Zorro Lim on the Amy Cheong Incident -

[scroobal]

The SBF Kopitiam Interview Series:

Location: Jalan Kayu KPT.

SBF: Minister thank you for spending time with us despite your busy schedule

Minister: Happy to be here.

SBF: You do realise that Singaporeans are stunned by what happened?

Minister : Certainly and it is no surprise that it has captivated the country. I myself never thought I would be placed in such a position.

SBF: So you concede that this is unprecedented and unusual.

Minister: Yes. It there for all to see. These things cannot be hidden. We are truly in the digital age.

SBF: As a cabinet minister you realise the enormity and importance of the office?

Minister: Yes I do and it is not lost on me that I draw a significant salary. The expectations are high and so is the burden.

SBF: So do you think there is link and relevance to your post.

Minister: I don't understand the question. What link and relevance are you referring to.

SBF: The Amy Cheong incident.

Minister: She is a staff of NTUC and it is my responsibility to act. What occurred is a serious matter. Decisive leadership should come to the fore.

SBF: Honestly why are we paying a cabinet minister a large salary to handle the dismissal of a middle ranking staff of a Trade Union. These racial taunts are not uncommon in the online world. Can't one of the HR Managers handle this matter.

Minister: I thought you wanted to talk about the Amy Cheong case?

SBF: What Amy Cheong did is silly and stupid and rightfully was sacked as her posit is no longer tenable. That is common sense. These things are easily handled by a HR Manager. There is no complexity. Why a cabinet minister?

Minister: I like to lead by example.

SBF: Minister you are not answering the question. Let me put it clearly. Why are we paying so much as state salary to handle such sillly case. Don't you have more important things to do.

Minister: This is a sensitive issue as involves race and it needs immediate attention.

SBF: Minister, do you have senior and capable staff with the right authority to handle such cases. Surely the power of dismissal of a middle rank staff cannot be residing with a cabinet minister.

Minister: No,no no. I was acting in the capacity of the Secretary General of the NTUC. I did not act as a Minister.

SBF: Ok , fair enough. Could you tell us as Minister what are your responsibilities?

Minister: I spend most of my time with matters relating to NTUC.

SBF: So why the minister title?

Minister: I would like to take my leave as I find this line of questioning unnecessary and intimidating.

SBF: Minister, Singaporeans want to know your value add as a cabinet minister. Surely you must realise when you collect such a large salary there must be responsibilities. So could you tell us about it.

Minister: I am not answering any more questions. You have asked me here by misrepresentation. I am a fair person and despite SBF having a poor reputation I came here with an open mind. What Amy did is unacceptable and I did the right thing.

SBF: Minister who suggested the Zorro costume and do you regret it.
Minister: Fuck-off.

Interview suspended prematurely. The producers would like to thank Mr. Lionel de Souza for arranging the meeting.

 

[freedalas]

The SBF Kopitiam Interview Series:

Location: Jalan Kayu KPT.

SBF: Minister thank you for spending time with us despite your busy schedule

Minister: Happy to be here.

SBF: You do realise that Singaporeans are stunned by what happened?

Minister : Certainly and it is no surprise that it has captivated the country. I myself never thought I would be placed in such a position.

SBF: So you concede that this is unprecedented and unusual.

Minister: Yes. It there for all to see. These things cannot be hidden. We are truly in the digital age.

SBF: As a cabinet minister you realise the enormity and importance of the office?

Minister: Yes I do and it is not lost on me that I draw a significant salary. The expectations are high and so is the burden.

SBF: So do you think there is link and relevance to your post.

Minister: I don't understand the question. What link and relevance are you referring to.

SBF: The Amy Cheong incident.

Minister: She is a staff of NTUC and it is my responsibility to act. What occurred is a serious matter. Decisive leadership should come to the fore.

SBF: Honestly why are we paying a cabinet minister a large salary to handle the dismissal of a middle ranking staff of a Trade Union. These racial taunts are not uncommon in the online world. Can't one of the HR Managers handle this matter.

Minister: I thought you wanted to talk about the Amy Cheong case?

SBF: What Amy Cheong did is silly and stupid and rightfully was sacked as her posit is no longer tenable. That is common sense. These things are easily handled by a HR Manager. There is no complexity. Why a cabinet minister?

Minister: I like to lead by example.

SBF: Minister you are not answering the question. Let me put it clearly. Why are we paying so much as state salary to handle such sillly case. Don't you have more important things to do.

Minister: This is a sensitive issue as involves race and it needs immediate attention.

