Singapore — Not since the 2003 SARS outbreak has the post of Health Minister been on such a hot seat.
So the current holder, Mr Ong Ye Kung, has become the made-for-social media target of naysayers. With new Covid-19 infections topping 5,000 recently, a poll was launched on Umbrage Singapore, a Facebook page, seeking ratings on the performance of the minister.
A netizen who calls himself Justin Lim Lim, said “Rate his performance at Multi Ministries Task Force.. 0 to 10”, sharing the photo of Mr Ong, who co-chairs this multi-ministerial grouping.
Within nine hours, the poll had garnered 68 reactions and almost 200 comments, most with negative ratings.
The focus of the umbrage has narrowed to this one man and stuck to him relentlessly and almost exclusively since then.
Perhaps it has to do with Singaporeans’ obsession with food and habit of eating out in big groups. In Parliament on Monday (Nov 1) he gave the thumbs down to loosening current dining curbs that allow no more than two people to eat out together.
“We wish to get there. We were there before, we were even at eight at one point,” he said. “It is important to the F&B industry, it’s important to Singaporeans, it’s important for families to get together. But I think the time is not yet. I think we will get there, but the time is not yet.” The curbs may be reviewed on Nov 21..
Finance Minister and MTF co-chair Lawrence Wong had held out hope recently that five people from the same households may be allowed to dine in together once the weekly infection growth rate slows to below 1. /TISG