- Joined
- Apr 12, 2009
- Messages
- 1,837
- Points
- 0
Home > Breaking News > Singapore > Story
Sep 28, 2009
We didn't know about it
By Lim Wei Chean & Carolyn Quek
Why is her face so fat! Gorging herself silly? Another sign of what psychological disorder?
Miss Low has been a magnet for controversy ever since video footage of her speaking poor English made the rounds on the Internet. -- ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN
THE organisers of the scandal-tarnished Miss Singapore World pageant finally broke their silence on the Ris Low saga on Monday, saying they had no knowledge of her conviction for credit card fraud when she was crowned queen.
After days of silence on the issue, ERM Marketing said in a statement on Monday that it would now be seeking legal advice on whether to allow Miss Low to keep her crown.
Since news of Miss Low's troubles with the law broke last week, ERM has kept its silence, despite the raging debate among Singaporeans over whether she should continue as Miss Singapore World.
Even a politician has weighed in: Member of Parliament Lee Bee Wah (Ang Mo Kio GRC) told the Chinese evening daily Shin Min on Saturday that Miss Low should not represent Singapore internationally.
She said: 'Using another person's credit card is a very serious offence. Honesty and integrity are very important.'
Miss Low, 19, has been a magnet for controversy ever since video footage of her speaking poor English made the rounds on the Internet.
Things got worse last week, when a report in My Paper, Singapore Press Holdings' free publication, broke the story that she had stolen several credit cards and used them to pay for $8,000 worth of jewellery, lingerie and restaurant bills, among other things.
She was sentenced to 24 months' supervised probation for her crimes.
Her statements to the media since then have added fuel to the controversy.
Details from ST pg. H1.......
When asked by The Straits Times and other papers last week whether the organisers knew about her conviction she insisted that they did.
But yesterday, Miss Low made an abrupt U-turn and confirmed ERM's version of the events.
She said she told the company about her brush with the law only after the My Paper story appeared last Friday.
She added that she let on only after she was asked about it: "They ask then I tell lah, because actually I don't find the point of telling........."
Asked why she did not come clean about her conviction from the start, she replied: " It' still a record, but it's not as though it's that big... I was given a second chance to change."
However, ERM's terms and conditions for contestants, which are stated on it's website and which applicants have to accept and agree to before they submit entry forms online, state clearly that fugitives from the law, or those charged with or convicted of a crime, are disqualified from taking part.
Asked about this, Miss Low said she did not read the regulations carefully before signing up.
"I didn't really go and check because I've joined other pageants before, and they didn't really check," she said.
Sep 28, 2009
We didn't know about it
By Lim Wei Chean & Carolyn Quek
Miss Low has been a magnet for controversy ever since video footage of her speaking poor English made the rounds on the Internet. -- ST PHOTO: ALPHONSUS CHERN
THE organisers of the scandal-tarnished Miss Singapore World pageant finally broke their silence on the Ris Low saga on Monday, saying they had no knowledge of her conviction for credit card fraud when she was crowned queen.
After days of silence on the issue, ERM Marketing said in a statement on Monday that it would now be seeking legal advice on whether to allow Miss Low to keep her crown.
Since news of Miss Low's troubles with the law broke last week, ERM has kept its silence, despite the raging debate among Singaporeans over whether she should continue as Miss Singapore World.
Even a politician has weighed in: Member of Parliament Lee Bee Wah (Ang Mo Kio GRC) told the Chinese evening daily Shin Min on Saturday that Miss Low should not represent Singapore internationally.
She said: 'Using another person's credit card is a very serious offence. Honesty and integrity are very important.'
Miss Low, 19, has been a magnet for controversy ever since video footage of her speaking poor English made the rounds on the Internet.
Things got worse last week, when a report in My Paper, Singapore Press Holdings' free publication, broke the story that she had stolen several credit cards and used them to pay for $8,000 worth of jewellery, lingerie and restaurant bills, among other things.
She was sentenced to 24 months' supervised probation for her crimes.
Her statements to the media since then have added fuel to the controversy.
Details from ST pg. H1.......
When asked by The Straits Times and other papers last week whether the organisers knew about her conviction she insisted that they did.
But yesterday, Miss Low made an abrupt U-turn and confirmed ERM's version of the events.
She said she told the company about her brush with the law only after the My Paper story appeared last Friday.
She added that she let on only after she was asked about it: "They ask then I tell lah, because actually I don't find the point of telling........."
Asked why she did not come clean about her conviction from the start, she replied: " It' still a record, but it's not as though it's that big... I was given a second chance to change."
However, ERM's terms and conditions for contestants, which are stated on it's website and which applicants have to accept and agree to before they submit entry forms online, state clearly that fugitives from the law, or those charged with or convicted of a crime, are disqualified from taking part.
Asked about this, Miss Low said she did not read the regulations carefully before signing up.
"I didn't really go and check because I've joined other pageants before, and they didn't really check," she said.
