HONG KONG: In the same week as a principal resigned after videos of him shouting at security guards during a school trip to Singapore went viral, the behaviour of another of the city’s educators has been under the spotlight. 

However, authorities had already dealt with the matter when it first came to light.

After photos of the teacher carrying a female student like how a groom carries a bride in his arms were shared online, Hong Kong’s Education Bureau told the South China Morning Post that in 2024, upon learning of the incident, they had already taken action.

Not only had it immediately recommended that the school follow up on the incident, but it had also given support to the students involved in the photo to “effectively safeguard their welfare,” a spokesman for the Bureau also said.

Moreover, it had also “taken appropriate action in accordance with the nature and severity of the incident, and has dealt with the teacher’s professional conduct matters with the utmost seriousness.”

SCMP said three photos from the incident have surfaced: one of the man holding the student in the “princess carry” position, another that showed the girl running after him, and a third showing her with her arms around his waist.

She had captioned the photos with “da best class teacher ever” and thanked him for the “unforgettable” opportunity she had been given to work on a school play.

The spokesman also underlined what the bureau’s Guidelines on Teachers’ Professional Conduct says, that educators are expected to behave in a way that safeguards student welfare. Their conduct must also “comply with professional standards, so that students can learn in a safe and orderly school environment,” he added.

School principal who shouted at guards in Singapore resigned

On May 29, Lee Cheuk-hing, who used to head San Wui Commercial Society Secondary School in Tuen Mun, resigned from his position as principal. 

At an undisclosed location in Jurong on May 22, he was caught on camera shouting at two female security guards who were asking for the vehicle he and his students were using to be moved. He went on to taunt the guards, despite efforts from at least three onlookers to get him to calm down. 

Afterwards, it was reported that the incident was under investigation in Singapore, as well as by Hong Kong’s Education Bureau. The school issued a public apology for the incident, and its manager said that Mr Lee had been suspended as his conduct during the incident did not meet public expectations. /TISG

Read also: We ‘stand firmly behind our officers’ — Singapore’s Union of Security Employees defends personnel on duty after they were verbally abused by Hong Kong school principal, who later apologised

This article (Action taken against Hong Kong teacher who carried student like a bride) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

SINGAPORE: The writer Sudhir Thomas Vadaketh called for the government to make full immigration data public in light of the recent online hate campaign against Indians in Singapore, which resulted in the Ministry of Home Affairs ordering YouTube, Facebook, and X to block content believed to have originated from a China-based platform that targeted the Indian community.

Mr Sudhir noted that the modus operandi of spreading disinformation is not new, and different nations have been affected by it over the past few years.

He described its latest iteration in Singapore, where images and videos purported to show the city-state being overcrowded with Indians, and one even showing President Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

“No social issue enlivens Singaporeans as much as the notion of over-immigration by those derogatorily called ‘CECA Indians’ referencing the 2005 free trade agreement,” he wrote, noting that there have been a range of online opinions on the issue, from former Temasek Holdings CEO Ho Ching and ex-Nominated Member of Parliament Calvin Cheng on one end, and Red Dot United chief Ravi Philemon and Jack Sim, aka “Mr Toilet,” on the other.

He also cited another former NMP, Anthea Ong, who suggested that cohesion and harmony be reimagined in order to nurture societal resilience.

Mr Sudhir then called for the government to “live up to its commitment to transparency, including full immigration data, such as how many dependents and long-term visit pass holders came to Singapore on the back of a CECA provision.

Doing so, he added, would finally eliminate the belief regarding CECA’s significant impact on Singapore’s demographics.

He also called for the government to “encourage a full interrogation of Singapore’s historical bias against non-Chinese, beginning with the racist musings of Lee Kuan Yew.”

The writer pointed out that the now-blocked content had claimed the majority-Chinese demographic was responsible for the city-state’s stability.

“In 1989, Lee said that the lower Chinese birth rate justified the government’s programme of encouraging Chinese immigration from Hong Kong,” and added that the Chinese majority must be maintained, otherwise Singapore’s economy would be affected.

