Does Baey Yam Keng allow his Facebook page to be used by online lynch mobs to attack others?

The online community must come together to speak up against ‘witch hunts’ and ‘lynch mobs’, declared PAP MP Baey Yam Keng.

A netizen Shawn Danker asked Mr Baey on his views on the online code of code proposed by the Ministry of Information, Communication and Arts (MICA) to be implemented in cyberspace to which he replied that it is unlikely to work:

“My experience in social media tells me that hard and fast rules will not work. It is just too difficult to track and enforce everything online. What is more important is to educate the public on what is the respectful and appropriate thing to do online.”

Mr Baey also urged netizens to stand up for ‘injustice’ and speak out against witch hunts and lynch mobs:

“The online community must be prepared to stand up for injustice, and speak up against witch hunts and lynch mobs, and not join in the bandwagon.”

Mr Baey has been roundly criticized by netizens for appearing to defend NUS PRC scholar Sun Xu after he was lampooned for making an insensitive remark on there ‘being more dogs than humans in Singapore.’

Ironically, Mr Baey’s words were twisted and used by an extremist online lynch group to justify its current smear campaign against an innocent Singaporean Kenneth Seah whom it accused of ‘plagiarizing’ a few unworthy sentences from its pathetic Facebook page two weeks ago.

The group is well known for trolling, harassing and stalking those who disagree with them and appears to be associated with a lesser blog whose editor was criticized lately for making disparaging remarks about Christians.

According to information we have collated, one of its purported members is a former lecturer at the National University of Singapore.

Below are three classic examples of dysfunctional behavior displayed by online witch hunters and lynch mobsters who appear to be suffering from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

1. Soliciting justification and support for its actions from prominent figures like Mr Baey himself:

2. Spamming the Facebook pages of its imagined ‘enemies’ repeatedly like a jilted lover despite being ignored:

3. Sprouting delusional stuff which are completely divorced from reality:

Does Mr Baey condone the actions of these cyber-stalkers?

Mr Baey should walk his talk by speaking out against this form of witch hunt and lynch mob instead of allowing his Facebook page to be used as a platform for these psychotics to launch their malicious attacks against others.

 

Baey Yam Keng penned his name on petition to vouch for Lee Lip Hong’s character in court

Former Pei Chun Public School principal Lee Lip Hong may have disappointed many Singaporeans by having commercial sex with a minor, but he still retain the loyal support of some friends and prominent public figures in Singapore, including PAP MP for Tampines GRC Baey Yam Keng.

33 former colleagues, students and friends of Lee penned their names down on a petition pleading for leniency on his behalf which was presented to the judge this morning.

Instead of asking Lee to reflect on his own behavior, Baey Yam Keng expressed his support for him in the petition willingly without much thoughts.

Speaking to queries from the media, Mr Baey, who was the President of the Singapore Volleyball Association said:

“Though he (Lee) spent only a short period of time in the Association, he had made tremendous contributions to it.”

When NUS PRC scholar Sun Xu called Singaporeans ‘dogs’ two months ago, Mr Baey immediately asked Singaporeans to ‘reflect’ on their own behavior, sparking a massive outcry which he later apologized for in Parliament.

Baey Yam Keng slammed for ‘sympathizing’ with PRs for paying more for upgrading

It seemed to be an innocuous statement from PAP MP Baey Yam Keng, but it drew flak from netizens again after his controversial remarks on PRC scholar Sun Xu has barely died down.

Mr Baey posted a comment on his Facebook last night sharing his experience during his latest walkabout in his ward of Tampines North:

“Visited residents of Tampines Blk 402 and 404 last evening. They are looking forward to their new lifts which will be ready by Jun. Met a couple of PR families who are resigned to paying the full cost of their share of $20-30k, while Singaporean families pay only about 10%.”

[Source: Baey Yam Keng’s Facebook]

His comment immediately prompted a torrent of criticisms from netizens who lampooned him for ‘sympathizing’ the plight of PRs.

Casey Kwan wrote:

“This update is so open ended… So whats ur point!? There are many other policies in undue favor to PRCs here as well especially the scholarships and foreign ownerships of properties. Its pretty interesting to see such subtle publicity gimmicks at work to justify local benefits over foreigners… Kids’s play.”

Richard Chua asked if there is any nation in the world which offers public housing to PRs like Singapore:

“Actually how many countries in the world offer public housing for sale to their PRs, which can be sold for a profit when they return to their homeland. Anyone knows??”

Over at Hardwarezone Forum, netizens continue to slam Mr Baey:

“They got pity us when we serve NS and go for ICT? They are NOT paying more, it’s just that Citizens are paying less. It’s different.” – LightTrial

“what is there to resign about??? if the PR pay same as stinkies then what for have pink n blue IC” -zzzboy

“this guy is cant be a MP la.. he has no understanding for sgreans..” – buttery

Mr Baey should reflect on himself carefully  if he is serving the interests of Singaporeans or foreigners. Singaporeans voted for him to speak up for them and fight for their interest in parliament and not for him to whine about the predicament of PRs which is really none of his business.

