Tin Pei Ling traumatised? Just kidding, folks!
By Tessa Wong
A Facebook post by Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong caused a kerfuffle among netizens and the media yesterday, when he announced that new People's Action Party candidate Tin Pei Ling had been checked for trauma.
But the joke was on them, when SM Goh clarified later that it had been a 'tongue-in-cheek' post.
On a status update posted around 5.30pm on the MParader Facebook page, SM Goh said: 'Young Pei Ling has been traumatized. Saw her yesterday with trauma specialist, Fatimah. While doc examined her, I observed. Her initial hurt n pain have subsided. Gave her clean of health. In the process, discovered steel in her. She will grow in strength.'
'Fatimah' referred to Dr Fatimah Lateef, an MP in SM Goh's Marine Parade GRC team. Ms Tin, 27, is slated to contest the next election with the team, taking over from retiring MP Matthias Yao.
The post triggered comments from Facebook users, expressing concern and support for Ms Tin.
When The Sunday Times called Ms Tin yesterday to verify SM Goh's post, she laughed and said: 'I'm physically fine. I'm OK.' She declined to comment further, saying that she would leave it to SM Goh to clarify his quote.
An hour after his first post, at around 6.30pm, SM Goh posted another update on the MParader page clarifying his initial remarks.
'Pei Ling just called. Media wants her comments on my post. They have failed to appreciate my tongue-in cheek post. True, she has been thru baptism of fire. My use of medical metaphor is becos Fatimah is a trauma specialist. No need for media to chase PL for comments. She is strong n working hard.'
SM Goh told The Straits Times later that Ms Tin's meeting with Dr Fatimah was not 'as a patient'; instead, they met over lunch together with himself and another candidate for Marine Parade GRC.
Since being introduced as a candidate six days ago, Ms Tin has been the subject of intense online controversy.
At a community event at Ulu Pandan yesterday, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, an MP for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC and the man who introduced Ms Tin to grassroots work in the ward seven years ago, said she would have to prove her detractors wrong through action.
He said: 'This is politics. You have to expect the good and the bad. A key challenge for any candidate is how you deal with the challenges and the criticisms and whether you are able to keep your cool, maintain your dignity and not allow this to deter your willingness and your enthusiasm to serve.
'As a young person, she will have to prove it through her actions and what she is able to do for the residents.'
Additional reporting by Elgin Toh
By Tessa Wong
A Facebook post by Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong caused a kerfuffle among netizens and the media yesterday, when he announced that new People's Action Party candidate Tin Pei Ling had been checked for trauma.
But the joke was on them, when SM Goh clarified later that it had been a 'tongue-in-cheek' post.
On a status update posted around 5.30pm on the MParader Facebook page, SM Goh said: 'Young Pei Ling has been traumatized. Saw her yesterday with trauma specialist, Fatimah. While doc examined her, I observed. Her initial hurt n pain have subsided. Gave her clean of health. In the process, discovered steel in her. She will grow in strength.'
'Fatimah' referred to Dr Fatimah Lateef, an MP in SM Goh's Marine Parade GRC team. Ms Tin, 27, is slated to contest the next election with the team, taking over from retiring MP Matthias Yao.
The post triggered comments from Facebook users, expressing concern and support for Ms Tin.
When The Sunday Times called Ms Tin yesterday to verify SM Goh's post, she laughed and said: 'I'm physically fine. I'm OK.' She declined to comment further, saying that she would leave it to SM Goh to clarify his quote.
An hour after his first post, at around 6.30pm, SM Goh posted another update on the MParader page clarifying his initial remarks.
'Pei Ling just called. Media wants her comments on my post. They have failed to appreciate my tongue-in cheek post. True, she has been thru baptism of fire. My use of medical metaphor is becos Fatimah is a trauma specialist. No need for media to chase PL for comments. She is strong n working hard.'
SM Goh told The Straits Times later that Ms Tin's meeting with Dr Fatimah was not 'as a patient'; instead, they met over lunch together with himself and another candidate for Marine Parade GRC.
Since being introduced as a candidate six days ago, Ms Tin has been the subject of intense online controversy.
At a community event at Ulu Pandan yesterday, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, an MP for Holland-Bukit Timah GRC and the man who introduced Ms Tin to grassroots work in the ward seven years ago, said she would have to prove her detractors wrong through action.
He said: 'This is politics. You have to expect the good and the bad. A key challenge for any candidate is how you deal with the challenges and the criticisms and whether you are able to keep your cool, maintain your dignity and not allow this to deter your willingness and your enthusiasm to serve.
'As a young person, she will have to prove it through her actions and what she is able to do for the residents.'
Additional reporting by Elgin Toh