Policies from Mr Lee’s time still “give preference to Chinese immigrants, in order to ensure that the Chinese never lose their supermajority status,” he added.

What is needful aside from the censorship of hate speech is allowing for open discussions on race and immigration, he added, otherwise similar content will continue, without people “understanding why they keep popping up in the first place.” /TISG

Read also: Writer Sudhir Thomas Vadaketh argues against spoiling one’s vote, warns that misogyny & racism may increase with a Tan Kin Lian win

This article (Writer says Singapore must go beyond blocking content after anti-Indian hate campaign) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

SINGAPORE: Former CEO of Temasek Holdings Ho Ching urged Singaporeans to be kind, weighing in on the subject of online hatred against Indians as well as Singapore’s multiculturalism.

On Facebook on June 9 (Tuesday), Mdm Ho, the wife of Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, shared a post from the former Nominated Member of Parliament Calvin Cheng, where he called out Singaporeans online who said they accept Indians who grew up in Singapore but discriminate against more recent arrivals.

“These people – vast majority of whom are Singaporean Chinese – try to excuse themselves by saying they are ok with local Indians. Just not what they call ‘ceca’s,” he wrote, adding, “What rubbish.”

Mdm Ho wrote that she “agreed totally that we should stop the BS and excuses for being racist.” She acknowledged that humans are inherently tribal and added that deciding to include others who are different takes awareness and intention.

In Singapore, due to the multicultural environment people are raised in, they are  “much more inclusive and open to different races, accents, languages, and skin colours, among us.”

However, she warned that “we sometimes let our own insecurities take the form of parochialism, xenophobia or racism, to hit out at others who may be different from us.”

“Better to remember that the colour of our blood is the same, same types of blood regardless of the colour of the skin or eyes or place of birth. Be kind always,” she reminded others.

What Singaporeans are saying

Many commenters agreed with Mdm Ho, with one writing, “This entire nonsense of racism should stop. When I was growing up, I had lots of different friends. Naidu was just Naidu to me. Ah Hock was just Ah Hock to me. Majid was just Majid to me. Babu was Babu. I was just their Sekani pal. No race involved. All naughty boys are enjoying each other’s company. That’s life. That’s how it should be. Period.”

To this, another replied, “And that is uniquely Singapore.”

“It is just melanin,” a commenter chimed in.

“Simple – just remember that when you’re in need of a blood transfusion, the blood that you are getting isn’t from the one that you chose, it’s from another human and you don’t know his skin colour,” wrote a Facebook user.

The context

Last week, Law Minister and Second Minister for Home Affairs Edwin Tong announced that the Police issued Disabling Directions under the Online Criminal Harms Act to deal with the content circulating on YouTube, Facebook, and X, requiring the platforms to disable access by Singapore users to these posts.

Mr Tong told members of the media that the content was likely to have come from overseas, and CNA reported that they are believed to have originated from a platform based in China.

“These videos attack our multi-racial society and try to divide people based on race. This, however, is not who we are. Every community in Singapore is valued, and everyone has an equal place,” the minister said, adding, “We don’t tolerate narratives which undermine the racial harmony that we enjoy and work so hard to protect.” /TISG

Read also: Ex-NMP calls out Singaporeans who accept local Indians but discriminate against ‘Cecas’

This article (‘We let our insecurities hit out at others’: Ho Ching on racism against Indians in Singapore) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

SINGAPORE: Charlene Chen, who has been representing the Tampines East division of Tampines GRC since 2025, documented an unusual journey recently, showing in a recent video how she went through the contents of a Bloobin, the blue recycling bins found all across Singapore.

She aimed to uncover some of the most common recycling mistakes people make.

“While many have the right intention to recycle, recycling right makes all the difference,” she wrote, adding that recyclables need to stay clean and dry, as one contaminated item can render an entire batch unrecyclable.

Before diving into the Bloobin, she warned that if food waste is found in it, it would be a feast for cockroaches, which, naturally, no one wants.

True enough, however, as her camera caught a roach scurrying across the floor, it was obvious that remnants of food had erroneously been thrown into the bin.

“Sometimes, put things that shouldn’t be in there. So today, we are here to find out what shouldn’t be in the Bloobin,” she said.

