Tay Ping Hui on why he spoke out against Sun Xu: Because it’s about Singaporeans

MediaCorp actor and Young PAP member Tay Ping Hui won praises from many Singaporeans lately for speaking out against NUS PRC scholar Sun Xu on his Twitter.

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.”

In response to Sun’s insensitive remarks, Mr Tay slammed him in a tweet, calling him an “impertinent ingrate” which made him an instant hero in the eyes of long-suffering Singaporeans yearning for somebody to step forward to speak up for them.

Mr Tay’s comments were widely reported in the mainstream media and it appeared to be well received by ordinary Singaporeans, one of whom approached him to thank him for doing so.

In a tweet posted at 7pm today, Mr Tay wrote:

“To the stranger who thanked me for standing up and speaking out, you are most welcomed. I had to, you see, because it is not about me, it’s about Singaporeans.”

Mr Tay’s robust response to protect Singaporeans contrasted that of his party comrade and MP Baey Yam Keng who tried to find all kinds of lame excuses to defend Sun, such as obfuscating his infamous remark on the ‘dogs’ to suggest that he might mean something else:

“Even his comment about the dogs – it might not literally mean that, it might mean something else, even though it is definitely not something positive.”

To add salt to the wound, Mr Baey even asked Singaporeans to reflect on their own behavior:

““We should take this opportunity to reflect upon ourselves…..take criticisms openly and learn from what others say about us.”

Tay Ping Hui was initially considered as a possible PAP candidate in the General Election last year, but he was not fielded in the end and it might have something to do with his ever willingness to speak up for Singaporeans even when it is not politically correct to do so.

Related articles:

Baey Yam Keng: Singaporeans should accept criticisms openly

MOE ‘disappointed’ with NUS PRC scholar Sun Xu

Police report against NUS PRC scholar Sun Xu: Alex Tan told to lodge Magistrate’s complaint

Baey Yam Keng defends Sun Xu

‘Why are you visiting us dogs?’ – netizen asked Baey Yam Keng

Baey Yam Keng asks Singaporeans to reflect on the comments of foreigners

NUS Provost: I have counselled Sun Xu

NUS PRC scholar Sun Xu apologizes to Singaporeans

Tay Ping Hui scolds NUS PRC scholar Sun Xun: “You are an impertinent ingrate!”

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

NUS PRC scholar Sun Xu hurls vulgarities at Singaporeans

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

M Ravi no longer acting for TR Emeritus to handle case against Lee Hsien Yang

In a sudden twist of events, Human Rights lawyer M Ravi now said he is no longer acting for controversial socio-political blog TR Emeritus.

TR Emeritus has earlier said it has appointed M Ravi to handle a fresh case involving Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s young brother Lee Hsien Yang whose lawyers sent a letter to its Singapore-based editor Richard Wan on Tuesday over a defamatory comment posted on the site.

A statement posted today on the site reads:

“TRE Editors felt that acceding to all the demands of Mr Lee Hsien Yang will seriously make running TRE site difficult in future. Hence, we are seeking legal counsel this time. TRE has appointed Human Rights lawyer M. Ravi to handle this particular case.”

According to Channel News Asia, Mr Ravi has confirmed that he is no longer acting for the site and neither does he know who is acting for TRE now and what course of action they plan to take.

TR Emeritus is still operating as usual and the defamatory comment on Mr Lee has remained on the site. TR Emeritus has until today to remove the comment failing which Mr Lee is likely to commence legal proceedings against it.

As the real owner of TR Emeritus is a foreigner living overseas, its Singapore editor Richard Wan will have no choice but to take the rap for it.

Sun Xu saga: Time to stop white-washing of ill behavior of foreigners

With all due apologies to Mr Baey, but I really cannot countenance this sort of white washing. We have had a person who was not only permitted into our country, someone who has not only been given a place amongst us, but also fed, clothed and supported by the monies collected from our people.

Granted it might be said that it might have been a simple miscommunication as he asserts, that Mr Xu meant “persons in singapore” rather then “singaporeans.” It is none the less inappropriate for him to express his displeasure in such a vulgar manner.

Further more, were it truly a simple case of a mere miscommunication, Mr Xu, would have long ago issued an apology. Instead, the man dismisses our concerns and passes it off as people being “too sensitive”.

In any country, nation or community, it is expected from each of us a degree of civility, of good manners and graces. And it is expected of any guest to treat his hosts with a measure of respect.

Mr. Xu has not only made comments that have clearly offended most who have seen it, there by displaying a lack of good manners or social graces, he has also shown himself to be lacking in respect for his hosts, the persons of singapore, who’s very sweat and tears pays for his education and his needs.

