Here's a compilation of some of the year's best quotes arising both from the pandemic and the General Election
There seemed to be quite a number of quotable quotes in 2020 that had us chuckling, shaking our heads, or making us want to chuck our phones out the window, staring wide-eyed and thinking, “I can’t believe he/she said that!”
Other sayings, however, made us want to stand up and shout three cheers.
Most of 2020’s eminent quotes came courtesy of the pandemic and the GE, quite naturally:
- Xia Suay - Chan Chun Sing
- Errrr… - Ho Ching
- “The luxury of the benefit of hindsight…” - Lawrence Wong
- “I have not come across one single migrant worker himself that has demanded an apology.” - Josephine Teo
- “Cotton, don’t have too many sheeps in Singapore” - Chan Chun Sing
- The East Coast Plan - Heng Swee Keat
- “What we’re trying to deny them is a blank cheque” - Jamus Lim
- “Warms the cockles of our hearts” - Jamus Lim
- “I made improper remarks, and I have to be accountable for them” - Raeesah Khan
- “Free rider” - Lee Hsien Loong
Singlish-slinging minister praised for calling outbreak panic buyers ‘idiots’
Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing was being praised for his plainspoken tough talk after he apparently said “disgraceful” Singaporean panic buyers were behaving like “idiots” and threw shade at Hong Kong’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak.
His comments, made in a roughly 20-minute clip that has been spreading online this week, has gotten the attention of Singaporeans who seemed to enjoy his Singlish-steeped straight-talk and agreed with what he said. The clip was recorded in a closed-door meeting with business leaders.
“Just a small group behaving like idiots like that will kill all of us, it will kill our current price negotiation strategy, it will kill our future business strategy … I was very upset on Saturday because it has long-term implications on our international standing. Every country can behave like idiots, Singaporeans must not behave like idiots,” the voice that sounds like Chan says in the ostensibly leaked clip.
Ho Ching responds to Taiwan's mask donation with 'Errrr'
Singapore first lady Ho Ching (何晶) has yet again drawn the ire of Taiwanese after she shared a cartoon that depicted Trump as supporting the Hong Kong protesters while condemning those in Minneapolis.
Ho first raised hackles in Taiwan in April when she seemed to express disdain that Taiwan was donating 100,000 medical masks to Singapore by sharing the news and writing "Errrr." She later modified the post to offer thanks to Taiwan, only to stir more controversy by sharing a video of a talk show hinting at deteriorating Singapore-Taiwan relations two days later.
This time, on Monday evening (June 1), Ho shared a cartoon from Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao showing people in Hong Kong smashing a shop window and Trump exclaiming "democracy!" In the next frame, the same number of persons can be seen smashing a storefront in Minnesota, with Trump shouting "thugs!"
Hindsight or Oversight? Covid-19 Epidemic among migrant workers
In a press conference on COVID-19 clusters in foreign worker dormitories, Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong said that “unfortunately, we do not have the luxury of the benefit of hindsight” and “if it had been known earlier how quickly the virus could spread, “I would have done things differently”.
How true is it that the Government did not have the “benefit of hindsight”? Could precautions have been taken earlier if feedback from migrant workers and their advocates had been taken more seriously? CAPE delves into the history of migrant workers’ activism to find out.
Sign the ongoing petition here: https://www.change.org/p/minister-josephine-teo-protect-our-migrant-workers-from-covid-19
'I have not come across one single migrant worker himself that has demanded an apology': Teo
When asked in Parliament on Monday (May 4) whether the government will consider issuing an apology to migrant workers in Singapore on the Covid-19 outbreak in dormitories, Manpower Minister Josephine Teo said that none of the workers she interacted with have demanded an apology.
Teo said that based on interactions and feedback she received from migrant workers, they instead ask about the present situation, how not to fall sick, and if they do, how to ensure their wages are paid.
Singapore's migrant worker community has come under focus during the Covid-19 outbreak, with 90 per cent of the country's 18,205 cases concentrated amongst work permit holders.