When she removed a bag of plastic jugs that had been cleaned well, she commended the person responsible for it.

However, she also found a half-eaten sandwich and a container of fried rice in the bin; she reminded people that these should go into the regular green trash bin. The same goes for toilet paper, paper towels, and tissue paper.

Egg cartons, meanwhile, should go into the Bloobin, as should cardboard boxes, though these should be flattened first.

Dr Chen also found a cigarette butt, however, and she asked people not to throw them into Bloobins, as they can cause other recyclables to catch fire.

At the end of her Bloobin “ransack,” she said, “We see that a lot of people are recycling, and they really want to recycle the right way. But unfortunately, we still see a lot of contamination going on. Some things that shouldn’t be in here are still in here. So please make sure you don’t just recycle but recycle right. Let’s learn to toss the right things into the Bloobin so it won’t overflow.” 

Some commenters thanked and commended the MP for doing a dirty and uncomfortable job.

“Thank you for taking the time to do up this video, and kudos to you for not minding the filth and mess,” wrote one, adding that she sees a lot of food remnants when she recycles items into a Bloobin.

“Good work and video. Wish we can learn from Japan on this recycling culture, starting from the young generation. We have a long way to go,” added another. /TISG

Read also: Residents complain that numerous bags of clothing were piled up outside recycling bins, sparks concerns about environmental cleanliness

This article (Tampines MP dives into dumpster bin to show the mistakes people make in recycling) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

SINGAPORE: Although an educator from Hong Kong whose rude behaviour toward security guards in Singapore was caught on camera recently had already tendered his resignation, the school he worked for rejected it. 

Lee Cheuk-hing had asked in his resignation letter that his final day at San Wui Commercial Society Secondary School in Tuen Mun would be on August 31. However, the management chose instead to dismiss him immediately as he had violated the code of conduct the school requires of its staff.

At an undisclosed location in Jurong on May 22, Mr Lee got into an argument with two female security guards over a parking issue. When the guards reportedly asked that the vehicle he and his students were using to be moved, the former school head grew angry, yelling at and even taunting the guards, despite efforts from at least three onlookers to get him to calm down.

After the video was widely shared and Mr Lee was heavily criticised, both Hong Kong’s Education Bureau and the authorities from Singapore said the incident would be investigated.

The school issued a public apology for the incident, and its manager said that Mr Lee had been suspended as his conduct during the incident did not meet public expectations.

On Friday (May 29), Mr Lee resigned from his position and issued a tearful apology via video.

The school, however, issued a statement on Wednesday (June 3) saying that the former principal’s “vulgar” behaviour is against the school’s code of conduct for its educators, particularly the guidelines that had been stipulated by the Education Bureau, CNA reported.

“This constitutes the immediate dismissal of Mr Lee and the removal of all his duties at the school,” the statement from the school’s management committee read.

The school’s manager, Edmund Wong Chun-sek, also said that Lee’s dismissal had been done with a view toward the students’ best interests and well-being.

Mr Lee’s apology

In his apology video, Mr Lee said, “As a principal, I should lead by example. Regardless of the circumstances, I should remain calm and restrained. But unfortunately, I failed to do so. I admit [my mistake] and apologise to everyone.” 

He also appealed to his students not to follow his mistakes, and to do their best to remain calm and solve problems reasonably.

“Let my mistake serve as a warning; do not let a moment of impulse drive you to say things that you will deeply regret in the future,” he added. /TISG

Read also: Action taken against Hong Kong teacher who carried student like a bride

This article (Hong Kong principal who swore at Singapore security guards fired after resignation was rejected) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

HONG KONG: The principal of a secondary school, who was fired after a video of him screaming at security guards in Singapore was widely shared, said he would be seeking legal advice regarding his employment contract rights. While Lee Cheuk-hing had handed in a resignation letter after the incident went viral, the management of San Wui Commercial Society Secondary School in Tuen Mun rejected it and fired him, effective June 3, without benefits.

However, since then, a labour lawmaker has gone on record, saying that the principal’s firing may be very hard for the school to defend.