Baey Yam Keng on recent suspected ‘kidnapping’ cases: I ‘hope’ the culprits get caught soon

The recent spate of suspected ‘kidnapping’ cases has caused widespread concerns among Singaporeans. It first started when a mother Allison Goon shared her experience of having her child almost taken away from her by a PRC lady at Ang Mo Kio Hub followed by similar revelations by more Singaporeans.

Though the police has issued a statement urging the public not to spread ‘unsubstantiated information’ which can cause unnecessary ‘alarm’, many are still following the matter closely, including PAP MP Baey Yam Keng.

In response to a query by a netizen on his Facebook, Mr Baey replied:

“The police is investigating this. If indeed there are such terrible people around doing this, I hope they get caught soon. The public can also help to look out for astray kids or kids trying to fight against / get away from adults who do not look like their family.”

The police has not released any updates on the investigations yet and it appears that the matter has been swept quietly under the carpet as if nothing has happened.

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Related articles:

Another suspected ‘kidnapping’ case at Simei?/

VIDEO: Hong Kong girl almost ‘abducted’ by two PRC men at amusement park

More suspected kidnapping cases by PRC women in Singapore?

VIDEO: PRC police kidnapped boy and harvested his organs

Police warn Singaporeans not to spread rumors about suspected ‘abduction’ at Ang Mo Kio Hub

VIDEO: PRC man tried to abduct primary school children in Hong Kong

PRC couple tried to abduct Singaporean child at Ang Mo Kio Hub?

Baey Yam Keng: I do not think NUS is playing ‘delay tactics’ over Sun Xu

When PRC student Wang Peng Fei sprouted racist remarks about Singaporeans on a self-made video clip which went viral online, he was sacked immediately by his school East Asia Institute of Management.

The same outcome also happened in the case of two Singaporean JC students caught on video kissing publicly in school – they were expelled immediately without a chance to appeal.

However, more than a month has passed since NUS PRC scholar Sun Xu sparked a nationwide outcry with his now infamous remarks on there ‘being more dogs than Singaporeans’ and NUS still refused to take disciplinary action against him despite conducting a disciplinary hearing a week ago, prompting many to suspect it is ‘buying time’ for Sun Xu to graduate in the hope that Singaporeans will soon forget about the incident.

Though the Ministry of Education is the administrator of Sun Xu’s scholarship, it has adamantly refused to revoke it and pass the baton to NUS instead.

In response to queries posed by a netizen ‘Kelvin Leong’ on his Facebook as to whether NUS is delaying giving a verdict in Sun Xu’s case, Mr Baey replied:

“There is a standard procedure for investigations, which will be applied to all, no discrimination, no bias. I do not think NUS is trying to play delay tactics. The Sun Xu saga has received such a wide public interest and there is no way people will just forget the incident.”

[Source: Baey Yam Keng’s Facebook]

Mr Baey also stressed that Singapore laws applied equally to Singaporeans and foreigners alike:

“Based on my knowledge, anyone who commits a crime in S’pore will have to be investigated, and if guilty charged and punished according to S’pore law. It applies to all, whether locals or foreigners, residents or visitors. I believe this is an international practice, so we must also respect the local law whichever foreign country we may be in.”

Born to a wealthy and influential family in the affluent city of Suzhou, Jiangsu province, Sun Xu first came to Singapore in 2006 on a MOE scholarship to study in River Valley High School after which he went on to study at Raffles Junior College and NUS where he majored in Mechanical Engineering.

Unlike other students born in Singapore, Sun Xu did not have to pay a SINGLE CENT for his education in Singapore from secondary school all the way to university.

Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Education & Ministry of Law Ms Sim Ann revealed recently in Parliament that the Singapore government spends some $36 million dollars on scholarships to over two thousand foreign students each year, or about S$174,000 per scholar.

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Recent articles:

Baey Yam Keng: I (finally) realized the deep sentiments of locals against foreigners

Tay Ping Hui: NUS needs to reflect what it really stand for

VIDEO: Singaporean student scolds Sun Xu

Singaporean studying overseas writes to NUS PRC scholar Sun Xu

Read all other articles about Sun Xu here

Baey Yam Keng wants ‘harsh penalty’ for PRC man who caused fatal accident at Budget Terminal

Embattled PAP MP for Tampines GRC Baey Yam Keng has ‘condemned’ the 30 year old PRC man who caused a fatal accident at the Budget Terminal on Saturday morning this time instead of asking Singaporeans to ‘reflect’ on themselves as in Sun Xu case.

