If you haven’t already heard, everybody has been talking about Amy Cheong and her racist comments about Malay weddings that was made late Sunday night and spread like wildfire on social media.
Image found here.
Since I heard the news this morning, there’s been a fanpage setup by someone to get her fired and, NTUC quickly announced on their Facebook page that they will investigate in this and then at 4.40pm earlier today, Yahoo! news reported that she has been FIRED from her position as Assistant Director of membership services in NTUC, and TODAYonline reported that a police report has been made against her for her racist remarks as well!
Poor Amy, such great consequences as a result of a text-based rant that must have taken her only less than 5 mins to type out and post on her personal Facebook account. Very silly, IMHO.
She has also setup her own twitter account to apologise for all of this since this morning but I guess an apology is not enough. Her apology was rather sloppy as well.
In fact, everything is moving so fast that NTUC has even put up a job ad in search for someone to replace her!
Yes I do know how important racial harmony is in Singapore but I don’t get this:
☀ Is one person’s actions reflective of the company she works for? Especially when her opinion was expressed in what she thought was a “private” sphere? HWZoners debate it out here. But then again, I guess NTUC has no choice since so many people went to NTUC’s fanpage and insisted for them to take a stand on this.
☀ Counsel her, demote her, give her a warning letter, make her do charity work – whatever, but isn’t firing her a wee bit too harsh? Most importantly, will there be closure after firing her? Will she learn a lesson?
☀ When she typed that comment, even if she didn’t care what the general public thinks, didn’t she have any malay friends on her Facebook account? Not even one whose feelings she cared about?
Life must be a living hell for Amy Cheong now. While I think she needs to seriously reflect on her insensitive comments, and her apparent inability to be considerate to other races, firing her seemed kinda too harsh a response on NTUC’s end. I wouldn’t wanne wake up one morning and be “infamous” overnight like this.
Don’t get me wrong. She was incredibly insensitive to make a comment like that. Chinese have customs that may be of “disturbance” to other races (think getai!) too so live, and let live. It’s all about giving and taking.
One huge lesson we can all learn from this is the importance of being sensitive and socially responsible in our actions and comments at all times.
Amy Cheong has also apologised officially through the media. Image from CNA’s Fanpage here:
What do you think?
I leave you something created by 9gag Singapore.
Image from here.
#AmyCheong
Oh and just so everyone knows, Malay weddings at the void decks don’t come cheap. :P
Dear Ju Ann ,
Thank you for your well written piece.
As far as the sacking goes, I feel she deserved it. I believe she even knew that she deserved it. According to a friend of mine working in NTUC, employees there had been warned many times over. Such comments are NoNo. Thus, to be fair, NTUC did not sack her because of online heat but more because of disciplinary reasons. Anything lighter than a sacking may be construed differently by other employees as well as union members.
On the other hand, as much as I understand that many are truly hurt by the insensitive remarks, some exploited the opportunity to express their anger for the government to gain political mileage.
For a sake of a more cohesive Singapore, what we, as citizens need to do is to try and help pacify their anger and at the same time point out those culprits who were instigating their fellow friends to achieve their own agenda.
Let’s work together if possible.
Thanking you,
Ken.
Author
Hey Ken, thanks for reading and offering your POV. :)
She wasn’t just incredibly insensitive, it was offensive, abusive, downright rude and insulting, her post also says much about her upbringing, prejudice and ignorance. Freedom of speech doesn’t mean you are free to insult, especially in such racially provoking manner. Furthermore she couldn’t back her insults with facts as it is only filled with deep hatred and bigotry.
Racism exists everywhere and within every ethnicity, honestly I think racism stem from one’s upbringing and social circles and no one can stop you from being a racist and a bigot, it’s your life but if you are stupid enough to air them publicly, you got to be prepared for the consequences.
NTUC did the right thing in my opinion because her post went viral nationwide, although her racial prejudice might not affect how she performs at work, NTUC definitely do not want to be known to have such a negative person working high up their ranks. It just does’t reflect well on them as a whole.
I sincerely do hope amy had learnt her lesson, and I hope the public let her move on with her life. And let this be a very important lesson to all of us. You can have your own opinion, that’s fine. But does’t mean you can say whatever you want in such an offensive and provoking manner, or be prepared to face the consequences, like amy had.
Author
Hi Zach, I agree that racism exists everywhere. I can only hope through with her dismissal, she (and the nation) learns a lesson. If not it will all be for nothing.
Hi,
I hate the act what she did. This is totally wrong and inhumane. She realises and made the apology. To me we can forgive her and allow her to continue the job. The lesson learnt from this incident is Not to hurt any body by means of any social media and others format.
In this moment i would like to highlight one incident. Recently a person who posted an unawkward and hatred movie in you tube. Every muslim felt bad and heart broken due to the attack on our beloved prophet. The person who posted and publicly claim that his act is freedom of speech and correct. But that person still not punished. Please think how injustice is this.
I totally condemn the act of killing innocents, burning public properties, creating and publishing the hatred speech, movie, cartoon and all form wrong doings.
The US government which is take care of the well being of that person and allows freedom of speech and the hatred movie. They can able to stop that act but they didnot. How the international media behave in that incident. They also propagates agitation, protest against the american government is violent instead of condemning the hatred movie. Recently a french paper is going to publish awkward speech against our beloved prophet. Prviously a danish paper publish a cartoon which hurts a billion muslims. The US president said those who agitate and protest will be brought forward to the justice But safegauard the person who ignites this incident. Please think how injustice is this.
I request and urge you to think come to the conclusion. Please fight against the injustice against these social media using that social media as tool.
Thanks and Regards
sabeer