Labour lawmaker Chau Siu-chung was quoted in a June 9 South China Morning Post report as saying, “Summary dismissal is regarded as capital punishment in the labour sector. The threshold for invoking this clause is very high, as employees enjoy no benefits once they are summarily dismissed.”

Mr Chau noted that the courts have required strong evidence in the past to justify such dismissals, and that the former principal had said that he had been trying to protect his students.

“The video footage does not show that they found his behaviour offensive,” he added.

Meanwhile, Tang Fei, a lawmaker from the education sector who is also a former secondary school principal, noted that Lee may have sought legal advice when he felt his rights were not fully protected.

He added, “I think the incident may impact his provident fund, but I do not know how big it will be, as it all depends on the Education Bureau’s decision.”

The shouting incident

At an undisclosed location in Jurong on May 22, Mr Lee got into an argument with two female security guards over a parking issue. When the guards reportedly asked that the vehicle he and his students were using be moved, the former school head grew angry, yelling at and even taunting the guards, despite efforts from at least three onlookers to get him to calm down.

The school issued a public apology for the incident, and its manager said that Mr Lee had been suspended as his conduct during the incident did not meet public expectations. On Friday (May 29), Mr Lee resigned from his position and issued a tearful apology via video. 

The school, however, issued a statement on Wednesday (June 3) saying that the former principal’s “vulgar” behaviour is against the school’s code of conduct for its educators, particularly the guidelines that had been stipulated by the Education Bureau, CNA reported.

“This constitutes the immediate dismissal of Mr Lee and the removal of all his duties at the school,” the statement from the school’s management committee read. /TISG

Read also: Action taken against Hong Kong teacher who carried student like a bride 

This article (Hong Kong lawmaker compares sacking of principal who screamed at Singapore guards to a ‘death sentence’) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

SINGAPORE: In a short video clip on social media on Wednesday (June 9), the Workers’ Party’s Alexis Dang said that the WP team at Punggol visited its 10,000th household last month.

Ms Dang, who contested at Punggol in last year’s General Election together with Senior Counsel Harpreet Singh, Jackson Au, and Alia Mattar, characterised the first scene in the video, which showed the team taking a group photo, as “especially memorable.”

“It was the eve of Hari Raya Haji, and despite it being a public holiday eve, close to 40 volunteers turned up for our regular house visit outreach,” she wrote in the caption to her post.

She also called the house visits her “best therapy,” and went on to express deep appreciation for the Punggol volunteers’ dedication, hard work, and commitment, adding, “This milestone would not have been possible without them.”

Ms Dang also wrote that she couldn’t really think of a more meaningful way to spend the evening before a public holiday.

“Beyond contributing to a more diverse political landscape and engaging residents on issues that matter to them, it is also the friendships, shared purpose, and camaraderie built along the way that have made this journey so rewarding and memorable.”

And though the team has hit the milestone figure, she acknowledged that they still have a way to go, promising to press on, work hard, and walk the talk.

“Most importantly, we look forward to meeting many more Punggol residents and hearing their perspectives, experiences, aspirations, and stories,” she wrote, adding that anyone interested in volunteering may do so here.

Who is Alexis Dang?

Ms Dang made a splash last year after the WP introduced her as part of the all-newbie Punggol team at a media conference on April 18. 

She has a background in finance but currently works in the tech sector, where she leads a team of Business Development professionals. She has been with the WP for the past six years; has been part of house visits, planning and hosting party events; and has supported the party with translation work for newsletters and parliamentary speeches for the WP MPs.

After she spoke in Mandarin during her candidate introduction, netizens were impressed by her command of the language, with some even saying it would be interesting to hear a debate in Mandarin in Parliament.

While the People’s Action Party bested the WP slate in Punggol in GE2025, the opposition team received a sizable 44.83% of the vote, and many in Singapore praised Mr Singh, Ms Dang, Mr Au, and Ms Mattar for a well-run campaign. /TISG

Read also: Alexis Dang delves deeper into the health scare that changed her life in new interview

This article (Alexis Dang says WP volunteers have visited 10,000 households in Punggol) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

SINGAPORE: Pete Hegseth, the United States Secretary of War, will be in Singapore in the next few days on his fourth official visit to the region.