SBF: Minister, do you have senior and capable staff with the right authority to handle such cases. Surely the power of dismissal of a middle rank staff cannot be residing with a cabinet minister.

Minister: No,no no. I was acting in the capacity of the Secretary General of the NTUC. I did not act as a Minister.

SBF: Ok , fair enough. Could you tell us as Minister what are your responsibilities?

Minister: I spend most of my time with matters relating to NTUC.

SBF: So why the minister title?

Minister: I would like to take my leave as I find this line of questioning unnecessary and intimidating.

SBF: Minister, Singaporeans want to know your value add as a cabinet minister. Surely you must realise when you collect such a large salary there must be responsibilities. So could you tell us about it.

Minister: I am not answering any more questions. You have asked me here by misrepresentation. I am a fair person and despite SBF having a poor reputation I came here with an open mind. What Amy did is unacceptable and I did the right thing.

SBF: Minister who suggested the Zorro costume and do you regret it.
Minister: Fuck-off.

Interview suspended prematurely. The producers would like to thank Mr. Lionel de Souza for arranging the meeting.

Great job! Absolutely hilarious. The only thing is that in reality Zorro Lim is not capable of such good english, not even one-tenth of it.

 

[halsey02]

Great job! Absolutely hilarious. The only thing is that in reality Zorro Lim is not capable of such good english, not even one-tenth of it.

Please do not get him to sing... thank you:p

 

[soikee]

The SBF Kopitiam Interview Series:

Location: Jalan Kayu KPT.

SBF: Honestly why are we paying a cabinet minister a large salary to handle the dismissal of a middle ranking staff of a Trade Union. These racial taunts are not uncommon in the online world. Can't one of the HR Managers handle this matter.


Interview suspended prematurely. The producers would like to thank Mr. Lionel de Souza for arranging the meeting.

At his Liberal party convention, UK Prime Minister, Mr David Cameron has just declared that his yearly take-home pay is 142,000 GBP or S$276,900.

1GBP = S$1.95.

That no-shame Pinky and all his ball-carriers plunder more than ten times that of Mr David Cameron's, a prime minister of one the G7 nations..

 

[scroobal]

Swift sacking a difficult decision: Lim Swee Say
by Teo Xuanwei

04:46 AM Oct 10, 2012

SINGAPORE - Sacking Ms Amy Cheong over racist remarks she made on her Facebook page was "one of the most difficult decisions" he has had to make as Secretary-General of the NTUC - because he was ending someone's career within the span of 24 hours, Mr Lim Swee Say said yesterday.

As firm believers of inclusiveness and multi-racialism, the labour movement had to fire Ms Cheong as its Assistant Director of its Membership Department, he said.

But even as the NTUC goes through this "painful experience", Mr Lim urged Singaporeans to "spare a thought for the pain that (Ms Cheong) is going through".

Speaking on the sidelines of an event at Pei Chun Public School, Mr Lim said: "She's realised the grave mistake she has made, she has apologised, she has appealed to the public to find somewhere in their heart to forgive her.

"Let us have some heart to know that she has been punished and it is a very severe punishment for her. So, let us give her some space to reflect and recover from this episode."

Ms Cheong, 37, was sacked after she had written on her Facebook page on Sunday afternoon that weddings held at void decks "should be banned".

She followed that up with an expletive-laden post that was offensive to Malays. Ms Cheong's posts mocked the community's divorce rate and linked it to what she deemed as low cost of void-deck weddings.

Her posts went viral and had netizens up in arms on Facebook and Twitter, with many calling for her to be sacked. A Hougang grassroots leader also lodged a police report regarding the posts, which the police have confirmed they are looking into.



'USE SOCIAL MEDIA POSITIVELY'



Yesterday, online tirades continued against Ms Cheong, with some using abusive language, but many, including Mr Lim, called for these to stop.

Mr Lim said the episode was "not about Amy Cheong or NTUC" and hoped Singaporeans can make use of social media in a positive way.

"If we use social media as a tool to divide us, none of us is going to be better off. But if we use social media to bring us together, then Singapore can be a much better place, a much better community, a much better nation," he said.

Some Facebook users also called on others to be more measured in their responses. For example, a Malay user, Mr Hussain Safie, said: "We were taught in our religion to be tolerant, peaceful and forgiving, yet our continued actions against Amy Cheong even after her sacking clearly shows how much we learn."

Social media experts TODAY spoke to said a line has to be drawn on the kind of reactions that are acceptable for when someone makes an unacceptable remark. In several recent cases, netizens have hounded or called for the heads of those who made such remarks.