A 34 year old Malaysian cleaner was killed on the spot at the Budget terminal after being hit by a taxi driven by a 30 year old PRC man. According to ComfortDelGro spokesperson Tammy Tan, the taxi driver was driving the PRC man to the airport when they somehow got into an argument.

Upon reaching the destination, the PRC passenger refused to pay the taxi driver and started to attack him. He then got into the taxi and drove off hitting the cleaner at the driveway in front of the Budget Terminal moments later.

The unfortunate accident shocked the entire nation, prompting some netizens to ask for Mr Baey’s opinion on his Facebook:

[Source: Baey Yam Keng’s Facebook]

In response to queries from a netizen who asked him if he would now ask Singaporean taxi drivers to ‘reflect on themselves for creating the tension and argument with the PRC killer,’ Mr Baey replied:

“This is such a heinous act of crime. The culprit must receive a harsh penalty and punishment. My sympathy goes to the taxi driver Mr Yeow and the family of Mr Chandra Mogan.”

Mr Baey’s response this time appeared to contrast his immediate reaction to NUS PRC scholar Sun Xu’s infamous remark on there ‘being more dogs than humans in Singapore.’

In an interview with a local tabloid on the Sun Xu saga, Mr Baey tried to obfuscate Sun’s 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.”

He ended the interview calling on Singaporeans to reflect upon themselves:

“We should take this opportunity to reflect upon ourselves, but we should (also) be confident of ourselves. Even though some of us are like that, majority of Singaporeans are gracious, there are good people in Singapore.”

Unfortunately, Mr Baey’s sudden change of ‘tune’ this time did not convince many netizens as illustrated by these comments on Hardwarezone forum:

“sibeh wayang….. wanna use this incident to “redeem” himself ah?” – Charlie_Zhang

“The taxi driver should reflect himself for causing distress to the china guy.” – hydro77

“Trying to win back the pple, bit by bit….nothing personal, just political nia..” – GenesisX

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Related articles:

Eye witness: PRC man tried to flee after causing fatal accident at Budget Terminal

VIDEO: PRC man heard ranting at police officer after fatal accident at Budget Terminal

PRC man assaulted taxi driver, drove off with his taxi and caused fatal accident at Budget Terminal

Sun Xu saga and immigration issues not discussed during Baey Yam Keng’s ‘Kopitalk’ session

Despite the intense public interest in the Sun Xu saga at least in cyberspace, it was not brought up by Tampines residents for discussion during their ‘Kopitalk’ session with MP Baey Yam Keng yesterday.

A final year student in Mechanical Engineering at the National University of Singapore, Sun Xu sparked a near nationwide outrage with his now infamous remark on there ‘being more dogs than humans in Singapore’, prompting many to call for his scholarship to be revoked.

The saga also caused Mr Baey to finally realized the ‘deep sentiments of locals against foreigners’ as he admitted himself on his Facebook.

Below are some issues brought up for discussion during Mr Baey’s ‘Kopitalk’ session:

– Residents are still concern on HDB prices and are worried that whether the younger generation can afford them.

– Some residents hope government can review the dialect policy as they worry this heritage will be lost. Another resident highlight that speaking dialect can help in our service industry – on communicating with tourists who speak certain dialect like ours.

– Bus frequency is still a concern to some residents and they hope it can be more frequent during peak hours, especially those area with only one bus to service them.

– A young resident gives examples on some cyclists can be quite reckless an poses a threat to elderly pedestrians an also to themselves. He hope that some authority can help monitor and ensure safety in this area.

From the above, it appears there is a wide gulf in issues of concern between Singaporeans in real life and netizens in cyberspace.

Recent articles:

Baey Yam Keng: I (finally) realized the deep sentiments of locals against foreigners

Tay Ping Hui: NUS needs to reflect what it really stand for

VIDEO: Singaporean student scolds Sun Xu

Singaporean studying overseas writes to NUS PRC scholar Sun Xu

Read all other articles about Sun Xu here

Baey Yam Keng wishes Primary 6 kids good luck for PSLE during house visit in Tampines

PAP MP for Tampines GRC Baey Yam Keng is a launching a charm offensive to win the hearts and minds of Tampines residents, especially the young.

For the second time in a week, Mr Baey made a personal house visit to his constituents in Tampines to find out what they are doing in life.

[Source: Tampines North Facebook here]

In an update posted on his Facebook, Mr Baey wrote:

“Met at least three Pr 6 students during my house visit tonight. Hope they can enjoy their school holidays now without too much stress by PSLE. Wishing them and other Pr 6 students all the best in the PSLE. Enjoy your last year in primary school and your last pre-teen year.”

Mr Baey will be conducting a ‘Kopitalk’ session this afternoon from 2pm to 4pm at Blk 478 Tampines Street 43 Koufu Restaurant.