Mr Hegseth will be meeting with Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing, according to an announcement from the US Department of War. He will be participating in a number of bilateral and multilateral meetings with allies and partners in the region.

“He will also deliver plenary remarks at the Shangri-La Dialogue focused on the Department’s forward-looking, common-sense approach to safeguarding U.S. vital national interests in the Indo-Pacific,” the announcement added.

The Shangri-La Dialogue, held yearly, is organised by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). It is the premier defence summit in Asia, where key stakeholders discuss important security challenges in the region.

Held at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore, it is scheduled this year from May 29 to 31, with the Keynote Address to be delivered by Tô Lâm, the President of Vietnam, on May 29 at 8 p.m. Singapore time.

Mr Hegseth, meanwhile, will deliver his remarks at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday morning, May 30.

It was reported on Tuesday that Dong Jun, China’s Defence Minister, will be missing this year’s dialogue for the second year in a row. Sources familiar with the matter said that a lower-level People’s Liberation Army (PLA) delegation will be attending the dialogue in Singapore instead, according to the South China Morning Post.

Who is Pete Hegseth?

Mr Hegseth, 45, served in the US military several times between 2003 and 2021, including guarding detainees at  Guantanamo Bay detention camp, volunteering in the Iraq War as an infantry officer, and later serving as a civil affairs officer, and working as a counterinsurgency instructor in the US and Afghanistan. He currently holds the rank of major.

After a failed bid for the US Senate in 2012, he worked at Fox News from 2014 to 2024, later becoming one of the hosts of Fox & Friends Weekend, where he caught the eye of Donald Trump. He supported Mr Trump’s first presidential campaign and later became one of his advisors.

After Mr Trump won the election in 2024, he named Mr Hegseth as s his nominee for Secretary of Defense, despite the numerous lawsuits and allegations against Mr Hegseth, including sexual assault. He was confirmed in the position after Vice President JD Vance cast a tie-breaking vote. In 2025, the Defense Department was renamed the Department of War. /TISG

This article (US War Secretary headed to Singapore; to meet with PM Wong, Chan Chun Sing & speak at Shangri-La Dialogue) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

SINGAPORE: After the principal of a secondary school from Hong Kong was caught in a viral video where he behaved rudely toward two security guards during a trip to Singapore, reports say that he has been suspended.

San Wui Commercial Society Secondary School in Tuen Mun has apologised for the incident, which is now under investigation by the authorities in Singapore, according to the South China Morning Post.

“The school expresses its deepest apologies regarding this matter. The school and its sponsoring body have always placed the utmost importance on the professional conduct of our faculty and staff,” the statement from the school reads.

Meanwhile, SCMP also said that a debate emerged online in Hong Kong after the incident, over whether racism or poor behaviour was a factor in the principal’s actions.

The incident

A video was spread on Threads last week showing Lee Cheuk-hing, the school principal, standing in the doorway of a bus having a heated discussion with two female guards. He then proceeded to taunt and shout at them, despite efforts from at least three onlookers to get him to calm down.

The incident, which allegedly occurred over a parking dispute, is said to have occurred on May 22 at a location in Jurong.

Hours after it was announced that Singapore would be investigating the incident, the manager of the school, Edmund Wong Chun-sek, said that Mr Lee had been suspended as his conduct during the incident did not meet public expectations. Moreover, Mr Wong, a former lawmaker, added that the school’s board wished to show that they were resolved to address the matter.

“Though he said he wanted to protect the students, his actions did not meet what the public expects of a school principal,” SCMP quoted Mr Wong as saying.

Online debate

A debate among Hong Kong’s netizens ensued after the video was widely shared and news of the principal’s behaviour was reported on, especially as the guards that Mr Lee had shouted at are South Asian women. Commenters have pointed to the difference between how the principal interacted with the women, as opposed to a female Chinese passerby.

While the principal had shouted “You shut up!” to the guards, he told the other woman that he would listen to her as she was “very polite.”

“I like you,” he told her.

