Celebrity Tay Ping Hui scolds NUS PRC scholar Sun Xu: You are an impertinent ingrate!

While NUS continues to act blur on its PRC scholar Sun Xu’s insensitive remarks made on his microblog ‘Weibo’, more and more Singaporeans are stepping forward to condemn him, including Young PAP member and celebrity Tay Ping Hui.

A final year student in Mechanical Engineering at the National University of Singapore, Sun sparked a massive outcry among Singaporeans with his offensive remarks on there “being more dogs than humans in Singapore.”

When asked about the controversy by a Chinese tabloid, Sun replied nonchalantly without offering a public apology or showing any signs of remorse:

“I am only complaining. It is just a small matter and I do not want to blow it up. Anyway, I have already deleted the comment.”

In his tweet this morning, Tay Ping Hui wrote:

“I take offence when an impertinent ingrate educated by SG taxes can turn around and call Singaporeans dogs.”

According to information posted on his linkedin account before it was taken down, Sun Xu came to study in Singapore in 2006 on a MOE scholarship for students from China.

After graduating from Raffles Junior College in 2008, he went on to study Mechanical Engineering at NUS, also on an undergraduate scholarship provided for by the Singapore government. He is currently on attachment at Schlumberger, an international oilfield services company and is expected to graduate this year.

During a parliamentary session this week, it was revealed that the Singapore government spends some $36 million dollars on scholarships to over two thousand students each year, or about S$174,00 per scholar.

Foreign scholars like Sun Xu at NUS and other Singapore universities have their tuition fees and living expenses all covered by their scholarships. They are also guaranteed a well-paying job upon graduation as part of their bond and the men are exempted from National Service unlike male Singapore citizens who are burdened with a hefty tuition loan and rendered uncompetitive in the job market by their mandatory reservist obligations such as IPPT and in-camp training.

 

Related articles:

NUS PRC scholar Sun Xu remains unrepentant: I am only complaining

Netizen filed complaint to NUS against PRC scholar’s offensive remarks about Singaporeans

‘More dogs than humans in Singapore’ – NUS PRC student’s comments spark outcry

Foreigner slapped 60 year old Singaporean aunty on MRT train – son lodged police report

A 60 year old Singaporean aunty was slapped on her face by a foreigner on a MRT train after she asked her politely to remove  her bag on a ‘priority seat’, prompting her angry son to lodge a police report:

[Source: Hardwarezone]

The incident took place yesterday morning when the aunty boarded the train at Sembawang MRT station. It was packed like cans of sardines and she was unable to find a seat.

When she saw a foreigner lady put her bag on a priority seat reserved for the elderly, she politely asked her to remove it. Instead of doing so, the foreigner accused the Singaporean aunty of being rude. An argument broke out between the duo and the foreigner raised her right hand to slap the aunty.

After the altercation, the aunty alighted at Admiralty MRT station and lodged a complaint to the MRT Control Room whose staff told her straight in the face:

“You go and beat her back lah!”

The saga sparked widespread outrage among netizens though many felt it is pretty pointless to lodge a police report.

Hardwarezone forumer ‘solidghost’ put it succinctly:

“Make report I think also useless loh. You know Singapore govt will not do anything against foreigners one. Even if they hurt you till got blood, they will do nothing one. Maybe 1 year later if you complain a lot, they will prosecute them then allow them to leave the country. Don’t say I got no proof. I got.”

NUS PRC scholar Sun Xu hurls insults at Singaporeans: Bunch of “瘪三” and “挫逼” (‘CCB’)

Despite sparking a massive outroar among Singaporeans with his offensive remarks on there “being more dogs than humans in Singapore,” NUS PRC scholar Sun Xu continues to use PRC vulgarities to curse Singaporeans.

He used the term “瘪三” to describe Singapore uncles, which is a derogatory word typically used in Shanghai to describe the underclass bums in the society. It means a person who is a tramp, bum, good-for-nothing fella, beggar, drifter, loafer, outcast, vagrant, destitute and worthless person.

When told by a fellow netizen not to be too fussy, he replied:

“Bunch of 挫逼. My temper these days is already a lot better.”

“挫逼” is a derogatory word commonly used in mainland China for cursing people, an equivalent of the Hokkien phrase ‘CCB’ used as a vulgarity in Singapore.

Sun has since change his moniker on ‘Weibo’ to “子小九日”

He also allegedly threatened a Singaporean Alex Tan who has since lodged a police report against him.

Though Sun has already deleted the offensive thread, he remains unrepentant and unapologetic.