I can certainly understand Mr. Baey’s attempt to put things into some manner of perspective, to get singaporeans to overlook this sort of behavior. Yet it is behavior just like this, of tolerance and turning a blind eye that allowed men like hitler to rise to power. We have in each of us a responsibility to keep the members of our community accountable, to keep each other to a standard of morals and a standard of behavior.

I can only wonder what direction our own country is going to take with our own leaders showing an inability to keep to the most basic of moral standards. And worse, a willingness to gloss over matters of right and wrong in the interests of mere conveniance, to avoid “rocking the boat” if you will.

We have as a nation, long avoided “rocking the boat”. It may be time to give our boat a good kick, if only to dislodge all the detrius that has come to litter our deck.

We need to make these people accountable for their behavior, just as we need to make our leaders accountable for their decisions and their actions. It is persons like Mr. Baey, and his white washing of the ill conduct of visitors to our country, like Mr Xu that give me honest pause to the notion of whether Singapore truly is our home anymore.

 

ZHENG WEN

Baey Yam Keng on NUS PRC scholar Sun Xu saga: Singaporeans should accept criticisms openly

PAP MP Baey Yam Keng has called on Singaporeans to accept criticisms openly and learn from what others say about us. Mr Baey is sharing his views about the Sun Xu debacle on his Facebook.

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.” on his microblog ‘Weibo’ last Saturday.

In the same thread, Sun 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, 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.

His comments sparked a massive public outcry with many Singaporeans calling for his scholarship to be revoked. However while Mr Baey  agreed that Sun Xu’s comments are rude, he hope Singaporeans do not just label all foreign students as such:

“My point is I do feel that Sun Xu’s comments are unnecessary, rude, degrading and do not reflect well on himself too.  However, I hope we do not just label all foreign students as such…Just as Sun Xu is a black sheep among the foreign scholars, we also have black sheep among Singaporeans, or for that matter, in any community. “

Mr Baey also urged Singaporeans to reflect on their own behavior and to take criticisms openly:

“There are really some Singaporeans who would stare and complain endlessly when someone accidentally brushed against them, as in Sun Xu’s experience.  This is the type of behaviour I was referring to that we should reflect whether we ourselves are guilty of.  We should take criticisms openly and learn from what others say about us.”

Mr Baey’s call for peace was supported by a few netizens.

Danny Tan Jun Yang said:

“Mr Baey, I agree with you. There are indeed some people in the community which they will do sth that we do not like, whether it is based on their actions, or based on what they said. It is about how people see the seriousness of the issue.”

Raymond Huang added:

“It is always good to reflect as we have blind sides and many times, we only put our best face forward. We can only get better. At least this MP is engaging, not other recent ex-MP who take flight and leave the country when confronted.”

Related articles:

MOE ‘disappointed’ with NUS PRC scholar Sun Xu

Police report against NUS PRC scholar Sun Xu: Alex Tan told to lodge Magistrate’s complaint

Baey Yam Keng defends Sun Xu

‘Why are you visiting us dogs?’ – netizen asked Baey Yam Keng

Baey Yam Keng asks Singaporeans to reflect on the comments of foreigners

NUS Provost: I have counselled Sun Xu

NUS PRC scholar Sun Xu apologizes to Singaporeans

Tay Ping Hui scolds NUS PRC scholar Sun Xun: “You are an impertinent ingrate!”

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

NUS PRC scholar Sun Xu hurls vulgarities at Singaporeans

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

TR Emeritus fights back: M Ravi appointed to fight Lee Hsien Yang’s case

Embattled socio-political blog TR Emeritus will not accede to demands made by Mr Lee Hsien Yang, the younger brother of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and has appointed prominent Human Rights lawyer M Ravi to fight the case.

Mr Lee Hsien Yang, the chairman of listed conglomerate Fraser and Neave (F&N), has sent a lawyer’s letter to  Mr Richard Wan, TRE’s official representative in Singapore on Tuesday, asking the site to remove an allegedly defamatory comment on its site about him.

Mr Tan Chuan Thye from Stamford Law, who is acting on behalf of Mr Lee told TRE in the letter that a netizen had left a defamatory remark about Mr Lee in the comments section for one of its articles late last month.

The comment was found on an article about allegations concerning Hougang MP Yaw Shin Leong’s personal life which was published on 30 January and was still on the website as of midnight last night.

According to the Straits Times, today is the last day for TRE to comply with the lawyer’s demands.

In an article published today, TR Emeritus said it would not comply with Mr Lee’s demands which are more than just removing the offending comment:

“Generally speaking, when a complaint is received by TRE about a comment, TRE will normally comply and delete it. However, Mr Lee Hsien Yang is making more demands than the normal demand of simply removing the offending comment.”

