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Coffeeshop Chit Chat - Ng: SG kids are not forced to attend YOG</TD><TD id=msgunetc noWrap align=right> </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=msgtable cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="96%"><TBODY><TR><TD class=msg vAlign=top><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgbfr1 width="1%"> </TD><TD><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR class=msghead vAlign=top><TD class=msgF width="1%" noWrap align=right>From: </TD><TD class=msgFname width="68%" noWrap>kojakbt_89 <NOBR></NOBR> </TD><TD class=msgDate width="30%" noWrap align=right>Aug-16 4:36 am </TD></TR><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgT height=20 width="1%" noWrap align=right>To: </TD><TD class=msgTname width="68%" noWrap>ALL <NOBR></NOBR></TD><TD class=msgNum noWrap align=right> (1 of 15) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgleft rowSpan=4 width="1%"> </TD><TD class=wintiny noWrap align=right>37624.1 </TD></TR><TR><TD height=8></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgtxt>Ng Ser Miang denies that Singapore children were forced to attend YOG torch rally
August 15th, 2010 |
Author: Your Correspondent
The Chairman of Singapore Youth Olympic Games (YOG) Organizing Committee Mr Ng Ser Miang has denied categorically online reports that Singapore children were forced to attend events ahead of the YOG such as the YOG torch rally.
The Temasek Review published an article yesterday on students from Sembawang Primary School being forced to stand for hours under the rain to welcome the YOG torch rally on 11 August 2010 in the evening. (read article here)
[More photos on our Facebook]
[Get instant updates and discussions about the YOG on our Facebook page here]
The scene was witnessed by a netizen who was driving along Sembawang Crescent on the way home. We had verified with staff from Sembawang Primary School that teachers did indeed bring the students out on 11 August 2010 to welcome the YOG torch rally.
Despite the concrete evidence proving otherwise, Mr Ng said in an interview with Associated Press:
�There will be stories flying around�..But just look at the faces of the children that are there, the sparkle in their eyes and the smile on their faces. Those are not things you can force. I don�t think anyone will be forced to come to watch the torch relay or the games. So I don�t think there is any coercion.�
Mr Ng failed to answer the key question whether students are indeed asked or coerced to stand by the road to �cheer� for the YOG torch rally.
There are many reports on the internet on how students were forced to attend YOG games or volunteer for the events. One junior college even threatened its students with six hours of Corrective Work Order if they refused to help out at the YOG.
Mr Ng also dismissed genuine concerns from Singaporeans about the YOG bursting its initial budget by more than three times to nearly $400 million dollars:
�It�s a first Youth Games. The scale and complexity developed as we started to prepare for it. So many things had to be on the fast track. We have a certain standard of doing things here, and there was an effort to promote Singapore as well,� he said.
Mr Ng has earlier drawn much flak from netizens for not acknowledging the contributions made by the Singapore YOG volunteers in his speech made at the YOG opening ceremony.
We challenge the Ministry of Education to explain WHY hundreds of students from Sembawang Primary School were found standing along Sembawang Crescent in the rain on 11 August 2010 at 1710 hours. If it is unable to come up with an explanation, this means that they are indeed waiting to welcome the YOG torch rally.
Would so many primary school kids spend the entire afternoon standing in the rain together voluntarily without coercion from their teachers?
The credibility of the entire YOG Organizing Committee is at stake here. You can choose not to clarify matters and we shall leave it to foreign journalists here to draw their own conclusion which will cast further doubts on Mr Ng�s initial claims as reported in Associated Press, read by millions of readers worldwide.
EDITORS� NOTE:
Has your life been turned upside down by the YOG? Please share your views with us. We assure you that your identity will be kept strictly CONFIDENTIAL. We will be your UNCENSORED VOICE. We will publish your letter in FULL with ZERO editing, moderating or censoring. You do not have to suffer in silence! You have the RIGHT to speak up as a citizen of this country. Remember: you are a CITIZEN of Singapore, not a SLAVE of the PAP regime.
Our mailbox has been swarmed by letters from YOG volunteers for the last few days. Unless you specifically want us to publish your REAL NAME, we will use a pseudonym instead. Please understand that due to manpower constraints, we may not be able to publish your letters immediately and we will have to stagger them a few hours apart to ensure that they get maximum exposure.
Please keep your feedback coming! Singapore for SINGAPOREANS! Your interests always come FIRST.
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The Temasek Review published an article yesterday on students from Sembawang Primary School being forced to stand for hours under the rain to welcome the YOG torch rally on 11 August 2010 in the evening. (read article here)
[More photos on our Facebook]
[Get instant updates and discussions about the YOG on our Facebook page here]
The scene was witnessed by a netizen who was driving along Sembawang Crescent on the way home. We had verified with staff from Sembawang Primary School that teachers did indeed bring the students out on 11 August 2010 to welcome the YOG torch rally.
Despite the concrete evidence proving otherwise, Mr Ng said in an interview with Associated Press:
�There will be stories flying around�..But just look at the faces of the children that are there, the sparkle in their eyes and the smile on their faces. Those are not things you can force. I don�t think anyone will be forced to come to watch the torch relay or the games. So I don�t think there is any coercion.�
Mr Ng failed to answer the key question whether students are indeed asked or coerced to stand by the road to �cheer� for the YOG torch rally.
There are many reports on the internet on how students were forced to attend YOG games or volunteer for the events. One junior college even threatened its students with six hours of Corrective Work Order if they refused to help out at the YOG.
Mr Ng also dismissed genuine concerns from Singaporeans about the YOG bursting its initial budget by more than three times to nearly $400 million dollars:
�It�s a first Youth Games. The scale and complexity developed as we started to prepare for it. So many things had to be on the fast track. We have a certain standard of doing things here, and there was an effort to promote Singapore as well,� he said.
Mr Ng has earlier drawn much flak from netizens for not acknowledging the contributions made by the Singapore YOG volunteers in his speech made at the YOG opening ceremony.
We challenge the Ministry of Education to explain WHY hundreds of students from Sembawang Primary School were found standing along Sembawang Crescent in the rain on 11 August 2010 at 1710 hours. If it is unable to come up with an explanation, this means that they are indeed waiting to welcome the YOG torch rally.
Would so many primary school kids spend the entire afternoon standing in the rain together voluntarily without coercion from their teachers?
The credibility of the entire YOG Organizing Committee is at stake here. You can choose not to clarify matters and we shall leave it to foreign journalists here to draw their own conclusion which will cast further doubts on Mr Ng�s initial claims as reported in Associated Press, read by millions of readers worldwide.
EDITORS� NOTE:
Has your life been turned upside down by the YOG? Please share your views with us. We assure you that your identity will be kept strictly CONFIDENTIAL. We will be your UNCENSORED VOICE. We will publish your letter in FULL with ZERO editing, moderating or censoring. You do not have to suffer in silence! You have the RIGHT to speak up as a citizen of this country. Remember: you are a CITIZEN of Singapore, not a SLAVE of the PAP regime.
Our mailbox has been swarmed by letters from YOG volunteers for the last few days. Unless you specifically want us to publish your REAL NAME, we will use a pseudonym instead. Please understand that due to manpower constraints, we may not be able to publish your letters immediately and we will have to stagger them a few hours apart to ensure that they get maximum exposure.
Please keep your feedback coming! Singapore for SINGAPOREANS! Your interests always come FIRST.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