When asked about the controversy by a Chinese tabloid, Sun replied nonchalantly without offering a public apology or showing any signs of remorse:

“I am only complaining. It is just a small matter and I do not want to blow it up. Anyway, I have already deleted the comment.”

Though numerous netizens have lodged complaints to NUS regarding Sun’s behavior, NUS continues to turn a blind eye to the matter.

The Singapore government spends about $36 million dollars each year on foreign scholars like Sun who not only studied in Singapore universities for free, but are given a generous monthly living allowance to ensure they live a comfortable life as well.

Unlike ordinary Singaporean men who have to compete in the market for a job, Sun Xu is guaranteed a well-paying job upon graduation and furthermore, he did not have National Service obligation, giving him an advantage over Singaporean male citizens who have.

Related articles:

Alex Tan lodged police report against NUS PRC scholar Sun Xu

NUS PRC scholar Sun Xu remains unrepentant: I am only complaining

Netizen filed complaint to NUS against PRC scholar’s offensive remarks about Singaporeans

‘More dogs than humans in Singapore’ – NUS PRC student’s comments spark outcry

‘Hougang residents do not have an elected MP, thanks to the Workers’ Party’ – Toh Cheong Seong

An obviously peeved Singaporean Toh Cheong Seong has written to the Straits Times Forum today laying blame solely on the Workers Party for causing Hougang residents to be deprived of an elected MP to serve them.

The Hougang seat has been vacated as its ex-WP MP Yaw Shin Leong continues to be ‘missing in action’ after being sacked by his party last week for his refusal to address allegations about his extra-marital affairs with a few married women, including fellow party colleagues and a neighbor from mainland China.

Mincing no words, Mr Toh accused the Workers Party of gross negligence and carelessness in fielding Mr Yaw in Hougang:

“The Workers’ Party failed to conduct a thorough backgound check on its party member, Mr Yaw Shin Leong, who won Hougang, expelled him when he became a liability, and now expects the Government to pony up public resources for another round of voting.”

He also criticized the initial ‘wall of silence’ erected by WP leaders around Mr Yaw’s alleged affairs before finally succumbing to public pressure to sack him:

“WP leaders like secretary-general Low and party chairman Sylvia Lim even celebrated the Chinese New Year cheerfully with Mr Yaw and Hougang constituents as if nothing was amiss. Only when fresh sexual allegations against Mr Yaw threatened to drag the party further into the mud did the WP finally succumb to calls for transparency and accountability.”

Mr Toh ended his letter by calling on the Workers Party to clear up the ‘mess’ it created instead of calling on the government to call for a by-election:

“Hougang residents do not have an elected MP, thanks to the Workers’ Party. The onus is on the party to make it up to these voters. There is no urgency for a by-election in Hougang when the Government must attend to more pressing issues that affect the entire nation.”

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has earlier said that there is no fixed time-line during which a by-election must be called and he has to consider the matter carefully as there are many more important issues on the national agenda right now for him to handle.

Alex Tan lodged police report against NUS PRC scholar Sun Xu over alleged threat

Former Reform Party candidate for Ang Mo Kio GRC Alex Tan Zhi Xiang has lodged a police report this morning against NUS PRC scholar Sun Xu for allegedly ‘intimidating’ him on his microblog ‘Weibo’.

A final year student in Mechanical Engineering at the National University of Singapore, Sun sparked a massive outcry among Singaporeans with his offensive remarks on there “being more dogs than humans in Singapore.”

After being told by a friend who was following his thread on ‘Weibo’ that ‘Alex’ will come after him soon, Sun declared arrogantly:

“I will wait for him (Alex) with a knife.”

Replying to the comments on the same thread, Mr Sun heaped further insults on Singaporeans, cursing them as:

“Bunch of 挫逼. My temper these days is already a lot better.”

“挫逼” is a derogatory word commonly in mainland China for cursing people, an equivalent of the Hokkien phrase ‘CCB’ used as a vulgarity in Singapore.

Sun has since change his moniker on ‘Weibo’ to “子小九日”

Alex Tan, who lodged a similar police report against another PRC student Wang Peng Fei last year for making racist remarks about Singaporeans said he is lodging the police report against Sun for issuing a death threat to him, or to be exact, under Penal Code Chapter 22 Section 506 for criminal intimidation:

“Aside from worrying about my own safety, I intend to make this police report partly because I would like to see if foreigners, especially those labelled as ‘foreign talents’, have special protection rights to law and order in Singapore.”

