisation's Facebook page. "We will not accept and have zero tolerance towards any words used or actions taken by our staff that are racially offensive," Lim said.
Minister for Manpower Tan Chuan Jin also weighed in on the issue. In a post on his Facebook page, he said traditional Malay void deck weddings are as much a part of the Singapore landscape as "burning of offerings, void deck funerals... and increased parking during Friday prayers or Sunday morning worship." Full story
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NTUC forced to sack Assistant Director after public outcry
Yahoo! News Singapore, 8 Oct 2012
Related:
NTUC sacks employee who made racist comment online
NTUC's Assistant Director in hot soup over her racist rant against Malay weddings at HDB void deck
Link
Related:
NTUC investigates staff's alleged inappropriate Facebook post - Channel News Asia
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Police report filed against Amy Cheong over offensive Facebook post
[UPDATE at 4:40pm] DPM Tharman Shanmugaratnam weighed in on the Amy Cheong issue, saying on his Facebook page that it is "Good that NTUC acted quickly" on the matter.
"The person's comments were offensive not only to Malay-Muslims, but all the rest of us who value Singapore's multiracial spirit and who want to take it further," he added.
Singapore police are investigating the former NTUC staff who was fired on Monday morning for her profanity-laced post insulting traditional Malay void deck weddings
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Couriermail.com.au, 11 Oct 2012A PERTH union official working in Singapore has been sacked for a racist Facebook rant about a Malay wedding being conducted below her apartment.
Amy Cheong, 37, a Malaysian-born Australian, was dismissed from her role as assistant director of the National Trade Union Congress for membership Partnership and Alliance on Monday, The Straits Times reports.
Ms Cheong, a University of WA graduate, posted the rant on Sunday after losing her temper at a noisy wedding running late into the night.
read more
WA woman in racism storm - Yahoo! 7 News
A Perth woman at the centre of a racism storm in Singapore has fled to WA after she was sacked over a Facebook post that sparked a public outcry.
University of WA graduate Amy Cheong, 37, caused outrage across the South-East Asian republic on Sunday by posting a comment about Malay weddings, which are often held in public spaces beneath housing blocks in Singapore.
Apparently frustrated by the noise from a wedding, she wrote: "How many f…ing (sic) days do Malay weddings at void decks go for? Pay for a real wedding you a……, maybe then the divorce rate won't be so high. How can society allow people to get married for 50 bucks?"
read more
Aussie Amy Cheong flees Singapore after rant
AMY Cheong, the writer of a Facebook post lambasting Malay weddings that has convulsed Singapore, has fled to Perth.
Ms Cheong, 37, unable to sleep last weekend because of the row from a wedding at the basement of her apartment building, posted an exasperated and expletive-laden comment.
When this was widely circulated and attacked as racist, she was swiftly sacked from her job as assistant director of membership at the National Trades Union Congress.
read more
Angry Facebook post puts union official Amy Cheong in hot water
AS Australia is convulsed by social media campaigns and revelations of gruesome messages and posts, Singapore - the Mr Clean of the region - is having its own far milder Peter Slipper moment.
Amy Cheong, 37, who was assistant director of membership at the National Trades Union Congress, was prevented from sleeping last Saturday night because of the row from a wedding taking place in the "void deck" - the empty space for common use - at the bottom of her apartment block. She posted an exasperated comment on Facebook asking how many (expletive deleted) days did Malay weddings go on for in void decks. Such weddings, she said, "should be banned".
She went on: "(Expletive)!!! Pay for a real wedding u (expletive), maybe then the divorce rate won't be so high! How can society allow ppl to get married for 50 bucks?"
read more
Malaysian turned Australian, Amy Cheong skips town
Amy Cheong was sacked by her employer NTUC one day after she made racially offensive statements on the social media (‘NTUC sacks its Assistant Director Amy Cheong‘). Her posting went viral igniting a furious backlash online. It is believed that she has left Singapore after she was sacked.
According to a New Paper report, Amy Cheong was born in Malaysia before emigrating to Australia. She later became an Australian. She studied at the University of Western Australia in Perth.
She came to Singapore to work about 10 years ago when she was in her twenties. She said she had chosen to come to Singapore because of its “different cultures”. She had been working in Singapore for the past decade until the day before yesterday (8 Oct) when she was sacked.
Msian-born exec now Spore's most-hated woman?