Former Nominated Member of Parliament Siew Kum Hong said the community has a role to play in moderating online behaviour and setting the accepted norms for society, but he noted that distinctions have to be drawn between comments that are unpleasant or offensive and those that are illegal.

"When you go on to dig out someone's personal information or history or drag his family into it, that's excessive and not acceptable. I do not consider that legitimate moderation," said Mr Siew.

Assistant Professor Ingrid Maria Hoofd, from the National University of Singapore's Department of Communications and New Media, noted that community moderation could have negative consequences. "What often happens is that the most powerful or 'biggest screamers' get the most attention when one leaves things to self-regulation."

She added that "the actual unhappiness or problems that such a hateful online incident merely symbolises" have to be addressed".

"What needs to be done is to recognise the incident as potentially signifying other, unaddressed problems in society, and use this as an opportunity," she said.

Meanwhile, contrary to some media reports, NTUC has clarified that a job advertisement for the post of Assistant Director, Membership (Service Quality) that was circulated online shortly after Ms Cheong's sacking was not for her position. It was posted in August, a spokesperson said

 

[zeddy]

The SBF Kopitiam Interview Series:

Location: Jalan Kayu KPT.

SBF: Minister who suggested the Zorro costume and do you regret it.
Minister: Fuck-off.

Interview suspended prematurely. The producers would like to thank Mr. Lionel de Souza for arranging the meeting.

LOL.. The Minister obviously not pleased with the Zorro costume question.. Its a sensitive subject for him..

Hope the country's No 1 Supercop Lionel De Sousa also included in the SBF Kopitiam Interview Series..

 

[Jah_rastafar_I]

Absolutely hilarious. Oh my such brilliance such genius!

 

[ZorrorroZ]

LOL! This was a good one... nice read on a cold Thursday morning!

 

[soIsee]

This type of style is similiar to a certain despotic old fart who had to come down on a SIA pilot to fire him and revoke his PR satus although SIA was a LISTED company with it's own Board and definitely need not have MINISTER and a very senior one at that, to be doing the hiring and firing of their staff.

As I have said , all the flaws of the present policies and management style trace back to it's roots!

 

[scroobal]

I still cannot figure out why this has to be a cabinet post.

At his Liberal party convention, UK Prime Minister, Mr David Cameron has just declared that his yearly take-home pay is 142,000 GBP or S$276,900.

1GBP = S$1.95.

That no-shame Pinky and all his ball-carriers plunder more than ten times that of Mr David Cameron's, a prime minister of one the G7 nations..

 

[laksaboy]

LOL

[video=youtube;ao-DGAw1Q2o]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ao-DGAw1Q2o[/video]

Do you feel rich?

 

[streetsmart73]

Please do not get him to sing... thank you:p

hi there


1. bro, not only sing, dance too!
2. it sucks big time.
3. a real monkey can do betterer than the monkey-faced hoh!

 

[halsey02]

hi there


1. bro, not only sing, dance too!
2. it sucks big time.
3. a real monkey can do betterer than the monkey-faced hoh!

The National Primate Union will complain that they are out of job because of him, for he is giving the primates a bad name.

 

[kingrant]

Omg! Surprise! What a gusher! I prefer your own stinky self.

PS. Nope, I aint jealous hor!

Absolutely hilarious. Oh my such brilliance such genius!

 

[kukubird58]

hahaha...the usual super idol reporting....
Zorro (ministar in pmo), as SG of ntuc making a statement and my idol has to start a thread about it.....
making a statement to the press will take up a lot of his time meh......lol.

 

[Confuseous]

What Amy Cheong wrote in her facebook denigrating my Malay/Muslim friends is wrong. It shows the contempt she has for others.

After her mindless act, PAP ministers and supporters alike went full throttle condemning her for her foolish insensitivity. Straits Times (9 Oct 2012) on its front page stated, "NTUC fires exec over online racist remarks" with the following:

•The NTUC takes a serious view on racial harmony in Singapore" said Lim Swee Say. "We will not accept and have zero tolerance towards any words used or actions taken by our staff that are racially offensive"
•Law Minister K Shanmugum called Ms Cheong's remarks shameful and unacceptable, adding that they confirm "deep fault lines in our society based on race and religion"
•Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said that Ms Cheong's comments were "offensive not only to the Malay-Muslims, but all the rest of us who value Singapore's multiracial spirit and who want to take it further"
•Acting Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin said, "the reaction of some individuals does not reflect the values that the rest of us hold on to"
•Writing on Facebook from New Zealand where he is on an official visit, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said he was shocked to hear of the incident. "The comments were just wrong and totally unacceptable"
•Grassroots leader Lionel de Sousa, who is the secretary of the Inter-Racial and Religious Confidence Circle in Hougang, filed a police report yesterday. He said he wanted to send a signal that racist remarks should not be tolerated.

