Jan 19, 2009
Rapped for insensitivity
Top civil servant Tan Yong Soon has been rapped for a travelogue he wrote about his family holiday to Paris to learn cooking French cuisine at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu. -- PHOTO: TAN YONG SOON
TOP civil servant Tan Yong Soon has been rapped for a travelogue he wrote about his family holiday to Paris to learn cooking French cuisine at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu.
Defence Minister Teo Chee, who is also the minister in charge of the Civil Service, on Monday said the feature article which was published in The Straits Times, 'showed a lack of sensitivity and was ill-judged'.
Mr Tan's article has drawn criticism from bloggers and online chat forums. The main bone of contention:
Spending $46,500 for the three-week course at $15,500 per head for himself, his wife and son, not including air tickets and living expenses in France. Mr Tan said he had taken five weeks leave for the trip.
Replying to a question from Nominated MP Siew Kum Hong, who described the article as being 'unnecessarily provocative and unimaginably insensitive', Mr Teo told the House: 'What the civil servant in question - Mr Tan - does during his vacation leave is his private decision. However, I was disappointed with what he wrote in The Straits Times.
'The article showed a lack of sensitivity and was ill-judged. It struck a discordant note during the current difficult economic circumstances when it is especially important to show solidarity and empathy for Singaporeans who are facing uncertainties and hardship.
'The Head of Civil Service has spoken to Mr Tan about this to make these points, and asked Mr Tan to take note of the feedback and learn from this episode. The Head of Civil Service has followed up to write to Mr Tan to put the matter on the record.'
Querying Mr Tan's article, Mr Siew said
the five-week holiday in Paris would have cost 'more than the 2007 average per capita GDP in Singapore'.
While conceding that it was Mr Tan's own money and that 'he has the prerogative to spend it as he sees fit', the NMP said: 'But in these times writing about it in the national newspaper was unnecessarily provocative and unimaginably insensitive.'
He asked if there were guidelines in place to ensure that senior civil servants conduct themselves 'appropriately and sensitively