In her own words, she went from having a bowl of instant noodles after venting on Facebook to losing her job. Within 24 hours of her rant about noise from a Malay wedding at the void deck, Ms Amy Cheong was sacked from her position as National Trades Union Congress (NTUC)'s assistant director, Membership Department.
The New Paper asked Ms Cheong in a 45-minute phone interview last evening: So are you Singapore's most hated woman? She replied: "No, people don't know me enough to hate me. They hate my comments." Comments that she claimed to regret making and which she clarified repeatedly throughout the interview were not meant to be racist. Choking back her tears, Ms Cheong said the incident had been taken out of context.
She said the breaking point came when netizens brought her family into the picture. An upset Ms Cheong told TNP: "When they were abusing me, that's fine. But when they started posting pictures of my family members and verbally abusing them too, I felt it was really uncalled for."
read more
S'pore racist saga shows online self-policing works
Sure, there will always be a few bad eggs but that's the nature of the Internet...you get the all the good along with all the vile.
Along with the right user policies and proper understanding of the risks, the Singapore government should never need to implement social media laws because online community will plays its role in weeding out unsavory comments.
Instead, it should redirect its emphasis to cultivate a society that embraces racial and religious acceptance, rather than tolerance.
read more
Lessons to be learnt in the void deck
It is a shame that Ms Amy Cheong's ignorant remarks about Malay weddings were expressed in racist tones, but it is good to see a national discussion on race relations, and it should include a study of the unique institution of the Malay wedding.
Ms Cheong's remark, "How can society allow people to get married for 50 bucks", is an unintended compliment to the effective bottom-up organisation of a Malay wedding, which brings a community together to create a lavish event with minimal resources. A highly productive Malay wedding may feed a thousand guests over the course of the weekend. Yet, the overall cost is relatively low.
While I cannot claim to be an expert on Malay weddings, I believe that one of the key successes of a Malay wedding is its communal nature. Go to enough Malay weddings and one will find family members pooling resources and sharing tasks, which helps to keep expenses in check. At the same time, everyone involved has a sense of ownership towards the event's success.
read more
The fault line of values
Ms Amy Cheong's racially-charged post is not the first and, it is probably safe to say given the ubiquity of social media, will not be the last either.
Writing on his Facebook page, Law and Foreign Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said that the incident "confirms what I had long suspected and said: There are deep fault lines in our society, based on race/religion … Her comments reflect a deep seated racist attitude coupled with contempt for those who are less well off, or who wish to spend less".
Race and religion will remain fault lines in our society for a long time to come, and new fault lines, such as the divide between locals and foreigners, will arise. However, I am not so pessimistic that these fault lines are deep
read more
Hard Truths or Plain Racism?The Government’s Hypocritical Outrage over Amy Cheong
While we can all condemn Amy Cheong for the unthinking racism of her remarks, we should wonder whether they just reflect the tone of institutional racism that is projected from the very top of the government. Her crime was perhaps that she took her cue from the frequent racist utterances from of our former Minister Mentor which instead of being condemned are labelled “hard truths to keep Singapore going.” Recently even the Australian PM praised MM Lee for his “straight talk” from three decades ago and said “We never forgot his warning that without reform we would be the “White Trash of Asia”
She obviously did not realise that the latitude accorded to the gods do not apply to mere mortals such as her. The PM was quick enough to jump on the bandwagon of condemnation from PAP ministers but has been noticeably silent about his father’s remarks. That surely ranks as hypocrisy or double standards to say the least.
She undoubtedly violated her corporate code of conduct. However she was dismissed without being given a chance to defend her actions by going through the company’s usual disciplinary procedure. Should not a reprimand or a written warning have been the first stage as she had already issued an apology? It was a salutary reminder of how few employment rights Singaporeans have. As Subra points out in his Article 14 blog (http://article14.blogspot.sg/2012/10/race-responsible-speech-and-hasty.html) it is particularly shocking, or would be to a naive observer, that a so-called government trade union should dispense with due process.
read more
Chan Chun Sing, look at yourself in mirror before commenting on racial issues
Chan Chun Sing is still talking much cock. For many years in the SAF, his brain had been tuned to believe that the Malay Bogeyman is out to get us. So much so, he even had to preach that ideology to us when he was campaigning during his last 2011 GE. Who is he to preach racial harmony now?