Confusion between cotton and sheep
"CCS = Chan Chun Sing = Cotton Comes from Sheep”
2020 is proving to be quite a year for the country’s eminently quotable Trade and Industry Minister, Mr Chan Chun Sing.
From “xiasuay” (disgrace) early in the Covid-19 outbreak, when people rushed to the supermarkets, to the recent “We don’t have too many sheeps in Singapore to produce cotton”, when he spoke about face masks just before the phased end of the country’s circuit breaker from Tuesday (June 2).
People online poked fun at the minister’s latest gaffe, unearthing and sharing old videos of his remarks and actions. Mr Chan took it in stride, writing in a Facebook post on Saturday (May 30) that he also had “a good laugh” over having spoken “too fast” and clarifying, especially to “young children” that “cotton definitely doesn’t come from sheep, it comes from cotton plants!”
Heng Swee Keat’s speech fumble makes him the subject of Internet memes
Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat faced public ridicule after a series of verbal flubs during his speech on Nomination Day on Tuesday (June 30)
It was on that day that the public became aware that he was being moved by the People’s Action Party (PAP) from Tampines GRC to contest in East Coast GRC against a promising Workers’ Party team, which included Ms Nicole Seah. She became famous when she was the youngest candidate in the 2011 elections, contesting with the National Solidarity Party in Marine Parade GRC.
During his speech, Mr Heng said: “For our East Coast residents, we also have a plan for the East Coast. We have a East Coast, Singapore, we have a together and East Coast plan. We care at the East Coast.”
To make matters worse, his team-mate Jessica Tan, who was standing behind him, was spotted with her mask upside down and displaying an inverted PAP logo, raising eyebrows about the cohesiveness of the PAP’s East Coast candidates.
'What we're trying to deny PAP is a blank cheque': WP's Jamus Lim on live GE2020 debate
The Workers' Party's Jamus Lim emphasised the importance of debate and, in turn, why Parliament needs more different voices, in his concluding remarks on the live "Singapore Votes 2020 - The Political Debate" tonight (July 1).
He mentioned that it was clear from the debate "the People's Action Party (PAP) doesn't have a monopoly on best ideas on how we should bring the society forward".
While Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had previously said that the general election would give PAP the mandate to bring the country out of the current crisis, Dr Lim didn't agree.
Jamus Lim on winning Sengkang GRC: 'It warms the cockles of our hearts to be able to work for S'poreans'
The Workers' Party (WP) has won Sengkang GRC, capturing 52.13 per cent of the popular vote.
It marks a historic moment in Singapore politics, being the second GRC to ever be won by the opposition.
WP's Sengkang GRC team, consisting of He Tingru, Jamus Lim, Louis Chua and Raeesah Khan, took turns to give thank-you speeches following the announcement of the final results.
WP's Raeesah Khan apologises for posts which allegedly promoted enmity between different groups
WP's Raeesah Khan apologises for insensitive remarks
Workers' Party (WP) Sengkang candidate Raeesah Khan apologised on Sunday for two Facebook posts said to allege police discrimination against minorities.
At an unplanned press conference the party called on Sunday night, Ms Khan, 26, said she did not mean to cause social division, but had made the remarks as she wanted to raise awareness about minority concerns.
Flanked by WP leaders Pritam Singh, Sylvia Lim and her GRC teammates, Ms Khan, with her head bowed and reading from a piece of paper, said: "I apologise to any racial group or community who have been hurt by my comments.
PM Lee, Pritam Singh cross swords over 'free rider' election tactics
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong crossed swords with Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh on the issue of encouraging Singaporeans to vote for the opposition.PHOTOS: GOV.SG
In a charged debate on Wednesday (Sept 2), Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong crossed swords with Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh on the issue of encouraging Singaporeans to vote for the opposition, with the assurance that the People's Action Party would still form the government of the day.
Any political party that does so is a "free rider" and this tactic will eventually result in the system failing, PM Lee said.
Stressing that elections are about voting for who will run the government, he added that the country's political system can only work if people vote "sincerely, honestly, in accordance with what they really want".
