Singaopore—The Facebook page Singapore In General recently launched a series of posts highlighting the quotes of well-known politicians, not only from the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) but also from the opposition.
The page, which is described as a Personal Blog, was started on June 10, and the majority of its posts are related to the upcoming General Election (GE).
So far, Singapore In General has featured famous quotes from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing, Manpower Minister Josephine Teo, Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan, and Worker’s Party Member of Parliament Low Thia Khiang.
Noticeably, the post that featured Ms Teo has gotten the most number of shares, 277 in all. Mr Low is a far runner up, with only 52 shares, and the eminently quotable Mr Chan, surprisingly, only has 7 shares. PM Lee’s quotes have been shared 35 times.
https://www.facebook.com/113114770434405/photos/a.113148243764391/117450833334132/?type=3&theater
Ms Teo, who is known to be a brisk and businesslike speaker, has had quite a few gaffes over the years.
Perhaps the most famous of these is, “You need a very small space to have sex,” which she said “with a straight face” in 2016, in the context of married couples having priority in being given a flat under the Parenthood Priority Scheme.
Ms Teo, who also served as the Senior Minister of State overseeing the National Population and Talent Division, drew much flak for her words, especially since she added, “In France, in the UK, in the Nordic countries, man meets woman, tonight they can make a baby already.”
Another of Ms Teo’s comments that drew much criticism was in 2017 when she wrote on her Facebook page, “milk is milk, however fancy the marketing…. I had no reason to pay more and would buy whatever was cheapest or on sale.” The Manpower Minister drew flak for being unaware that even the least expensive milk formula in Singapore costs more than in other Southeast Asian countries, and that not all children can drink the same kind of milk.
https://www.facebook.com/Josephine.LM.Teo/photos/a.125894087484895/1483567345050889/?type=3
In 2015, Ms Teo made a comment to the effect that the service of National Servicemen to the country cannot be measured in dollars and cents, which was published in an article in Channel NewsAsia (CNA), which was later removed from CNA’s site. People commenting wanted to know why the minister’s contributions to society could be measured monetarily, but it’s not the same for NSMen, and called out the comment for double standards.
Last month, Ms Teo came under fire from critics again for a comment she made in Parliament about migrant workers. Early in May, Nominated MP Anthea Ong asked if the Government would apologise for the “dismal conditions” in the dormitories,” particularly because they are in “complete lockdown for the sake and safety of Singaporeans.”
She said, “I think what they are focused on is how they can handle this present situation, to not fall sick…that their wages are being paid, how to send money home. These are the things they have asked of us.
I have not come across one single migrant worker himself that has demanded an apology.” —/TISG
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