Singapore—On Tuesday (Jan 21) MacPherson Member of Parliament Tin Pei Ling took to social media to decry the doctored banner of her Chinese New Year greeting that has been making the rounds.
It carried a photoshopped image of her that she characterized as “so crass” that she did not even want to put it up on her page.
Ms Tin told Channel NewsAsia (CNA) in a phone interview that she will be filing a police report over the incident.
The MP put up a photo on her Facebook page of the “ORIGINAL and actual banner” that was hanging in her ward, showing her in a modest red dress and with a greeting that read, “Tin Pei Ling, Member of Parliament for MacPherson SMC wishes all residents A Happy and Prosperous Lunar New Year.”
https://www.facebook.com/tinpeiling.official/photos/a.585259174849314/3546066832101852/?type=3&theater
The photoshopped version shows Ms Tin in a much more revealing cheongsam, and the message on the banner say, “ENJOY HAPPY SAVINGS with Government U-SAVE Rebates!” and “Vote PAP for Prosperity and Power!”.
Ms Tin wrote on her Facebook page, “I do not know who committed such mischief. But it is clear that the person or party behind this has no respect for women.”
She also asked the public not to share the doctored image, a blurred-out version of which can be seen here.
The MacPherson MP was apparently alerted to the falsified image by friends and other people who reached out to her.
CNA reports Ms Tin as saying that she will leave it up to the police whether or not to take action regarding the doctored banner.
She is quoted as saying, ”It’s unpleasant, it’s offensive – I still find that it’s clearly a lack of respect for women.”
She admitted to feeling puzzled over the matter. “The content of the banner also has nothing to do with my Chinese New Year banner as well, so it’s very puzzling as to why whoever did this, did this.”
Here is the full text of Ms Tin’s Facebook post:
“This is the ORIGINAL and actual banner put up in my ward. A similar photo containing a doctored version of the banner has been circulating and I have received enquiries from friends and members of the public. The doctored version contained a photoshopped image of me. It is so crass that I would not even put it up here. I do not know who committed such mischief. But it is clear that the person or party behind this has no respect for women.
I sincerely urge everyone not to circulate the doctored image to discourage such behaviour.”
Thank you.
Netizens sympathized with Ms Tin, with some females commenting that the MacPherson MP should bring up in Parliament the disrespect women encounter due to pervasive voyeurism.
Tan Yee Jia Rebecca wrote, “Talking about no respect for women, perhaps you can speak up in Parliament about making the laws harsher for voyeurs who have been filming women showering or taking upskirt shots of women. As can be seen in the recent spate of crimes involving voyeurs, the punishment is barely a tap on the wrist. Women can never feel safe in Singapore if there isn’t harsher punishment for these people.”
Other netizens seemed to agree. Goh Shufeng Danielle wrote, “Yes, Ms Tin Pei Ling 陈佩玲, especially when you have mentioned that it is disrespectful to women. Setting an example for not tolerating this is also putting forward a strong message against online bully (sic) including for women.” -/TISG
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