Though Sun has already deleted the offensive thread, he remains unrepentant and unapologetic.

When asked about the controversy by a Chinese tabloid, Sun replied nonchalantly without offering a public apology or showing any signs of remorse:

“I am only complaining. It is just a small matter and I do not want to blow it up. Anyway, I have already deleted the comment.”

Meanwhile, a friend of Sun said he is completely unfazed by the controversy because he believes NUS will not dare to take any disciplinary action against him since he is a PRC undergraduate scholar and a top student in his faculty for the last two years.

Related articles:

NUS PRC scholar Sun Xu remains unrepentant: I am only complaining

Netizen filed complaint to NUS against PRC scholar’s offensive remarks about Singaporeans

‘More dogs than humans in Singapore’ – NUS PRC student’s comments spark outcry

No apology from Temasek Review Emeritus to PM Lee yet

It has been two days since Temasek Review Emeritus (TRE) editor Richard Wan received a lawyer’s letter from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong over a defamatory article posted on the site.

Though the article has been removed and Mr Wan has apologized profusely for causing ‘distress’ to the Prime Minister, the site has not posted an official apology on it as requested by Senior Counsel Davinder Singh, who is representing PM Lee.

Mr Wan has initially told the media that TRE will issue an apology by noon time yesterday and will be complying with all the demands ‘100 percent’, but has still not done so at the time of the publication of this article.

A personal apology from Mr Wan is not quite the same as a formal apology by TRE whose identities of its owner and four overseas editors remain unknown.

Prominent journalist Cherian George expressed skepticism if TRE will issue the apology which will have negative repercussions for the site’s operation in the future:

“It remains to be seen whether it (TRE) will eat humble pie and issue the required apology. If it does so, it will probably have to take extra care in removing similar allegations from future articles and comments, since it can no longer claim ignorance after this episode.”

[Source: journalism.sg]

He also wondered if the other TRE editors will swallow their pride to save Mr Wan’s skin:

“Acceding to the lawyers’ demands would be a major climbdown for a site known for its no-holds-barred attacks on government. The site’s overseas-based and anonymous editors are unknown entities, so it is a mystery whether they will have enough sympathy for Wan’s plight to engage in a collective swallowing of pride.”

TRE has till 23 February to confirm in writing to PM Lee’s lawyer if it will accede to all his demands, failing which he will commence legal proceedings against the site and probably Mr Wan as well since he is its only known representative in Singapore.

 

Low Thia Kiang to ex-PAP MP: I am a MP, not a Private Investigator!

Embattled WP Secretary-General Low Thia Kiang, who has come under increasing fire of late for his error in judgement in fielding protege Yaw Shin Leong in Hougang, has sought to distance himself from him.

Mr Yaw was unceremoniously sacked from the Workers Party last week for refusing to address allegations about his infidelity. His current whereabouts is unknown and he reportedly left his wife behind to tie up the loose ends in the handover of Hougang affairs to other party members.

In response to queries from ex-PAP MP Ho Kah Leong on Zaobao forum on the Workers Party’s selection process, Mr Low admits that he and his party’s election committee had ‘absolutely no idea’ of the alleged extramarital affairs of sacked member Yaw Shin Leong when they decided to field him as a candidate in Hougang during the 2011 General Election.

“Even though I was familiar with Yaw Shin Leong’s background and I have met his family and attended his two wedding ceremonies, I have no way and no authority to inspect his private matters and personal life. I am a Member of Parliament, not a private investigator!” Mr Low wrote in his reply, trying hard to evade his responsibility for fielding Low.

He added in a defiant tone:

“Mr Ho Kah Leong said I should take responsibility for the Yaw Shin Leong saga. May I ask how I should take responsibility?”

However, according to a former WP member who spoke on the condition of anonymity, it is ‘impossible’ that Mr Low is not aware of Mr Yaw’s alleged flings and extra-marital affairs.

“The WP is a closely-knitted community. Everybody knows the family of one another. Yaw was in WP for over ten years where he was rumored to have a few relationships, confirmed or not with junior female members. His present wife was his polling agent in Ang Mo Kio GRC in the 06 election. Tongues do wag, how can Mr Low not hear the rumors?”

Our source also revealed that the decision to field Mr Yaw in Hougang was not unanimous and at least one senior leader pushed for the candidacy of Koh Choong Yong, also a Teochew:

“Koh was older than Yaw and joined the party at the same time as him. In the end, Yaw probably gets the nod from the boss because he was his ai4 tu2 (beloved disciple)”

When the scandal erupted, the Workers Party leadership initially rally around Mr Yaw and refused to comment on the rumors till it made an abrupt U-turn to sack him a month later after more of his ‘affairs’ were exposed and threatened to drag the entire party into the mud.