Today, he sings a different tune because he is in charge of Community Development. Sure makes you believe that these highly paid ministers are just following a ready made template to deliver their speeches.
Finally, note that the PAPpy has a huge hand in molding people into believing stereotypes about certain races. Then when the product of their mold comes to fruition and individuals start making racist remarks, the PAPpy govt tries to shirk responsibility by sacking individuals and/or charging them with sedition.
read more
Amy Cheong & the controversial Foreign Talent policy
On Sunday 7 October 2012, National
Trades Union Congress (NTUC) Assistant Director for Membership Ms Amy
Cheong publicly expressed unhappiness on the actions of a certain
communal group. The following day, on Monday 8 October 2012 the NTUC leadership decided her expressions were unacceptable & she was terminated from her position.
The immediate reason for this decision
was the nature of her position. NTUC was a collection of trade unions
set up by the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP). NTUC had an official
symbiotic relationship with the PAP. NTUC wanted to distance itself from
Ms Cheong’s position.
On Wednesday 10 October 2012, the New
Paper (TNP) published parts of a short interview with Ms Cheong on her
background. Although TNP did not give exact years, the chronological
order could be approximately deduced.
read more
Amy Cheong violated NTUC's values
NTUC is the embodiment of multiracialism and racial tolerance.
If one of its employees cannot identify with its core value, then NTUC is absolutely right in firing Ms Amy Cheong for posting such racist comments on her Facebook page ("NTUC fires exec over online racist remarks"; on Tuesday)
I strongly urge all government-related organisations to refrain from employing her. This may sound harsh. Nevertheless, Singapore companies should send a strong signal to deter such actions.
read more
Amy's Story
It was a bad hair day. For past weeks the noise pollution at a typical Singapore congested neighborhood had worn her down,
"It never stopped. There were funerals, karaoke sessions, and weddings. Not to mention the fact that my neighbors' flats were undergoing renovation. There were loud drilling sounds as early as eight in the morning."On Saturday, the decibel level was raised,
"I wasn't sure exactly what it was, but I saw a lot of Malay people dressed-up, and they were heading to a void deck where banners had been set up.It was a Malay wedding, with a slight difference. Instead of the traditional soothing rhythms of the "kompang", modern equipment was there to amplify her pain,
I knew it was some sort of celebration, so I assumed it was a wedding."
"I was really cranky that day because all week long, I had been looking forward to the weekend to get some rest. There was someone screaming into a microphone and I tried closing all my windows and doors, but it was still very noisy."
My friend, Amy, was angry and worried
It is unlikely that Amy is reading this because she is now probably overcome with anger and worries.
Amy is my friend of many years. She is a pretty and an educated woman. If not for her poor acting skill, she might have become a famous actress – perhaps, Michelle Yeoh the second! Apart from Malaysia, she loves Australia – and of course, Singapore too.
As far as I know, Amy never understood why many Singaporeans disliked the PAP Government – until that day when she lost her job. I actually met up with her on that day when she was given the pink slip; she was confused, angry and sad; at one point, she broke down in tears as she related her story to me. Like her, I also felt that she lost her job more because of office politics and government policies, than what she had done.
Amy is my friend of many years. She is a pretty and an educated woman. If not for her poor acting skill, she might have become a famous actress – perhaps, Michelle Yeoh the second! Apart from Malaysia, she loves Australia – and of course, Singapore too.
As far as I know, Amy never understood why many Singaporeans disliked the PAP Government – until that day when she lost her job. I actually met up with her on that day when she was given the pink slip; she was confused, angry and sad; at one point, she broke down in tears as she related her story to me. Like her, I also felt that she lost her job more because of office politics and government policies, than what she had done.
Amy Cheong is not Lee Kuan Yew
What Amy Cheong wrote in her facebook denigrating my Malay/Muslim friends is wrong. It shows the contempt she has for others.
After her mindless act, PAP ministers and supporters alike went full throttle condemning her for her foolish insensitivity. Straits Times (9 Oct 2012) on its front page stated, "NTUC fires exec over online racist remarks" with the following:
After her mindless act, PAP ministers and supporters alike went full throttle condemning her for her foolish insensitivity. Straits Times (9 Oct 2012) on its front page stated, "NTUC fires exec over online racist remarks" with the following:
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Where Is The Sense Of Proportion?
Until hell freezes over, there is not a chance on earth that what I write below will be published in the Straits Times.
