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[h=2]The Straits Times reports irresponsibly[/h]
September 25th, 2012 |
Author: Editorial
On 25 September, the Straits Times let itself down terribly with an instance of bad reporting. Turn if you please to page B2 of the Straits Times and look at the article, “Be civil in discussions: Lawrence Wong”.
There is a picture of Prince William and his lovely wife Kate, talking to Senior Minister of State for Law and Education Indranee Rajah, while an uncle practises taichi in the foreground. The caption for the picture reads: “Queenstown residents who took part in activities to welcome Britain’s Prince William and his wife Catherine were mocked online.”
The accusation is repeated in the text of the article: “… residents who turned up to welcome Prince William and his wife Catherine were mocked online for taking part in a “wayang”.”
Oh no, netizens did not mock the Queenstown residents who took part in the wayang. It was the organizers whom they mocked, or rather, the PAP government behind them.
Let us look at some comments made by TR Emeritus readers to see if they did indeed mock Queenstown residents.
A reader nicknamed “poor Singaporean”, in commenting on the post “Lawrence Wong hits out at netizens for politicising everything”, said:
And so, there were uncles and aunties practising taichi and exercising at the fitness corner, girls skipping rope, boys swinging on monkey bars, and children playing on a slide, all at 3 p.m. on a baking afternoon.
Delta RC chairman Mr Patrick Mah had the gall to say, “These activities usually happen in this area in the evening. But you can’t ask the royal couple to come at 7 p.m. when people do taichi.” We might ask Mr Mah why not? Will taichi practitioners get in the way of the royal couple, or the royal couple get in the way of the taichi practitioners? How silly!
Perhaps the organizers were afraid that, in the coolness of the evening, an uncle would approach the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to sell them 3 packets of tissue for $1, or a grizelled karang guni lady suddenly appear from under an HDB staircase to push a trolley of cardboard past them.
On 25 September, the Straits Times let itself down terribly with an instance of bad reporting. Turn if you please to page B2 of the Straits Times and look at the article, “Be civil in discussions: Lawrence Wong”.
There is a picture of Prince William and his lovely wife Kate, talking to Senior Minister of State for Law and Education Indranee Rajah, while an uncle practises taichi in the foreground. The caption for the picture reads: “Queenstown residents who took part in activities to welcome Britain’s Prince William and his wife Catherine were mocked online.”
The accusation is repeated in the text of the article: “… residents who turned up to welcome Prince William and his wife Catherine were mocked online for taking part in a “wayang”.”
Oh no, netizens did not mock the Queenstown residents who took part in the wayang. It was the organizers whom they mocked, or rather, the PAP government behind them.
Let us look at some comments made by TR Emeritus readers to see if they did indeed mock Queenstown residents.
A reader nicknamed “poor Singaporean”, in commenting on the post “Lawrence Wong hits out at netizens for politicising everything”, said:
I agree with what many Singaporeans are saying about the “wayang” put up for the royal couple.
If they wanted the royal couple to have a glimpse of HDB life, they should let the couple go on an impromptu tour of a heartland estate instead of putting up a “wayang”.
I believe Singaporeans are right when they said that this was done so that the royal couple wouldn’t have to see so many elderly people cleaning the street or clearing tables at hawker centres or coffee shops or the other hardships that Singaporeans have to go through.
A contributor, Ah Wong TCSS, wrote an article titled, “Do you dare to take the challenge, Lawrence Wong?” In the article, Ah Wong TCSS said:If they wanted the royal couple to have a glimpse of HDB life, they should let the couple go on an impromptu tour of a heartland estate instead of putting up a “wayang”.
I believe Singaporeans are right when they said that this was done so that the royal couple wouldn’t have to see so many elderly people cleaning the street or clearing tables at hawker centres or coffee shops or the other hardships that Singaporeans have to go through.
Lawrence Wong, you said on your facebook:
“When the British royal couple came to visit, PA and HDB organised an event at Queenstown to give them a glimpse of the diverse activities in our heartlands. Singaporeans young and old volunteered readily to be part of this event. Yet, they were mocked online for taking part in a wayang show.”
Are you telling me that those kids in the photo also “volunteered readily to be part of this event”? Are you saying that they were not forced by their schools to attend and that all eagerly volunteered to participate in the “show” in a hot mid-afternoon just to get a glimpse of the royal couple?
Tell you what. If indeed it was the case, I would volunteer to undergo a circumcision myself. If it turns out that these kids were not there on their own free will but were instructed to be there, do not worry, I’m not asking you to undergo a circumcision too. Just cut your salary by half.
Do you dare to take the challenge, Lawrence Wong?
Jane, a reader, said:“When the British royal couple came to visit, PA and HDB organised an event at Queenstown to give them a glimpse of the diverse activities in our heartlands. Singaporeans young and old volunteered readily to be part of this event. Yet, they were mocked online for taking part in a wayang show.”
Are you telling me that those kids in the photo also “volunteered readily to be part of this event”? Are you saying that they were not forced by their schools to attend and that all eagerly volunteered to participate in the “show” in a hot mid-afternoon just to get a glimpse of the royal couple?
Tell you what. If indeed it was the case, I would volunteer to undergo a circumcision myself. If it turns out that these kids were not there on their own free will but were instructed to be there, do not worry, I’m not asking you to undergo a circumcision too. Just cut your salary by half.
Do you dare to take the challenge, Lawrence Wong?
Obviously they sent out a notice along the lines of, “Volunteers needed for a wayang show!”
Ashok Kumbla, another reader, said:
Singapore schools forced to pay for YOG tickets
August 23rd, 2010
http://www.tremeritus.com/2010/08/23/singapore-schools-forced-to-pay-for-yog-tickets/
Those school children were probably ‘asked’ to volunteer just as the school children in 2010 were probably ‘asked’ to voluteer to buy tickets for YOG.
Don’t insult our intelligence, Mr Wong.
In the last days of the Third Reich, Adolf Hitler conscripted young boys and old men to fight his war. The official line was that the boys and men were volunteers but in reality they were unwilling participants, forced to risk their lives to fight an unwinnable war. While the situation was not so stark for the Queenstowners, one wonders how many of them had to be there, or else…August 23rd, 2010
http://www.tremeritus.com/2010/08/23/singapore-schools-forced-to-pay-for-yog-tickets/
Those school children were probably ‘asked’ to volunteer just as the school children in 2010 were probably ‘asked’ to voluteer to buy tickets for YOG.
Don’t insult our intelligence, Mr Wong.
And so, there were uncles and aunties practising taichi and exercising at the fitness corner, girls skipping rope, boys swinging on monkey bars, and children playing on a slide, all at 3 p.m. on a baking afternoon.
Delta RC chairman Mr Patrick Mah had the gall to say, “These activities usually happen in this area in the evening. But you can’t ask the royal couple to come at 7 p.m. when people do taichi.” We might ask Mr Mah why not? Will taichi practitioners get in the way of the royal couple, or the royal couple get in the way of the taichi practitioners? How silly!
Perhaps the organizers were afraid that, in the coolness of the evening, an uncle would approach the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to sell them 3 packets of tissue for $1, or a grizelled karang guni lady suddenly appear from under an HDB staircase to push a trolley of cardboard past them.
