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[h=2]http://www.tremeritus.com/2015/08/16/arrogant-chee-tries-to-clarify-his-earlier-statement/[/h][h=2]‘Arrogant’ Chee tries to clarify his earlier statement[/h]
August 16th, 2015 |
Author: Editorial
PAP's Chee Hong Tat
Earlier, it was reported that new PAP candidate for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, Chee Hong Tat, who used to condemn dialect learning, chose to give interviews with the media in Hokkien (‘PAP’s Chee condemns dialect learning but gives Hokkien interview‘).
Mr Chee had been the Second Permanent Secretary for Trade and Industry since 1 December 2014, but he resigned from the civil service recently to stand as a PAP candidate in the upcoming general election. He is touted by his party to be of ministerial calibre.
He was Chief Executive of the Energy Market Authority from 2011 to 2014 and prior to that, Principal Private Secretary to Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew from 2008 to 2011.
Thanks to cyber CSI by netizens, Mr Chee was found in 2009 to have written to the Straits Times to take issue with a forum writer for advocating the learning of dialects.
He said that the use of dialects “interferes with the learning of Mandarin and English”.
“It would be stupid for any Singapore agency or NTU to advocate the learning of dialects, which must be at the expense of English and Mandarin,” he wrote, using (wisely or unwisely) the word “stupid” in his letter to ST Forum page.
In a recent press interview, he told reporters in Hokkien, “Ai zho tio zho swee swee (If you have a job to do, do it well.)”
He also spoke in Hokkien about his political beliefs and ideas.
Netizens condemn Chee Hong Tat for being arrogant
Understandably, netizens condemned Mr Chee, especially for using the word “stupid”:
He later gave a statement to clarify his remark about being ‘stupid’ for any Singapore agency or NTU to advocate the learning of dialects. A video of him giving his reply was published on the Facebook page of 93.8 Live yesterday (15 Aug):
Earlier, it was reported that new PAP candidate for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, Chee Hong Tat, who used to condemn dialect learning, chose to give interviews with the media in Hokkien (‘PAP’s Chee condemns dialect learning but gives Hokkien interview‘).
Mr Chee had been the Second Permanent Secretary for Trade and Industry since 1 December 2014, but he resigned from the civil service recently to stand as a PAP candidate in the upcoming general election. He is touted by his party to be of ministerial calibre.
He was Chief Executive of the Energy Market Authority from 2011 to 2014 and prior to that, Principal Private Secretary to Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew from 2008 to 2011.
Thanks to cyber CSI by netizens, Mr Chee was found in 2009 to have written to the Straits Times to take issue with a forum writer for advocating the learning of dialects.
He said that the use of dialects “interferes with the learning of Mandarin and English”.
“It would be stupid for any Singapore agency or NTU to advocate the learning of dialects, which must be at the expense of English and Mandarin,” he wrote, using (wisely or unwisely) the word “stupid” in his letter to ST Forum page.
In a recent press interview, he told reporters in Hokkien, “Ai zho tio zho swee swee (If you have a job to do, do it well.)”
He also spoke in Hokkien about his political beliefs and ideas.
Netizens condemn Chee Hong Tat for being arrogant
Understandably, netizens condemned Mr Chee, especially for using the word “stupid”:
Ministry of Mafia: To call someone stupid is rude. To address an agency stupid, is disrespectful… A pure blood PAP elite…
endofdaysforthepapigs:you better chiang hua yee to garner the prc convert votes
then farking switch to tagalog to garner the flipper votes
then telugu to garner the india indian votes
you got ure farking hands full oredi my principal private secretary!
nihon: chee hong, your name defines you. you can see how arrogant and high handed when he discussed with the writer. he was so dismissive.
Neutral: This chee guy is really quite an arse, super arrogant! Heard him giving a speech before as head of EMA, knowing that at that time he was already slated for politics, I was shocked at the nonsense he was sprouting and the arrogance he displayed to the foreign investors. Worst was that he even belittled his assistant in front of an audience.
we don’t want hypocrite: So he is an accomplice in destroying our dialects mother tongue! Now he speak dialects pretending to be close to the ground. This makes him a “wolf in white sheep skin” – 披着白羊皮的狼。Voters beware! Spread the words to the residents of bishan-toa payoh GRC, especially the elderly there.