The page below (in italic) from the Editorial Desk of The Straits Times published on 12-Oct-2012 gives me the perception that the sense of proportion is missing in the heads of some.
As written in my earlier blog [Link], the disgust, vehemence and vitriol showered upon Amy Cheong by those whiter than white for her mindless comments got me thinking of their double standards. Likewise, why wasn't Straits Times preaching when Lee Kuan Yew spoke of Muslims not being able to integrate in Singapore in his hard hitting hard truths! Why didn't this case 'draw attention to the issue of racist mindsets and attitudes"? Was "a line that must never be crossed in Singapore" crossed earlier way before Amy's vulgar racist diatribe?
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The problem of a racialised mind — Mohamed Imran Mohamed Talib
Where Is The Sense Of Proportion?
Until hell freezes over, there is not a chance on earth that what I write below will be published in the Straits Times.
The page below (in italic) from the Editorial Desk of The Straits Times published on 12-Oct-2012 gives me the perception that the sense of proportion is missing in the heads of some.
As written in my earlier blog [Link], the disgust, vehemence and vitriol showered upon Amy Cheong by those whiter than white for her mindless comments got me thinking of their double standards. Likewise, why wasn't Straits Times preaching when Lee Kuan Yew spoke of Muslims not being able to integrate in Singapore in his hard hitting hard truths! Why didn't this case 'draw attention to the issue of racist mindsets and attitudes"? Was "a line that must never be crossed in Singapore" crossed earlier way before Amy's vulgar racist diatribe?
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The problem of a racialised mind — Mohamed Imran Mohamed Talib
OCT 11 — Now that the dust is settling and the online anger has abated somewhat on the matter of Amy Cheong’s Facebook rant, it is necessary to take a step back and ask: what went wrong?
For this was not an isolated incident — as has been observed, in recent years there have been other instances of online comments made of a racist nature. Indeed, in September 2005, the situation was deemed serious enough that the Sedition Act was used for the first time in recent history to prosecute two men over online postings deemed insulting to the Malays and their religion.
These incidences might lead one to think that there is something wrong with our nation-building process. We could point a finger at the emergence of social media and sound a warning, but this does not address the root of the matter. Social media is not the problem to be managed — signs point to a racialised thought process that is in need of urgent attention.
Have compassion, too
I came to know of Ms Amy Cheong's vulgar comments through my friends on Facebook and the page "Fire Amy Cheong". It is unfortunate for Ms Cheong to have such a view. Many may make a racist remark in private, but Ms Cheong, like some, did it on a public domain.
Commendably, the Government does not tolerate public expression of racism. And private organisations have been swift in taking action against their own who were guilty of such acts.
But those who posted the same vulgarities and ridiculed Ms Cheong, in response to her remarks, were also being racist. Most of them felt entitled to take offence, hence their nasty comments.
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The Social Geek talks racism
So the talk around town yesterday was the "racist comments" posted by a certain Amy Cheong on social media. Cheong, who happens to work in a trade union whose Secretary-General also happens to be a PAP (People's Action Party) member and a Minister without portfolio.
The government in Singapore promotes racial harmony and the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), where Cheong worked at, had to show a zero tolerance policy with regard to racial issues.
Was her firing justified? I personally think not (though you may, of course, disagree). Counselling or a suspension and community service would have been more an appropriate course of action. While her remarks were offensive to the Malay community, the same can be said for remarks uttered by politicians from the PAP. It's all a matter of perspective, of course. After all, I'm a majority race in a tiny island state.
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Amy Cheong, Malay weddings at HDB void deck is an extension of tradition, nothing to do with affordability
In a Malay wedding, the groom (usually from a different kampung) will meet the bride at her kampung. The couple would be treated as the ‘king and queen’ for the day. The arrival of of the groom is accompanied by the ‘kompang’ (did I get spelling right?), which is the familiar Malay drum beating we now all know. This ceremony at the bride’s kampung is called bersanding. That’s the time you also see the couple on the dice. Family members, friends and neighbours would welcome the groom.
After the bersanding, the groom will bring his new bride back to his kampung to meet his family members, friends and neighbours. This ceremony at the groom’s kampung is called bertandang (again, did I get spelling right?)
In view of the fact that kampungs are no longer in existent, the only viable thing left to do to carry on this tradition is to hold it at void decks. The void deck now becomes the default symbol of the ‘kampung’ of the bride and groom at their respective HDB blocks.
