‘Why is this happening in 2024?’ S’poreans ask about blackface incident at UOL Group event

SINGAPORE: The Singapore-listed property and hospitality firm UOL Group issued an apology after a photo surfaced showing guests in blackface at an event earlier this month.

The picture was posted on the @summer88959 夏天 TikTok account on Sunday (Nov 24). It shows eight people in matching colourful pants and jackets, afro wigs, and skin darkened with make-up posing in front of a sign that reads “The Rhythm of the Night.”

The photo was captioned “Emmm… like that will kena or not?” It has since got more than 72,000 views and hundreds of comments.

On X (formerly Twitter), a photo of the group allegedly winning an award was also shared.

Commenters have expressed shock and dismay that people are still wearing blackface in 2024.

The group had gone to a dinner and dance held by UOL together with Pan Pacific Hotels Group, which is one of its subsidiaries.

“The Rhythm of the Night” was the theme of the event, held on Nov 14 at Sands Grand Ballroom at Marina Bay Sands.

UOL Group has been quoted in CNA and The Straits Times as apologizing for the incident, with a spokesperson saying, “We sincerely apologise for any offence caused.”

CNA added that the company has not said if it has taken action on the matter and whether the individuals in the picture are employed by UOL.

ST also said that UOL has not responded to other questions asked about the incident.

Meanwhile, an article on the Marketing–Interactive website cites media intelligence firm CARMA as saying that in the wake of the blackface incident, UOL’s brand sentiment is 8.3 per cent positive and 58.3 per cent negative.

Many commenters on TikTok and X also expressed negative sentiments about the incident, with some even feeling that the apology from the UOL Group had been insufficient.

One wrote, “It’s freaking 2024, come on lah, do we have to spell it out each time?”

When another asked why not even one of the eight people in the group found the get-up problematic, a commenter chimed in to say they wondered if the “hundreds” of others who attended the event called the people in blackface out.

Others asked how UOL and Pan Pacific allowed the group to attend the event at all.

On X, one user on the platform wrote, “This happened last Thurs 14 Nov ’24 at a company party and all the organisers had to say was ‘we sincerely apologise for any offence caused.’ Do they really think that’s good enough?” /TISG

Read also: Local playwright and RI alumnus feels repulsed by group blackface photo at his old school