• About Us
    • Fact Checking Policy
    • Ownership & funding information
    • Volunteer
  • Subscribe
  • Letter submission
    • Submissions Policy
  • Contact Us
The Online Citizen Asia
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Politics
    • Civil Society
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Politics
    • Civil Society
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
No Result
View All Result
The Online Citizen Asia
No Result
View All Result

An indication of wider social gaps

by Howard Lee
30/03/2014
in Commentaries
Reading Time: 4 mins read
0

By Ravi Philemon
Member of Parliament, Ms Indranee Rajah recently weighed in on the incident where former Miss Singapore Universe finalist, Ms Jesslyn Tan posted a picture of a hawker assistant Mr Koh Kee Huat and made an insensitive comment about a hole in his T-shirt.
It’s commendable that upon noticing that the person in the picture posted is her resident, Ms Rajah went out of her way to visit Mr Koh at his hawker stall to reassure him. But this latest social media storm may not be as straight-forward as it seems and raises questions if a widening social stratification has long-term implications for our Singaporean society.
In the year 2006 former Member of Parliament, Mr Sin Boon Ann, said in Parliament that it is important to “break down the institution of snobbery within our society”. Reflecting on Wee Shu Min, a Raffles Junior College student’s “get out of my elite uncaring face” comment dismissing a middle-aged man’s concerns of security for his own future in the face of globalisation, Mr Sin pointed to the gulf that has developed in the society, saying “perception exists that Singapore is a society that is bifurcated between the elites and the commoners, the scholars and the normal streams, the gifted and the ordinary, the HDB dwellers and the private property owners, and the rich and the poor”.
Eight years after the backlash resulting from Wee Shu Min’s elitism controversy, we don’t seem to have slain this demon of ‘snobbery’. Why? Has the gap between the haves and the have-nots created a permanent underclass in our society who are alienated from some others in society who define success by the brand, label and what’s consumed?
I mean, is there anyone who wants to be a hawker assistant in a Teochew muay stall today? Do many know how many hours these people work? How much are they paid?
We know of one instance where Mr Koh experienced a deep loss of face and hurt because of the wide publicity given to the post of Ms Tan. But considering how upward social mobility is happening at a slower pace today, and how people are increasingly valued not for their hardwork, it is not hard to imagine Mr Koh and others like him having had to endure such hurtful remarks in the past – insensitive remarks which were less conspicuous because they did not get such public attention, but still, no less painful.
It will be sad if all those on the other side of the gulf learn from this latest episode is, not to publicly comment on how people less well-off look or behave on social media, even if they make such comments in private among themselves.
Before Ms Rajah posted that Mr Koh works as a “helper at the Ye Shanghai Teochew Muay stall at Bukit Merah View”, Ms Tan may not have known where to find Mr Koh to personally extend her apologies to him. And even if she now knows, she might feel too ‘paiseh‘ to extend the apology in person. I am not sure if Mr Koh would want that either. He may prefer that the matter to be laid to rest.
But even before Ms Rajah’s comment on her Facebook regarding the incident, Ms Tan had extended her apologies to him via social media – an apology addressed to Mr Koh and his daughter, which had been widely reported. And we have to trust that Ms Tan is indeed sorry and regrets her comment. I see no reason why she should be further reprimanded or singled out.
Ms Rajah is quite right when she wrote, “we still do not sufficiently appreciate the impact that what we do or say can have on others, especially via social media. The consequences are often unintended, but by then it is too late.“
Mr Tan Chuan-Jin, Acting Minister for Manpower, commenting on Ms Rajah’s post on her Facebook said that he had “read a number of comments against her (Ms Tan)” and exhorts others not to respond in kind to her.
I am sure that Ms Rajah would not have intended for a cyber-equivalent of a lynch mob to be unleashed on Ms Tan when she commented on the episode.
I certainly do hope that Ms Tan would be able to cope with the further heat generated by a Senior Minister of State’s comment.
Image montage from Indranee Rajah’s Facebook page and AsiaOne

For just US$7.50 a month, sign up as a subscriber on The Online Citizen Asia (and enjoy ads-free experience on our site) to support our mission to transform TOC into an alternative mainstream press.