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Fault Lines Whose Fault?
One of my best friends in university (Chinese) married a Malay girl. They went through both Malay and Chinese ceremonies. I was his bestman and yes, it was a void deck wedding …
Fighting racism is serious business in Singapore. Just ask Amy Cheong, an assistant director at NTUC who became a former assistant director at NTUC within 24 hours after she posted Facebook comments on Sunday afternoon denigrating Malay weddings held on void decks and attributing high Malay divorce rates to low budget weddings.
She realised her blunder 12 hours later and quickly issued an apology at around midnight. But it was too late. What’s interesting is that the comments went viral overnight. A police report was lodged against Ms Cheong by a grassroots leader in Hougang and at least one Facebook page was set up urging NTUC to fire her.
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Rafi Uddin’s Wedding
Fault Lines Whose Fault?
One of my best friends in university (Chinese) married a Malay girl. They went through both Malay and Chinese ceremonies. I was his bestman and yes, it was a void deck wedding …
Fighting racism is serious business in Singapore. Just ask Amy Cheong, an assistant director at NTUC who became a former assistant director at NTUC within 24 hours after she posted Facebook comments on Sunday afternoon denigrating Malay weddings held on void decks and attributing high Malay divorce rates to low budget weddings.
She realised her blunder 12 hours later and quickly issued an apology at around midnight. But it was too late. What’s interesting is that the comments went viral overnight. A police report was lodged against Ms Cheong by a grassroots leader in Hougang and at least one Facebook page was set up urging NTUC to fire her.
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Rafi Uddin’s Wedding
There is a big difference between Malay and Chinese weddings. Last week, I went for a Chinese wedding in a hotel. It’s completely different from this. Malay wedding is usually held at the HDB void deck. The cooking is also done there. Lots of decorations and setting up for the wedding reception and venue. Needless to say, there must be lots of painstaking planning for such a big function catering to hundreds of guests.
The visitors and well wishers started streaming in at night on the eve of the wedding. Food was already prepared and served to those who came on the eve of the wedding. Some of them may not be free on the actual day to attend so they came on the eve instead. Whereas the Malay wedding is a whole day affair, invited guests could just saunter in as they like. There is also no seating arrangement. It’s free and easy. The spread of sumptuous food is laid out by the side, guests are at liberty to pick and choose what they would prefer. Drinks are free flow. Fruits are aplenty.
I notice that most of them brought their whole family with children in tow to the wedding reception. The live band – Hindi live band just like Bollywood fare in this case – is there to entertain guests with rendition of a variety of Hindi and Malay songs. It’s a pretty noisy affair with loud music blaring from those huge speakers.
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Unfair to pressure Malays to make a stand on Amy Cheong
Worryingly, I have come across a backlash from the Amy Cheong incident that appears to be putting the Malays in the unwanted limelight again. There appears to be some groups who wish that the Malays be magnanimous to state they forgive Amy Cheong. I feel that just because the Malay community has been generally silent, does not mean that they are unforgiving. Hey, Malays are truly a docile and silent lot to start with
It is one thing to say that you can't bear the noise from Malay
weddings. It is another if you start insulting the culture and practices
of the Malays. Below is a screenshot of Amy's posts. So, are they just
about noise or is it about showing disdain for another's culture? You
decide.
What is done cannot be undone. What is done is that Amy has posted those comments. What is done is that Amy has been sacked. These cannot be undone. Stop pressurizing the Malays to forgive and show compassion. IMO, they have been a very tolerant and silent lot all along. What more do you want?
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OPINION: An open letter to Amy Cheong - Faris Mokhtar
inSing.com, 10 Oct 2012Still, your sacking angers me. Not because I was utterly sympathetic to your predicament, although I was, a bit, but because the action by the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) smacked of short-sightedness.
What was the objective and message sent here? To deter racists and suppress racism, we need to resort to fear mongering through punitive measures? Indeed, the issue is tricky considering NTUC depends on the support of unions, and due to its close relationship to the ruling party, it has to do some damage control.
But what else can NTUC do, give you a spank? Send you to the punishment corner? So, here are your walking papers, it said. By the way, they’ve placed an advert of your job post. How indispensable you are! Full story
Do we need a lynching party?