Your say: NUS PRC scholar’s comments about Singaporeans

The “dogs” he was referring to were those rude Singaporean gangster-wannabes who glare at people for no bloody reason. I bet all of us have come across ah beng ah lians who pick a fight with you just for the heck of it, and found them annoying as well. He wasn’t calling us common Singaporeans “dogs”, but those utterly uncouth people he encountered. So let us stop twisting what he says to use it as a chance to blow up and vent hatred.

Gina Wang

 

If the writer of the blog was not from China and was a Singaporean, will there be an outcry too? If we apply a tit-for-tat, Singaporeans can also do likewise. You see, this name calling game will never end. Social media is quick to bring out news coverage of such nature, but we need to understand the intent. Is to raise awareness of a national issue, or to solicit loose comments? A gracious attribute is what we should be striving towards and not be caught in this mire of nit-picking every article fished out from cyberspace.

Ng Wee Chong

 

There are two sides to every story, aren’t there? The situation in Singapore is one where you have unprovoked verbal assaults from people if they even think you are from China, even if you aren’t. Either unprovoked verbal assaults or treatment which is not great. Now if somebody is spending money in Singapore, they should expect to be treated a little better.

Pierre Wong

 

I do find this unfair that they are supported financially by our government yet it seems they have little respect for our nation. While I’m not saying anything about the government choice to allow & support foreigners(you can argue this is a natural progression in globalization) but I surely question them keeping up this scholarship in light of this. We have a sedition act for those disrespecting other religions & races, surely there should be some rule against someone disrespecting our overall nationality? This creates the same discord, does it not?

Elizabeth Low

Budget 2012 affirms government’s commitment to build an inclusive society

When Deputy Prime Minister Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratan unveiled Singapore’s Budget for this year on Friday, he described it as one to build a ‘strong and inclusive’ Singapore.

Indeed, the bulk of Budget is devoted to helping the most vulnerable in our society – the poor, needy and elderly. It also restructures the economy to help narrow the growing income gap between the rich and the poor including reducing Singapore’s dependence on foreign workers.

In a way, it is a refreshing change from previous Budgets which tend to focus narrowly on economic growth and GDP figures. With the latest measures, the government is sending a strong signal to Singaporeans that it has heard their voices and is willing to change its way of governance to meet their needs and expectations.

The government has come under criticisms in the past for being obsessed with economic growth and not doing enough to help the disadvantaged in society. Singaporeans were reminded time and again of the need for Singapore to generate high economic growth in order to maintain their standards of living.

The change in paradigm and the mindset is reflected in the Budget this year with scant mention made to economic figures. As a matter of fact, Mr Tharman urged Singapore businesses to make use of the expected economic slowdown this year to reduce the number of foreign workers under their payroll.

The keyword now is ‘sustainable growth’, not ‘growth at all cost’.

Speaking at the opening of Parliament in October last year, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong outlined his vision to build an inclusive society in Singapore:

“What is an inclusive society? It is one where everyone benefits from the progress of the nation. It is one where everyone has a say, a stake and a sense of belonging. And it is one where everyone aspires to do better through their own efforts and feels that he or she has a real chance to move up.”

Budget 2012 affirms the government’s commitment to build an inclusive society where all Singaporeans will get the opportunity to enjoy the fruits from the nation’s economic growth and nobody will be left behind.

While there is still a lot of work to be done, it is a good step forward to address the economic imbalance and income inequality which will put Singapore in a good stead to deal with the challenges ahead.

 

Remy Ong under investigation by SPCA and traffic police for hit and run incident involving dog

National bowler Remy Ong is currently under investigation by the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and the traffic police for a ‘hit and run’ accident involving a pregnant dog which has sparked an outcry among netizens.

A SPCA spokesperson said it has obtained a statement from Remy on Sunday:

‘We have the authority to take statements… and obtained Mr Ong’s this morning.”

According to Remy, he was driving along Changi Coast Road when he heard a slight sound but thought it was the dog’s tail which brushed against his car and so he continued riding. He returned to the scene later and that was when he realized what happened. The dog died two hours later.

Under the Road Traffic Act, those involved in a hit—and—run accident could be fined up to S$3,000 or jailed up to a year. This applies even if the victim is an animal.

For a subsequent conviction, a person can be fined up to S$5,000 or jailed up to two years.