Rats and Monkeys:Wa chee haigong an elite said speak hokkien is stupid, wa look down on people who speak dialects, what kind of politician want to served the people? what f**king h******te bast**d better don’t come to us for vote just go to mix with your elite class and stay away from bishan toa payoh…
Meek Society: how dare you insult me and my ancestor who speak dialects? Who the f*rk are you? asstocrat is it lord over us?
Opportunistic:The PAP is in real trouble with candidates like him. Opportunistic, and contradicting his own “beliefs”. people like him leads the PAP to ultimate ruin. Before he offered himself to run, he should do some soul searching and come clean….. with the Singaporeans who are looking for better replacements to the Raymonds, Mahs, Lims and Caws. Frankly, we are tired of the h*******tes trying their luck to millionaire-dom.
Chee clarifies his write-upendofdaysforthepapigs:you better chiang hua yee to garner the prc convert votes
then farking switch to tagalog to garner the flipper votes
then telugu to garner the india indian votes
you got ure farking hands full oredi my principal private secretary!
nihon: chee hong, your name defines you. you can see how arrogant and high handed when he discussed with the writer. he was so dismissive.
Neutral: This chee guy is really quite an arse, super arrogant! Heard him giving a speech before as head of EMA, knowing that at that time he was already slated for politics, I was shocked at the nonsense he was sprouting and the arrogance he displayed to the foreign investors. Worst was that he even belittled his assistant in front of an audience.
we don’t want hypocrite: So he is an accomplice in destroying our dialects mother tongue! Now he speak dialects pretending to be close to the ground. This makes him a “wolf in white sheep skin” – 披着白羊皮的狼。Voters beware! Spread the words to the residents of bishan-toa payoh GRC, especially the elderly there.
Rats and Monkeys:Wa chee haigong an elite said speak hokkien is stupid, wa look down on people who speak dialects, what kind of politician want to served the people? what f**king h******te bast**d better don’t come to us for vote just go to mix with your elite class and stay away from bishan toa payoh…
Meek Society: how dare you insult me and my ancestor who speak dialects? Who the f*rk are you? asstocrat is it lord over us?
Opportunistic:The PAP is in real trouble with candidates like him. Opportunistic, and contradicting his own “beliefs”. people like him leads the PAP to ultimate ruin. Before he offered himself to run, he should do some soul searching and come clean….. with the Singaporeans who are looking for better replacements to the Raymonds, Mahs, Lims and Caws. Frankly, we are tired of the h*******tes trying their luck to millionaire-dom.
He later gave a statement to clarify his remark about being ‘stupid’ for any Singapore agency or NTU to advocate the learning of dialects. A video of him giving his reply was published on the Facebook page of 93.8 Live yesterday (15 Aug):
I think that the issue of dialects is one where it is very much about being able to communicate with your elders, being able to understand what your roots are. So, for myself, for example, I grew up with my grandparents. I stayed with my grandparents and I learned dialect from them.. communicated to them in Hokkien. So, that is why today I can still speak a little bit, although it’s a bit rusty lah.. haven’t used it at school and at work.
But the idea of learning dialects, I think as a private initiative.. you want to learn it from your friends, you want to learn it from clan associations, I think that’s fine.
The national policy of focusing on English and the mother tongue, I think it’s still the correct policy because most of the students would still have to focus on these 2 languages.
But for people who are more talented, they have interests, they have a passion to want to learn more about dialects, whether it’s to develop their cultural understanding or to communicate with senior citizens, I think that’s not a bad issue.
I wouldn’t.. er.. as I said, erm… advocate it as er… policy for our schools. So, I think at the MOE school level, the focus should still be on English and mother tongue… because that would be what majority of our students would require.
But the idea of learning dialects, I think as a private initiative.. you want to learn it from your friends, you want to learn it from clan associations, I think that’s fine.
The national policy of focusing on English and the mother tongue, I think it’s still the correct policy because most of the students would still have to focus on these 2 languages.
But for people who are more talented, they have interests, they have a passion to want to learn more about dialects, whether it’s to develop their cultural understanding or to communicate with senior citizens, I think that’s not a bad issue.
I wouldn’t.. er.. as I said, erm… advocate it as er… policy for our schools. So, I think at the MOE school level, the focus should still be on English and mother tongue… because that would be what majority of our students would require.