Many police reports were made by the public against people, some times kids, making racist or anti religious remarks in the internet or facebook. Though all racist and anti religious remarks are not acceptable and cannot be condoned, is there really a need to make a police report?
In many instances the comments were made in the heat of the moment or at a thoughtless moment by someone who could not understand the seriousness of the remarks or the consequences that could follow. Many would not have done so if they knew what they were doing. Not many, not even one in all the reported cases, was there a recalcitrant who had the intent to stir racial or religious hatred.
It is right to put such people into their proper place and telling them what they did was wrong. And if they need to be punished, let it be. Making police reports often is only aggravating a bad situation that is unnecessary. The last thing is to treat making police reports callously, like people making calls for ambulance service for the slightest reason. Making police reports is not like going for a pee. It must be a serious matter that needs the police attention
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Amy Cheong: A storm in a teacup?
The power of new social media has increased tremendously. Within 12 hours, her remarks on her FB have gone viral reaching to every nook and cranny of cyberspace! Our new social media think-tanks will have lots of research and dissection on hand regarding this real phenomenon! I just attended a workshop on the dangers of new social media last Friday conducted by RSIS-NTU. I understand the real dangers. Those participants expressed their fears of such a situation. They discussed on measures to counter such a situation. Top media officials from various organizations are wary of such missteps which may lead to instability and social anarchy in our fragile multi-racial society. It is no laughing matter.
The NTUC and the government leaders in this case, were quick to defuse the situation with almost immediate damage control before it got out of hand. NTUC did the right thing. They were swift in their action by sacking Amy Cheong. That action in a way dosed off the wild bush fire that was gathering bigger and bigger spreading faster than you could ever imagine.
The PM, ministers and MPs were also quick to condemn such racist remarks. They were quick to put down the anger and hurt felt by our Malay compatriots and all peace-loving Singaporeans by making statements supporting multi-racial and tolerance in our multi-racial compact society. Kudos to all of them. Indeed, they have acted wisely. They know about the destructiveness of the powerful new social media platform, if mis-used. PM’s statement of condemnation – even though he is on official visit in New Zealand was widely reported in the local MSM especially the local radio stations. Now that the storm within the teacup is over, it is time to reflect and learn from this episode.
The power of new social media has increased tremendously. Within 12 hours, her remarks on her FB have gone viral reaching to every nook and cranny of cyberspace! Our new social media think-tanks will have lots of research and dissection on hand regarding this real phenomenon! I just attended a workshop on the dangers of new social media last Friday conducted by RSIS-NTU. I understand the real dangers. Those participants expressed their fears of such a situation. They discussed on measures to counter such a situation. Top media officials from various organizations are wary of such missteps which may lead to instability and social anarchy in our fragile multi-racial society. It is no laughing matter.
The NTUC and the government leaders in this case, were quick to defuse the situation with almost immediate damage control before it got out of hand. NTUC did the right thing. They were swift in their action by sacking Amy Cheong. That action in a way dosed off the wild bush fire that was gathering bigger and bigger spreading faster than you could ever imagine.
The PM, ministers and MPs were also quick to condemn such racist remarks. They were quick to put down the anger and hurt felt by our Malay compatriots and all peace-loving Singaporeans by making statements supporting multi-racial and tolerance in our multi-racial compact society. Kudos to all of them. Indeed, they have acted wisely. They know about the destructiveness of the powerful new social media platform, if mis-used. PM’s statement of condemnation – even though he is on official visit in New Zealand was widely reported in the local MSM especially the local radio stations. Now that the storm within the teacup is over, it is time to reflect and learn from this episode.
PM Lee condemns Amy Cheong’s “isolated” remarks
While it is good to see PM Lee doing the right thing by voicing his disapproval, is he right in saying that the case is “isolated”? Has he forgotten the case of Justin Wee, the ethnically Chinese SIM student who made very rude jokes about Malays and Indians in a drunken video barely two months ago?
In the 5-minute video, Justin Wee made unrepeatable jokes about how long it takes Malays to give birth, what Malays in a swimming pool look like, and what Indians standing in a line resemble
Was PM Lee right to describe Amy Cheong as an “isolated case” or was he wrong? How do we explain the behaviour of the Chinese immigrants in the curry case, and the behaviour of Sun Xu, Justin Wee and now Amy Cheong? What do you think?