That interaction may be found here.

A commenter on r/HongKong wrote, “You just know he’s speaking to them that way because of their race. As soon as he has to interact with the local Singaporeans of Chinese ethnicity, he changes his tactics completely.”

“The moment a Chinese woman says the same thing the Malay security guards are trying to get him to do, he listens,” pointed out another.

Others, however, focused on how the principal’s bad behaviour was a poor example for the school’s students.

“If you are a school principal, regardless of the situation (unless life threatening), it makes most sense you ‘take the high road’ and lead by example as a good role model in front of your students,” one pointed out.

“When visiting another country, respect the laws of the country. What is he teaching the students? A principal should be a role model, and yet he isn’t acting as a role model. Every time someone lands in another country, he represents his country of their passport. Funny how he represents his country and his school behaving like he is at home,” another chimed in. /TISG

Read also: Hong Kong authorities say action may be taken after school principal’s swearing incident on Singapore trip

This article (Hong Kong principal who swore at 2 guards in Singapore suspended; online debate on racism, bad behaviour ensues) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

SINGAPORE: Karan Bhatia, the Global Head of Government Affairs & Public Policy at Google, was recently in Singapore, having attended the apex event of Asia Tech x Singapore (ATxSG) as well as Google’s AI Ready ASEAN Youth Challenge.

In a May 24 LinkedIn post, he praised Singapore for it’s handing of AI, writing, “Singapore gets it. They’re actively using technology to improve people’s lives while building the guardrails to promote public trust.”

While there has been an amount of backlash against AI, especially among Gen Z in the United States, Mr Bhatia noted that “people in the Asia-Pacific region are consistently the most optimistic in the world” when it comes to the technology, which became apparent to him after he visited Singapore.

In his post, the Google executive listed some takeaways from his trip to the city-state, beginning with declaring that “the next generation is embracing technology for good.”

Mr Bhatia said that he had been honoured to join President Tharman Shanmugaratnam at the AI Ready ASEAN Youth Challenge, and met “impressive young innovators” who were developing, such as an AI platform for dementia care in Brunei and a translation app fighting childhood malnutrition in the Philippines.

He also noted how critical public-private partnerships are, adding that Google has expanded its National AI partnership with the government of Singapore for the purpose of addressing societal challenges in healthcare, life sciences, and education. Google is collaborating with a number of agencies, including GovTech Singapore and the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore, to build the Agentic AI Sandbox, the first-of-its-kind in the world to safely test AI agents in helping people with practical tasks, such as applying for social assistance

Mr Bhatia, who thanked Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo, wrote, “the rapid pace of technological change requires real-time collaboration between governments and industry,” noting that Google’s partners in Singapore prove that “fast-paced progress and responsible governance can go hand in hand.”

Several commenters on his post agreed with him.

“Singapore understands that the future of AI is not just about speed and capability. It’s about earning trust while scaling innovation responsibly,” one wrote.

“Singapore’s cultural willingness to embrace technology pragmatically: not as innovation for its own sake, but as a tool to improve outcomes, efficiency, and quality of life.

That mindset seems especially well-suited for AI — pairing openness to experimentation with governance and public trust.

Singapore has been ahead of the curve before. It would not surprise me if they continue to lead in operationalising AI at a national scale,” commented another. /TISG

Read also: ‘AI sucks!’: Why many young people are rejecting artificial intelligence

This article (Google exec praises Singapore for actively using technology to improve people’s lives while promoting public trust) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

SINGAPORE: It was, as the post author said, a long shot, and in more ways than one.

A local Reddit user appeared to be taking photos and chanced upon a couple far away. From the Guoco Tower, u/CheksaSF snapped a picture of the pair, who were standing on the void deck of Pinnacle@Duxton.

As it turns out, they had captured a magic moment.

“At first, I just thought it looked like a nice scene, two people hugging against the skyline, so I took a photo.

Then I noticed the guy getting down on one knee.

I kept shooting, and later, when I zoomed into the photo, I realised I had accidentally captured what looks like a proposal,” the post author wrote.