It added that acceding to all the demands of Mr Lee will make running the site difficult:

“TRE Editors felt that acceding to all the demands of Mr Lee Hsien Yang will seriously make running TRE site difficult in future. Hence, we are seeking legal counsel this time. TRE has appointed Human Rights lawyer M. Ravi to handle this particular case.”

It is not known what Mr Lee’s demands are exactly. However, based on previous cases, TR Emeritus’ chance of defending itself is very low and it will probably be bankrupted and forced to close down by a defamation lawsuit.

Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong rebuts WP Chief Low Thia Kiang

Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong has issued a stern rebuttal to Workers Party Chief Low Thia Kiang for dragging him into his mudslinging with former PAP MP Ho Kah Leong who had criticized the Workers Party for ‘abusing the democratic system’ by by causing a by-election in Hougang when the WP expelled Mr Yaw Shin Leong.

In a desperate attempt to exonerate WP from public scrutiny and opprobrium, Mr Low claimed that the PAP had triggered a by-election too in 1992 when then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong and his team in Marine Parade GRC vacated their seats for a by-election to be called.

In a letter written to the Straits Times Forum today by Foo Kok Jwee, the press secretary to ESM Goh, he described Mr Low’s reference to the 1992 by-election as ‘inappropriate’.

“When Mr Goh announced on Aug 17, 1991 that he would call for an early general election to secure a strong mandate to govern, he said at the same time that he would call for by-elections within 18 months to field more good candidates for self-renewal and to give (the late) Mr J.B. Jeyaretnam a chance to contest for election into Parliament,” he wrote.

Mr Foo added that Mr Goh had been transparent about the reasons for the 1992 Marine Parade GRC by-election from the beginning and the by-election was also expected.

“Mr Low therefore cannot compare the reasons for his causing a by-election in Hougang with Mr Goh’s purpose in having one in Marine Parade GRC in 1992,” the letter ended.

There are no immediate comments from Mr Low who is likely to adopt the usual WP’s ‘no comment’ approach and stick his head into the mud after being embarrassed yet again in public.

MOE ‘disappointed’ with NUS PRC scholar Sun Xu, but no concrete disciplinary action taken against him till now

When two ordinary Singaporean students were caught on video kissing publicly in a junior college, they were expelled immediately by the Ministry of Education (MOE). However, when a PRC scholar Sun Xu hurled abusive language and vulgarities at Singaporeans, MOE adopted a ‘wait and see’ approach instead.

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.” on his microblog ‘Weibo’ last Saturday.

In the same thread, Sun 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, 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.

Despite the public outcry, MOE would only say it was ‘disappointed’ with the ‘irresponsible’ blog comments made by Sun Xu, adding that its scholarship administrators will “take reference from findings of disciplinary proceedings by the National University of Singapore (NUS), where Mr Sun is studying, before recommending what action to take.”

NUS Provost Professor Tan Eng Chye earlier said a disciplinary committee will be convened to investigate the matter, but gave no fixed timeline for doing so, raising suspicions that NUS is just waiting for the storm to blow over before sweeping it quietly under the carpet.

As netizen Soo Zi Yi puts it succinctly:

“The case will be PENDING forever for investigation till HE graduate and get out of Singapore to Germany.”

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 ICT.

Related articles:

Police report against NUS PRC scholar Sun Xu: Alex Tan told to lodge Magistrate’s complaint

Baey Yam Keng defends Sun Xu

‘Why are you visiting us dogs?’ – netizen asked Baey Yam Keng

Baey Yam Keng asks Singaporeans to reflect on the comments of foreigners

NUS Provost: I have counselled Sun Xu

NUS PRC scholar Sun Xu apologizes to Singaporeans

Tay Ping Hui scolds NUS PRC scholar Sun Xun: “You are an impertinent ingrate!”

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

NUS PRC scholar Sun Xu hurls vulgarities at Singaporeans

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

 

 

TR Emeritus’s readership doubled in a week, thanks to Prime Minister Lee

The readership of socio-political blog ‘TR Emeritus’ has doubled in less than a week, thanks to unlikely ‘assistance’ given by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

According to web traffic site ‘alexa.com’, internet traffic to TR Emeritus has increased by more than two-fold during a period from 14 February to 20 February after PM Lee sent a lawyer’s letter to its editor based in Singapore Richard Wan:

[Source: Alexa]

In the lawyer’s letter, Prime Minister Lee demanded a retraction of a defamatory article posted on TR Emeritus as well as a public apology. The site has since apologized yesterday.