While it is good to see PM Lee doing the right thing by voicing his disapproval, is he right in saying that the case is “isolated”? Has he forgotten the case of Justin Wee, the ethnically Chinese SIM student who made very rude jokes about Malays and Indians in a drunken video barely two months ago?
In the 5-minute video, Justin Wee made unrepeatable jokes about how long it takes Malays to give birth, what Malays in a swimming pool look like, and what Indians standing in a line resemble
Was PM Lee right to describe Amy Cheong as an “isolated case” or was he wrong? How do we explain the behaviour of the Chinese immigrants in the curry case, and the behaviour of Sun Xu, Justin Wee and now Amy Cheong? What do you think?
Now now, this was the same Sebastian who had defamed Workers Party MP
Sylvia Lim in a highly offensive, sexist and uncalled for comment. In
response to a post by one Anbang Dingguo about Sylvia’s law degree,
Sebastian Lim had written:
Note: This defamatory statement has been made known to the PM. However, unlike the Amy Cheong episode, he has not come out publicly to condemn the PAP supporter.
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Lionel De Souza surfaces!
“Why don’t you ask her whether she offers free sex to her lecturer to secure her LLB degree?”So now it seems that instead of anyone following Amy Cheong’s footsteps of grave and grievous error of judgment, it was Amy Cheong who had followed Sebastian Lim’s footsteps – unless of course Sebastian Lim believes his comments are perfectly alright.
Note: This defamatory statement has been made known to the PM. However, unlike the Amy Cheong episode, he has not come out publicly to condemn the PAP supporter.
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Lionel De Souza surfaces!
Wow, I didn't have to wait long at all for Lionel De Souza to present himself in his usual apple polishing ways.
I am interested in him because he filed the police report over Amy Cheong's terrible facebook fiasco. I was telling wifey that I recognize that name because he was such a stand out flatterer in the ministers and MPs facebook pages. Lionel de Souza latest, "With you, Mr Yeo at the helm of Kerry, this slogan holds true" Lately this bootlicker has done less than nothing for racial harmony.
Now let me see, I might have an earlier entry on Mr. De Souza. Yes, it was posted in May: PAP Apple Polishers
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PM Lee and his ministers join the lynch mob
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Monday condemned the "offensive" Facebook post of a labour group executive, even as he called it an isolated incident.
Law Minister K Shanmugam in a Facebook post on Monday also decried Cheong's comments, saying they "are shameful and completely unacceptable".
NTUC Secretary-General Lim Swee Say, who holds the rank of minister in the Prime Minister's office, announced Cheong's sacking on the organisation's Facebook page. "We will not accept and have zero tolerance towards any words used or actions taken by our staff that are racially offensive," Lim said.
Minister for Manpower Tan Chuan Jin also weighed in on the issue. In a post on his Facebook page, he said traditional Malay void deck weddings are as much a part of the Singapore landscape as "burning of offerings, void deck funerals... and increased parking during Friday prayers or Sunday morning worship." Full story
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NTUC forced to sack Assistant Director after public outcry
The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) has sacked an assistant
director from its membership division after she posted offensive
comments on her personal Facebook account.
In a statement sent to the media, its secretary-general Lim Swee Say
said the trade organisation has "terminated with immediate effect the
services of Ms Amy Cheong, Assistant Director, Membership department
after establishing with her that she did post offensive comments... on 7
October 2012".
"Regrettably and rightly so, her comments have upset members of the
public, including many union members. We are sorry that this has
happened. We have counselled the staff and impressed upon her the
seriousness of her action. She is remorseful and has apologised for her
grave lapse of judgement," he added. Full storyRelated:
NTUC sacks employee who made racist comment online
NTUC's Assistant Director in hot soup over her racist rant against Malay weddings at HDB void deck
NTUC's assistant director in hot soup over her racist rant about Malay weddings at HDB void deck
Link
Related:
NTUC investigates staff's alleged inappropriate Facebook post - Channel News Asia
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Police report filed against Amy Cheong over offensive Facebook post
[UPDATE at 4:40pm] DPM Tharman Shanmugaratnam weighed in on the Amy Cheong issue, saying on his Facebook page that it is "Good that NTUC acted quickly" on the matter.
"The person's comments were offensive not only to Malay-Muslims, but all the rest of us who value Singapore's multiracial spirit and who want to take it further," he added.
Singapore police are investigating the former NTUC staff who was fired on Monday morning for her profanity-laced post insulting traditional Malay void deck weddings
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