Related Posts

【财政预算案2021】2020年预算赤字达649亿元 占国内生产总值13.9%
AFP

China’s mega-rich move their wealth, and partying, to Singapore

04/02/2023
2024 Olympic torch relay to start in Marseille
AFP

2024 Olympic torch relay to start in Marseille

03/02/2023
India’s Adani shares plunge again after stock sale cancelled
AFP

India’s Adani denies rise due to Modi as shares fall again

03/02/2023
TotalEnergies says Adani exposure ‘limited’ at US$3.1 bn
AFP

TotalEnergies says Adani exposure ‘limited’ at US$3.1 bn

03/02/2023
India’s finance minister says markets ‘well regulated’ after Adani storm
AFP

India’s finance minister says markets ‘well regulated’ after Adani storm

03/02/2023
A man can be sentenced to death by a testimony of another, but CPIB finds it hard to prosecute with mountain of evidence and self-confession?
Opinion

A man can be sentenced to death by a testimony of another, but CPIB finds it hard to prosecute with mountain of evidence and self-confession?

03/02/2023
Subscribe
Connect withD
Login
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
Notify of
Connect withD
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Latest posts

【财政预算案2021】2020年预算赤字达649亿元 占国内生产总值13.9%

China’s mega-rich move their wealth, and partying, to Singapore

04/02/2023
2024 Olympic torch relay to start in Marseille

2024 Olympic torch relay to start in Marseille

03/02/2023
India’s Adani shares plunge again after stock sale cancelled

India’s Adani denies rise due to Modi as shares fall again

03/02/2023
TotalEnergies says Adani exposure ‘limited’ at US$3.1 bn

TotalEnergies says Adani exposure ‘limited’ at US$3.1 bn

03/02/2023
India’s finance minister says markets ‘well regulated’ after Adani storm

India’s finance minister says markets ‘well regulated’ after Adani storm

03/02/2023
A man can be sentenced to death by a testimony of another, but CPIB finds it hard to prosecute with mountain of evidence and self-confession?

A man can be sentenced to death by a testimony of another, but CPIB finds it hard to prosecute with mountain of evidence and self-confession?

03/02/2023

Myanmar junta imposes tough new measures on resistance strongholds

03/02/2023
Malaysia High Court dismissed DPM Zahid’s application to get passport returned permanently

Malaysia High Court dismissed DPM Zahid’s application to get passport returned permanently

03/02/2023

Trending posts

Former Singaporean shares change of life in Australia with annual pay of S$80,000 as a plumber

Former Singaporean shares change of life in Australia with annual pay of S$80,000 as a plumber

by Yee Loon
30/01/2023
25

...

They have done a fine job of confusing us about the jobs situation

They have done a fine job of confusing us about the jobs situation

by Augustine Low
01/02/2023
47

...

Adani’s brother runs SG company and registers as director with local ID

Adani’s brother runs SG company and registers as director with local ID

by Correspondent
03/02/2023
15

...

Singapore warns slower economic growth in 2023

Less than 1 in 10 jobs created in first three quarters of 2022 went to Singaporeans?

by Leong Szehian
28/01/2023
69

...

Earning only S$400 a month, delivery-rider turned hawker threw in the towel after two years of running a rojak stall

Earning only S$400 a month, delivery-rider turned hawker threw in the towel after two years of running a rojak stall

by Yee Loon
26/01/2023
24

...

Excessively charging for an essential need, and calling it affordable because people still can pay for it?

by Terry Xu
31/01/2023
40

...

March 2014
M T W T F S S
 12
3456789
10111213141516
17181920212223
24252627282930
31  
« Feb   Apr »

The Online Citizen is a regional online publication based in Taiwan and formerly Singapore’s longest-running independent online media platform.

Navigation

  • Editorial
  • Commentaries
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Community

Support

  • Contact Us
  • Letter submission
  • Membership subscription

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Fact Checking Policy
  • Privacy Policy

© 2022 - 2023 The Online Citizen Asia

No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Civil Society
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
  • Politics
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
  • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Subscribers login

© 2022 - 2023 The Online Citizen Asia

wpDiscuz