The news made headlines not only in Singapore, but in the world as well after international news agency AFP picked up the news, propelling ‘TR Emeritus’ into instant fame.

For three days, ‘TR Emeritus’ was the third most searched term in Singapore on Yahoo search engine. It is now the 91st most visited site in Singapore.

The huge increase in traffic will surely boost TR Emeritus’ advertising revenue giving its foreign owner an unexpected ‘Ang Pow’ as its poor editor Richard Wan continues to receive lawyers’ letters on his behalf after he was served another one by Mr Lee Hsien Yang, the chairman of listed conglomerate Fraser and Neave (F&N).

As Prime Minister Lee did not solicit any damages from TR Emeritus and Richard Wan, many felt it is merely a ‘slap on the wrist’ for TR Emeritus and is unlikely to deter it from publishing more defamatory articles about government leaders again in the future as it is notorious for.

On the contrary, it is likely to encourage TR Emeritus to continue publishing such articles to entice prominent public figures to serve lawyer’s letters on Richard Wan so as to hit the news headlines again to increase its readership and coffers from advertisers and sympathetic donors.

For a site with little credibility or respectability, all forms of publicity, including negative ones are positive, and somemore with an official ‘representative’ in Singapore to handle the legal matters, the foreign owner of TR Emeritus can laugh all his way to the bank by just sitting down shaking leg to collect advertising revenues and donations from an obscure corner of the world.

Police report against NUS PRC scholar Sun Xu: Alex Tan told to lodge Magistrate’s complaint for ‘intentional harassment’

Former Reform Party candidate for Ang Mo Kio GRC Alex Tan Zhi Xiang has been told by the police to lodge a Magistrate’s complaint before the police can take further action against NUS PRC scholar Sun Xu, who allegedly ‘threatened’ Alex 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.”

According to socio-political blog TR Emeritus, Alex lodged a police report at Serangoon NPC and the case has been classified as “intentional haressment” under Section 13(A) of Chapter 184.  The sergent who attended to Alex had informed him that a magistrate complaint is required before the police can take any further action.

Alex said that he has completed the form required for the Magistrate’s complaint and “will follow this case all the way. ”

“Someone has to be accountable, either Sun Xu himself or the Singapore Police.” he added.

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.

Related articles:

Baey Yam Keng defends Sun Xu

‘Why are you visiting us dogs?’ – netizen asked Baey Yam Keng

Baey Yam Keng asks Singaporeans to reflect on the comments of foreigners

NUS Provost: I have counselled Sun Xu

NUS PRC scholar Sun Xu apologizes to Singaporeans

Tay Ping Hui scolds NUS PRC scholar Sun Xun: “You are an impertinent ingrate!”

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

NUS PRC scholar Sun Xu hurls vulgarities at Singaporeans

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

TR Emeritus’ Richard Wan receives lawyer’s letter from Lee Hsien Yang

Less than one week after being served a lawyer’s letter from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Richard Wan, the hapless Singapore editor of socio-political blog ‘TR Emeritus’ (TRE) has been served another lawyer’s letter, this time from Mr Lee Hsien Yang, the younger brother of the Prime Minister.

Prime Minister Lee had earlier sent a lawyer’s letter to Richard Wan on Sunday demanding a defamatory article published on the site be removed and a public apology published. Both demands have been complied.

The Straits Times reported today that Mr Lee Hsien Yang, the chairman of listed conglomerate Fraser and Neave (F&N), has sent a lawyer’s letter to  Mr Richard Wan, TRE’s official representative in Singapore on Tuesday, asking the site to remove an allegedly defamatory comment on its site about him.

Mr Tan Chuan Thye from Stamford Law, who is acting on behalf of Mr Lee told TRE in the letter that a netizen had left a defamatory remark about Mr Lee in the comments section for one of its articles late last month.

‘Mr Lee is determined to protect his reputation and would take all necessary and appropriate steps to do so,‘ Mr Tan told The Straits Times.

However, in the absence of financial penalties being imposed on ‘TR Emeritus’, the letters lack real bite and will only help to boost traffic to the site, thereby increasing its readership among Singaporeans.

According to web traffic site Alexa.com, the traffic of TR Emeritus has more than doubled in the last one week since it made headlines after news of being served a lawyer’s letter by PM Lee were splashed across the Singapore papers.

Meanwhile, as Richard Wan continues to be ‘entertained’ by weekly lawyer’s letters from prominent public figures in Singapore, the real owner of ‘TR Emeritus’ is laughing his way to the bank as rising advertising revenue and donations from sympathetic supporters fill his pockets.