For more information, read here

Baey Yam Keng: I (finally) realized the ‘deep resentments’ of locals against foreigners

After sleeping high up in his ‘ivory tower’ for the past six years, PAP MP for Tampines GRC Baey Yam Keng has finally realized the ‘deep resentments’ of locals against foreigners as he discovered to his horror after being slammed by netizens for appearing to speak up for NUS PRC scholar Sun Xu.

A final year student in Mechanical Engineering at NUS, Sun Xu sparked nationwide outrage with his now infamous remark on there being ‘more dogs than humans in Singapore‘. However, Mr Baey asked Singaporeans to ‘reflect’ on their own behavior instead of condemning Sun Xu, triggering a public backlash which forced him to issue an apology in Parliament eventually.

[Source: Baey Yam Keng’s Facebook]

In response to a video posted by a netizen on his Facebook which depicted a Singaporean student ranting at Sun Xu and another PRC undergraduate ‘Ares Lim’ for hurling vulgarities at Singaporeans, Mr Baey replied that he ‘understands’ the reaction of the young man ‘towards such unkind comments and behavior.’

“Over the past few weeks, I have indeed realized the deep sentiments of locals against foreigners,” he added, still completely clueless about the pent-up frustration has been building up steadily over the last few years.

Mr Baey also claimed that the new citizens are keeping a low profile nowadays because Singaporeans are seeing them ‘differently’:

“Just to share that during my house visit tonight, I met a family of new citizens who became Singaporeans a few years ago. They shared that they do sense that locals are seeing them differently nowadays, and that they (the new citizens) themselves try to keep a low profile now.”

He added that he has done his part by calling for the government to be more ‘sensitive’ towards Singaporeans’ feelings about the foreigners here:

“Hopefully the situation will improve in the near future.”

For all his good intentions, Mr Baey has little influence on the government’s immigration policies which remain as opaque as before even as Singaporeans are urged to do their part to help ‘assimilate’ the newcomers.

Some responses from netizens at Mr Baey’s sudden ‘enlightenment’ on Facebook:

“Is this a joke Mr Baey? You seriously need to stay in a HDB flat and take the public transport for a while to get to use of being a common people and NOT a PAP elite ok. You don’t even know how hard is it for us to cope each day with foreigners around us. ya 2016 you can kiss your seat goodbye.” – Faizal Maidin

“Guess they still don’t understand our daily problem. Y must new media always deliver the problem and make them reflect?” – Stanley Tan

“Mr Baey , u should go reflect upon yourself. First , you took so long to realise it, shows that u indeed have been disconnected. And you do not even know why the locals are feeling this way?” – Doby Lin

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Recent articles:

Tay Ping Hui: NUS needs to reflect what it really stand for

VIDEO: Singaporean student scolds Sun Xu

Singaporean studying overseas writes to NUS PRC scholar Sun Xu

Read all other articles about Sun Xu here

Baey Yam Keng’s son ‘taunted’ by classmate: You scored well because your dad is a MP!

It is not easy being a MP nowadays, especially if you are from the PAP. Not only will you become an easy target of verbal abuse from the ‘hordes’ of anonymous netizens stalking in the cyberworld, your children are likely to be subjected to all kinds of taunts and jibes in school as well as PAP MP Baey Yam Keng discovered lately.

In an article written specially for a free SPH tabloid, Mr Baey shared his son’s unpleasant experience in school:

“My child recently score the second highest in a Maths Common Test, but one of his classmates said he was able to do so well because his father is a MP!”

(我孩子最近的数学统一测验考得了全班第二高分。可是，有一位同学却在班上说他能取得这样的成绩，是因为他的爸爸是议员！)

Mr Baey tried to comfort his son by reassuring him that he earned the good grades due to his own hard work:

“You do not have tuition, therefore you deserve every mark you have earned yourself.  Others may not realize it, but I am aware and more importantly, you know what you have put in.  You should be proud of yourself and not be bothered by what others say. “

(“你没有补习老师，你的数学成绩是你用功努力，靠自己得来的。别人不知道，爸爸看得到，你自己也最清楚。你应该引以为豪，不要在乎别人说什么.”)

He also encouraged him to do his best according to his conscience and there is no need for any self-imposed pressure:

“Be courageous enough to own up to any wrongdoing, for every mistake we make will prove to be a learning experience.”

(“如果做错了，要勇于承认改过，从中学习。”)

Unlike some MP who ran away and left his residents in the lurch, Mr Baey does practice what he preaches. After he was slammed by netizens to speaking up for NUS PRC scholar Sun Xu who sparked nationwide outrage with his derogatory comments about Singaporeans, Mr Baey promptly apologized in Parliament.

Judging from his silence so far on the disciplinary hearing convened yesterday by NUS to investigate the matter, Mr Baey has indeed ‘learnt’ from his experience.

Read Mr Baey’s article in full on his Facebook here.