‘No Time Neo’ finally makes time to watch Dear You but jokes and jibes refuse to die down

SINGAPORE: Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, David Neo, is being freshly roasted online after he revealed on social media that he has finally managed to watch the viral Teochew sensation Dear You.

The first-term MP has been the target of widespread criticism since the beginning of the month, after making an ill-advised jibe in Parliament. Responding to an opposition parliamentarian’s question about whether he had seen the original or dubbed version of Dear You, Mr Neo had quipped, “Ministers have no time to watch movies.”

Though the comment may have been intended to be a light-hearted remark, it quickly triggered a firestorm of criticism, with many pointing out that watching films is part of his job as Minister of Culture.

As the backlash continued, the ruling party politician and former Chief of Army was christened online as “No Time Neo”.

In what is being perceived online as a “damage control attempt,” Mr Neo posted on Tuesday (July 14) that he had just seen the movie.

He wrote: “I joined our seniors in Tampines for a screening of Dear You. There was laughter, there were touching moments, and perhaps most importantly, the film brought everyone together and sparked conversations about family and memories.”

Mr Neo reflected that the movie reminded him “to cherish the people and relationships that shape our lives.”

Expressing gratitude to the volunteers and partners who made the screening possible, Mr Neo added, “Watching it together with our seniors was also a reminder that the Singapore we have today was built through the hard work of an earlier generation. Their stories add to our culture and heritage.

“This is exactly why Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth – MCCY and our heritage organisations have been encouraging our young to get to know our dialect heritage while promoting Mandarin. We do not have to choose one over the other—they each have a place in telling the Singapore story.”

Instead of putting a full stop to the controversy, however, Mr Neo’s latest post has attracted a fresh torrent of critical comments, with many questioning how he managed to find the time to catch the flick.

Some called him a “wayang,” or “acting”, king, while others called him a “roti prata chef,” referring to how they feel he has flip-flopped on his opinions.

Still others noted that no apology has come forth and that Mr Neo’s effort to watch the film comes across as a PR move rather than a genuine attempt to engage with a film that has sparked debate in the country.

“I thought he was too busy?” one commenter asked sarcastically, while another echoed the sentiment by writing, “I thought ministers got no time to watch movies? Now so free?”

Others expressed similar disbelief. A commenter on Facebook accused, “Thought you got no time to watch? But now have time to WAYANG,” while another netizen jibed, “Suddenly got all the time in the world??? I’ve never been so confused all my adult life!”

One commenter simply observed that the minister’s posts were becoming increasingly self-defeating, writing, “The more he speaks, the more jokes he creates.”

Some accused Mr Neo of making the situation worse by refusing to acknowledge his earlier remarks. The commenter wrote: “It’s damn shocking and doubling down on this arrogant tone deafness that instead of apologising or at least a statement saying he will go see it, he does this BS pretending as if nothing happened… It’s like he seriously thought this was a good idea, or worse, someone told him to do something about it, and this is what he came up with to solve the issue. Not even funny to crack sarcastic jokes about this.”

Some netizens mocked the irony of the situation itself. “People go watch movies to see actors perform. MP go watch movie and be the performer,” one user quipped, suggesting Mr Neo had become the main spectacle instead of the film.

Several netizens joked that Mr Neo could only have watched the film because Prime Minister Lawrence Wong had cleared his schedule. One sarcastic comment read: “I am glad that the Prime Minister gave him the time needed to watch the movie. It must be so brave as an Acting Minister to ask for such time off to mingle with residents and watch a movie under his ministerial remit. Then again, we netizens should not make the mistake of thinking that he watched the movie because of the backlash to his joke.”

Another remarked, “Lawrence Wong finally gave him some time off to watch a movie. Bro’s been working sooo hard.”

One commenter even imagined Mr Neo privately complaining about the impossible expectations placed upon him, writing: “Now he is probably shouting, ‘See! I say no time to watch a movie, they roast me. Now I go watch, they also roast me! There’s no pleasing these people!'”

Another commenter jibed, “How dare these peasants full of free time cause the minister from most high waste his sacred time to watch a movie he has no time for!”

A significant number of commenters framed the post as little more than crisis management. “Damage control in full blast. PR team is working round the clock these days…” one person wrote. Others reduced the episode to two words, “PR recovery,” or simply declared, “This is what is known as ‘damage control’.”

One commenter argued that even if it was an attempt to repair his image, it had come too late, writing: “Damage control? Want to do, do from the heart. Not wait until backlash for a comment in parliament, then suddenly ‘got time’ to make things right.”

Some criticism touched on Mr Neo’s military background. One commenter argued, “This is what you get from generals. It’s the same everywhere. All talking in their own circles without any awareness of the actual ground, hence the shallow thinking.”

Others echoed that sentiment more briefly, writing, “Army trained, wayang to the max,” while another added that climbing the ranks in the military often required appearances over substance: “To go far in the army, one always must wayang and go through motions to get ahead. Once out of the army, one becomes cringe.”

One commenter argued the episode reflected a military mindset that had not translated well into politics, writing, “He thought he was still in the army, so when he made a joke, everyone must laugh, but then no one laughed, then kena suan.”

Many netizens questioned whether Mr Neo had inadvertently “lied” in Parliament with the ill-conceived joke. A commenter questioned, “Wait wait wait… so contrary to what he said in Parliament, ministers do have the time to watch movies? So he lied? COP when?” Another netizen pointed out, “So he lied the first time or he’s just doing a show now. One or the other.”

Another commenter criticised what they saw as a complete lack of embarrassment. “He really no shame one leh. Buay paiseh to post this kinda thing after kena roasting by the public. Really acting minister. Know how to act,” they wrote, reviving the “Acting Minister” pun that has circulated online since the controversy began.

Another observed that Mr Neo had overlooked an obvious opportunity to defuse the situation. “Missed a chance to use some self-deprecating words,” the commenter wrote, suggesting that acknowledging the criticism with humour might have softened public reaction.

The phrase “wayang” surfaced repeatedly throughout the discussion. Some simply labelled him “Wayang king”, while others wrote, “Thought you got no time to watch? But now have time to WAYANG.”

Several commenters also used entertainment-related jokes. “Best actor award goes to you,” one person wrote, while another said, “People go watch movies to see actors perform. MP go watch a movie and be the performer.”

The “roti prata” analogy also resurfaced repeatedly. One commenter declared, “So he’s actually a Michelin star-rated prata chef,” while another wrote simply, “Roti Prata very fast,” suggesting he had rapidly reversed his position after coming under pressure.

Mr Neo’s communication style came under fire, as well, with one individual opining, “I hate him even more now. Cookie-cutter can’t be bothered post, instead of owning up and poking fun at himself. This guy is way too stubborn to be allowed anywhere near important roles.”

Others said the minister had failed to take responsibility. “He should’ve at least acknowledged and owned his gaffe. Now it just looks like he’s reacting in a passive-aggressive manner,” one user commented.

Another contrasted the current controversy with an earlier incident, writing, “Notice what’s missing. No apology. Compare that to his football comments last year, where an apology came fast.” The commenter suggested the different response had only intensified public frustration.

Some users believed desperation rather than conviction had driven the latest post. “Wah so desperate to redeem himself ar,” one commenter wrote.

One individual pointed out, “After kena whacked by the nation, suddenly he has time to watch a movie,” while another added, “Only did that after he got roasted publicly.”

While most of the jokes online were light-hearted, others expressed serious concerns. One commenter questioned Mr Neo’s political future, writing “I cannot imagine who in their right mind will wanna vote for him in the future,” and arguing that the controversy had damaged confidence in him.