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The TRUTH about the Eric How “impersonation” and a big BOO-BOO by Teo Ser Luck, Wanbao and YPAP
January 23, 2010 by admin
http://www.temasekreview.com/2010/0...-big-boo-boo-by-teo-ser-luck-wanbao-and-ypap/
The orchestrated “wayang” by Lianhe Wanbao to save the skin of the YPAP over the callous remarks of its member Eric How has backfired dramatically, creating a bigger mess, headache and embarrassment for its Chairman Teo Ser Luck.
Eric How had sparked a massive outcry in cyberspace two weeks ago by slamming netizens for “slapping on the government senselessly” because they did not get “any fruits of benefits” from their forefathers.
Wanbao published an article yesterday on a YPAP member Eric How lodging a police report claiming that somebody “impersonated” him on Facebook to post the disparaging comments about netizens. (read article here)
Mr Teo made use of the opportunity to distance YPAP from the remarks and cast aspersions on the credibility of the new media. He noted that it is a challenge to differentiate the truth from the lies on the internet.
Well, he should have really verified the facts for himself first before commenting on the fiasco which has been blown out of proportion thanks to the negligence of all parties – Eric How, YPAP, Wanbao and Teo himself.
The TRUTH of the entire matter is: there is NO IMPERSONATION as there are two “Eric Hows”, one of whom is an active member on the YPAP Facebook and the other is not.
The remarks were initially posted by the Eric How with a Mercedes Benz as his avatar on 2 January 2010:
When we clicked on the name “Eric How” on the YPAP Facebook, it led us directly to his Facebook account.
From information posted on his Facebook before he deleted it, he graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and History from NUS after which he joined his family business at Chee Chee & Co.
According to the 2008 Singapore Major Manufacturers handbook, there is indeed an Eric How in the company. The key personnel listed in the handbook for Chee Chee & Co Pte Ltd are Anthony How Kok Wee and President Eric How.
This Eric How had been active on the YPAP Facebook and had posted more than 20 comments on it over the last six months prior to his infamous remarks about netizens.
Now, the Eric How who lodged the police report is not the Eric How above:
He wrote on his Facebook that he has never posted any of the various topics to discriminate anybody and that he come from a humble family living with his parents in a 4 – Room HDB flat.
It is not uncommon to have two people with the same English name and surname in Singapore. For example, one of the new CEC members of Reform Party is a Tony Tan who share the same name as a former deputy prime minister of Singapore.
In all likelihood, there are probably two Eric Hows in YPAP: the Eric How who peeved off netizens on the YPAP Facebook and the “victim” Eric How who claimed he is “being maligned in various political forums.”
The latter was probably so overwhelmed by his name being floated around in cyberspace that he jumped to the conclusion immediately that somebody had impersonated him on Facebook.
With due respect to this Eric How, he is not a prominent figure in society and nobody will bother to impersonate him for so long.
Had he bothered to go through all the postings on the YPAP Facebook, he would have realized that they were simply made by another person with the same name as him and not an impersonator.
Lianhe Wanbao also didn’t bother to do any research on its own before firing off at netizens for “flaming” the wrong Eric How out of sheer eagerness to limit the damage for YPAP so as to lick the boots of its political master.
The greatest loser of the entire saga is none other than Teo Ser Luck himself who was made to look like a complete fool.
In the first place, either he or YPAP should have denounced the statement made by Eric How immediately instead of acting blur and pretending nothing has happened.
To do so now only after two weeks smacked of insincerity, hypocrisy and desperation to save whatever “face” they had left.
Since the mistake has already been made, Teo should have left it at that and let the matter fade away on its own eventually.
To make use of the police report made by Eric How to wriggle the YPAP out of trouble is a PR disaster for Teo, raising serious questions about his judgement as the matter continues to snowball, generating more negative publicity for the YPAP.
Netizens generally do not take kindly to those who resort to making police reports over online incidents, be it impersonation, intimidation, defamation or otherwise.
When Workers’ Party Youth Chief Perry Tong made a police report in 2006 over a Sammyboy forumer using his name “Perry Tong” as a moniker in the forum, he was slammed by netizens for being petty, ignorant and frivolous which earn him his famous nickname now – “Petty Tong”.
Similarly when NMP Siew Kum Hong filed a police report over some netizens circulating rumors about him which were deemed “defamatory”, he received little support from the online community, many of whom criticized him for making a mountain out of a molehill.
By making a police report, YPAP is exposing itself to further criticism, ridicule and condemnation, especially now that it appears there is no ground for doing so at all.
While nobody can independently confirm if the first Eric How who insulted netizens is really a YPAP member, Wanbao had just announced to the entire world that this Eric How is indeed a YPAP member.
A YPAP member lodging a police report over a non-existent impersonation and wasting precious public resourcs as a result – how does it sound?
PAP’s strongman Lee Kuan Yew once sneered at the opposition as being full of “riff-raft”. He should take a closer look at his party’s youth wing first before opening his mouth in the future.
From this incident alone, it does appear that there are many “riff-rafts” in the YPAP who seem to take delight in making the PAP the laughing stock of Singapore’s blogosphere.