It was a gang-bang.

And where were they when LKY said:

•"... to persuade Malay parents to look after their daughters more carefully and not to have teenage pregnancies which leads to failed marriages, subsequent marriages also fail and delinquents . . ." [Link] Why he had to highlight the Malay-Muslim parent instead of Chinese or Indian is beyond me.
•Mr Lee: “Well, we make them say the national pledge and sing the national anthem but suppose we have a famine, will your Malay neighbour give you the last few grains of rice or will she share it with her family or fellow Muslim or vice versa? [Link] Why Malay as example again?
•Lee Kuan Yew's take on Muslim integration in Singapore [Link]
•In his interview with Charlie Rose at 31:57 [Link], Lee Kuan Yew appeared to stand corrected again even after he stood corrected.

While every mother's son in PAP is having an orgasm running down Amy Cheong for her "racist" post, I simply wonder where were they when LKY said things that (in my perception) were derogatory to my Malay-Muslim friends? Why were you not doing what you do now to Amy Cheong? Condemning racism!

Truth is Amy is not LKY. That is why she is paying and paying (PAP?) for a sin that may not be a sin to another who is powerful.

- http://feedmetothefish.blogspot.sg/

 

[kukubird58]

hahaha....this is life...it happens everyday everywhere......not just in sinkapoor.
if u think such things are unique to miw and sinkapoor.....u must be from another planet.

 

[Jah_rastafar_I]

Omg! Surprise! What a gusher! I prefer your own stinky self.

PS. Nope, I aint jealous hor!

oh look who popped in the moment he saw that post. Seems like your jealous little self has showed up again

 

[gymkhana]

What Amy Cheong wrote in her facebook denigrating my Malay/Muslim friends is wrong. It shows the contempt she has for others.

After her mindless act, PAP ministers and supporters alike went full throttle condemning her for her foolish insensitivity. Straits Times (9 Oct 2012) on its front page stated, "NTUC fires exec over online racist remarks" with the following:

•The NTUC takes a serious view on racial harmony in Singapore" said Lim Swee Say. "We will not accept and have zero tolerance towards any words used or actions taken by our staff that are racially offensive"
•Law Minister K Shanmugum called Ms Cheong's remarks shameful and unacceptable, adding that they confirm "deep fault lines in our society based on race and religion"
•Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said that Ms Cheong's comments were "offensive not only to the Malay-Muslims, but all the rest of us who value Singapore's multiracial spirit and who want to take it further"
•Acting Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin said, "the reaction of some individuals does not reflect the values that the rest of us hold on to"
•Writing on Facebook from New Zealand where he is on an official visit, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said he was shocked to hear of the incident. "The comments were just wrong and totally unacceptable"
•Grassroots leader Lionel de Sousa, who is the secretary of the Inter-Racial and Religious Confidence Circle in Hougang, filed a police report yesterday. He said he wanted to send a signal that racist remarks should not be tolerated.

It was a gang-bang.

And where were they when LKY said:

•"... to persuade Malay parents to look after their daughters more carefully and not to have teenage pregnancies which leads to failed marriages, subsequent marriages also fail and delinquents . . ." [Link] Why he had to highlight the Malay-Muslim parent instead of Chinese or Indian is beyond me.
•Mr Lee: “Well, we make them say the national pledge and sing the national anthem but suppose we have a famine, will your Malay neighbour give you the last few grains of rice or will she share it with her family or fellow Muslim or vice versa? [Link] Why Malay as example again?
•Lee Kuan Yew's take on Muslim integration in Singapore [Link]
•In his interview with Charlie Rose at 31:57 [Link], Lee Kuan Yew appeared to stand corrected again even after he stood corrected.

While every mother's son in PAP is having an orgasm running down Amy Cheong for her "racist" post, I simply wonder where were they when LKY said things that (in my perception) were derogatory to my Malay-Muslim friends? Why were you not doing what you do now to Amy Cheong? Condemning racism!

Truth is Amy is not LKY. That is why she is paying and paying (PAP?) for a sin that may not be a sin to another who is powerful.

- http://feedmetothefish.blogspot.sg/

exactly!!! those facebook posts should have these other quotes from lky to compare and then they can see who is the biggest bigot. If i could i d give you points mate!

 

[halsey02]

exactly!!! those facebook posts should have these other quotes from lky to compare and then they can see who is the biggest bigot. If i could i d give you points mate!

You dare question the "dear leader"...heh heh heh heh