After seeing how well the pictures turned out, u/CheksaSF thought there may be a slim chance that “Reddit can do its thing and help me find them, or someone who knows them.”

If this happens and if the man and woman are interested, the post author wants to send them the high-resolution files of the photos.

“If this was you (or your friends), DM me and congrats, by the way,” they wrote.

When asked by commenters what phone they used for taking the photos, the post author said it’s a Xiaomi 17 Ultra.

A Reddit user said the platform may be too niche and suggested posting on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok to maximise views so the couple can be found.

A number of commenters surmised that the man may be Australian, based on his hairstyle. After all, the mullet has become a national cultural icon, and the country even has a yearly Mulletfest.

Others noted that the pictures had been taken from such a long distance that the couple’s faces couldn’t be seen even when zoomed in tightly.

Some were amazed that the magical moment was captured at all.

“Wow, that’s an amazing shot, I would totally have it printed, framed, and hung at home if I were them,” one wrote.

“What a cute shot. Hoping this gets some traction!” added another. 

Here at TISG, we’re waiting for the internet to do its thing, too. /TISG

Read also: “So unprofessional!” — S’poreans call out wedding photographers who ruined a couple’s proposal moment by shouting instructions at them

This article (Redditor accidentally captures proposal at Pinnacle@Duxton, asks Singaporeans for help with finding couple) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.

SINGAPORE: In a much-shared May 27 Facebook post, a Singaporean highlighted a long-standing issue of former candidates from the People’s Action Party (PAP) standing as grassroots advisers in opposition-held wards.

Andrew Loh, who often writes socio-political content, shared photos of posters promoting subsidised “Sunrise Specials” breakfasts in Senkang that prominently feature Theodora Lai. Ms Lai, a venture capital firm co-founder, had been part of the PAP slate that lost in GE2025.

He pointed out that the posters, which can be found in public areas, carry the official logo of the People’s Association (PA), a statutory board funded entirely by public funds.

“This raises an immediate, uncomfortable question: Why is a defeated political candidate’s face plastered all over public infrastructure to promote a food discount?” wrote Mr Loh.

He took exception to Ms Lai benefiting from the posters, and cited Minister in charge of the PA Edwin Tong as having said in Parliament last month that Grassroots Advisers receive “no remuneration or other allowance or benefit.”

FB screengrab/ Andrew Loh

Pointing out that there are two such posters at SingPost lifts, a standee and a poster on the electronic notice board at the lift lobby, plus another poster at the Sengkang Community Club.

“Who pays for all this publicity for Ms Lai?” he asked, adding, “For a politician who contested and lost Sengkang GRC under the People’s Action Party (PAP) banner in the last election, face recognition is the ultimate currency.  Having your name, title, and smiling portrait systematically displayed in high-traffic public spaces—like post offices and HDB lifts—is an invaluable political benefit that money simply cannot buy.”

Calling it a “Glaring Double Standard,” Mr Loh also noted that Sengkang’s MPs, who were elected by residents, have been excluded from “these taxpayer-funded platforms,” and non-elected grassroots advisers are given access to community networks and public facilities, as well as “prominent advertising space.” 

“Residents deserve clear boundaries between state-funded community care and perpetual electioneering,” he added. 

The relationship between the PA, grassroots advisers, and opposition-held constituencies has been debated for decades, but especially since the Workers’ Party has won two GRCs, Aljunied and Sengkang, as well as held Hougang SMC for decades.

In 2019, CNA even called it a “perennial issue,” and in 2022, Jamus Lim’s post, wherein he said that Sengkang parents had written to him asking why he and the other Workers’ Party Members of Parliament had not been giving out Edusave awards, received a lot of attention.

Fb screengrab/ Jamus Lim

He explained to them that opposition MPs are not given this responsibility, which falls to grassroots advisers instead. He offered to write letters of encouragement to the awardees and to give them out during mini-ceremonies at Meet-the-People sessions. /TISG

Read related: Jamus Lim Joins Local Church in Celebrating Sengkang Students’ Achievements with Bursary Awards

This article (Glaring Double Standard: Singaporean asks why failed PAP candidate’s face is plastered around Sengkang) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.