Link: http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne+News/Singapore/Story/A1Story20110331-271039.html
PAP's youngest candidate faces online criticism
AsiaOne
Thu, Mar 31, 2011
SINGAPORE - Ms Tin Pei Ling's first foray into the public eye as People's Action Party's youngest candidate has seen her at the receiving end of netizens' criticisms.
Shortly after her introduction to the media, bloggers and websites have picked her apart, with the most harsh comments reserved for her young age, and allegations that she was fielded because of her husband's position as principal private secretary to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
Ms Tin, 27, is a senior associate at Ernst & Young Advisory. She has been serving in the grassroots for seven years and is expected to contest in the MacPherson ward in the Marine Parade group representation constituency (GRC) in the coming General Election.
Pictures from her Facebook account have also emerged, and show her posing with a Kate Spade shopping bag or on holiday with her husband.
This photo, along with a YouTube video of which shows Ms Tin emcee-ing at a PAP event, were quoted as examples of her 'acting cute'.
At the end of the clip Ms Tin abruptly said: "I don't know what to say!" Then, she laughed and stomped her feet.
The New Paper reported that Ms Tin explained the YouTube video at a press conference on Monday.
She said she was caught by surprise when her comrades had asked her to give a door-stop interview when receiving a youth medal at the party awards.
Ms Tin told The New Paper: "Some of them (online criticism) can be rather personal, and it wouldn't be the best use of my energy and attention to keep thinking about why they say this about me..."
Other candidates, including PAP's other female candidate, Ms Foo Mee Har, have also been placed under online scrutiny.
Netizens' claims that an application for a bankruptcy order against a Mr Bernard Chan, who netizens point to as her husband, has also spread to various forums. A Straits Times check revealed that Mr Chan has never been made bankrupt, and the bankruptcy order which was brought against him by Standard Chartered Bank was later withdrawn.
For Dr Janil Puthucheary, the PAP candidate who is a new citizen, told the daily newspaper that what surprised him was how readily people were willing to make stuff up.
He told the paper that online forums carried remarks that he had 'betrayed both my 'Malaysian' wife and my 'dead; father'.
He clarified that his wife is Singaporean, and his father, former Internal Security Act detainee Dominic Puthucheary, is still alive.
PAP's youngest candidate faces online criticism
AsiaOne
Thu, Mar 31, 2011
SINGAPORE - Ms Tin Pei Ling's first foray into the public eye as People's Action Party's youngest candidate has seen her at the receiving end of netizens' criticisms.
Shortly after her introduction to the media, bloggers and websites have picked her apart, with the most harsh comments reserved for her young age, and allegations that she was fielded because of her husband's position as principal private secretary to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
Ms Tin, 27, is a senior associate at Ernst & Young Advisory. She has been serving in the grassroots for seven years and is expected to contest in the MacPherson ward in the Marine Parade group representation constituency (GRC) in the coming General Election.
Pictures from her Facebook account have also emerged, and show her posing with a Kate Spade shopping bag or on holiday with her husband.
This photo, along with a YouTube video of which shows Ms Tin emcee-ing at a PAP event, were quoted as examples of her 'acting cute'.
At the end of the clip Ms Tin abruptly said: "I don't know what to say!" Then, she laughed and stomped her feet.
The New Paper reported that Ms Tin explained the YouTube video at a press conference on Monday.
She said she was caught by surprise when her comrades had asked her to give a door-stop interview when receiving a youth medal at the party awards.
Ms Tin told The New Paper: "Some of them (online criticism) can be rather personal, and it wouldn't be the best use of my energy and attention to keep thinking about why they say this about me..."
Other candidates, including PAP's other female candidate, Ms Foo Mee Har, have also been placed under online scrutiny.
Netizens' claims that an application for a bankruptcy order against a Mr Bernard Chan, who netizens point to as her husband, has also spread to various forums. A Straits Times check revealed that Mr Chan has never been made bankrupt, and the bankruptcy order which was brought against him by Standard Chartered Bank was later withdrawn.
For Dr Janil Puthucheary, the PAP candidate who is a new citizen, told the daily newspaper that what surprised him was how readily people were willing to make stuff up.
He told the paper that online forums carried remarks that he had 'betrayed both my 'Malaysian' wife and my 'dead; father'.
He clarified that his wife is Singaporean, and his father, former Internal Security Act detainee Dominic Puthucheary, is still alive.
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