Why I changed my mind: Roy

It was a case of twist and turn as the online went on overdrive again over Roy Ngerng, the man catapulted to headline fame soon after he was locked in a legal battle with the Prime Minister.

In just one hour yesterday evening, the blogger was saying different things about his sacking by Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

At 4.30 pm, he said on his Facebook page he understood why he was sacked and that he could have performed better at work.

At 6.30 pm, he changed his mind and said his dismissal was “politically motivated” when a point in the hospital’s statement began to sink in. Referring to Ngerng’s legal fight with the PM, TTSG said its staff cannot defame someone without basis and must conduct themselves properly and honourably.

What exactly was on your mind when you gave the first statement?

“I was never told at my workplace that they had an issue with my impending lawsuit. Three weeks ago, when they gave me a formal warning letter, I understood that they had issues with me using my work time for personal activities.

“When I got my termination notice, to my understanding, it was because I had used my work time to manage my activism. No colleague or supervisor said anything about my lawsuit. “I only felt that the whole affair was politically motivated after I had read the media release issued by Tan Tock Seng Hospital.”

Did your activism affect your performance at work?

“Well, the last few weeks have been hectic for me. So many things happened. The protest. My lawsuit. “Definitely, I faced fatigue. I don’t know if my performance was directly affected. I did not get any complaint from my patients or my supervisors.”

As part of his job, Ngerng organises HIV awareness campaigns. Some of his plans, he said, may now be “torched.”

However, the hospital claimed that Ngerng’s employment was also terminated because he did not heed the first warning letter given to him. He continued to “misuse company time and resources to access non-job related social media sites to pursue his personal interests.”

What are you going to do now?

“To be honest, it happened so fast and everyone is talking about it. I don’t really have a concrete plan at the moment.”