Sacked less than 24 hours after offensive remarks
Amy Cheong's online rant saw her dismissed by NTUC, rebuked by the Prime Minister
by Amir Hussain and Sumita Sreedharan, TODAY, 9 Oct 2012
A racist Facebook posting by a senior National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) employee brought swift action yesterday: The labour movement sacked her less than 24 hours after she made the post, while several ministers - including Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong - roundly condemned her actions and backed NTUC's move.
Amy Cheong's online rant saw her dismissed by NTUC, rebuked by the Prime Minister
by Amir Hussain and Sumita Sreedharan, TODAY, 9 Oct 2012
A racist Facebook posting by a senior National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) employee brought swift action yesterday: The labour movement sacked her less than 24 hours after she made the post, while several ministers - including Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong - roundly condemned her actions and backed NTUC's move.
Describing the offensive comments as "just wrong and totally unacceptable", Mr Lee - who is in New Zealand on an official visit - wrote on his Facebook page: "Fortunately the person has promptly apologised for her grievous mistake. But the damage has been done, and NTUC did the right thing in terminating her services."
The post which set in motion the events of yesterday was made on Sunday afternoon by Ms Amy Cheong, who had joined the NTUC in August last year as the Assistant Director of its Membership Department. Writing on her Facebook page, she said that weddings held at void decks "should be banned". She continued her rant in a subsequent, expletive-laden post that was offensive to Malays.
The post which set in motion the events of yesterday was made on Sunday afternoon by Ms Amy Cheong, who had joined the NTUC in August last year as the Assistant Director of its Membership Department. Writing on her Facebook page, she said that weddings held at void decks "should be banned". She continued her rant in a subsequent, expletive-laden post that was offensive to Malays.
Less than 12 hours later, she apologised on Facebook for the comments which she attributed to her being "upset with the noise", presumably from a wedding held below her block of flats. But by then, the damage was done.
Her comments went viral and drew a torrent of criticism on Facebook and Twitter. A police report was lodged against Ms Cheong by a grassroots leader in Hougang and at least one Facebook page was set up urging NTUC to fire her.
At about 1am yesterday, her employer said on its Facebook page that it had been alerted of the inappropriate comment and it was investigating. Thousands of Facebook users posted comments in response, with many calling for Ms Cheong to be sacked. By the afternoon, she was out of a job.
NTUC Secretary-General Lim Swee Say issued a media statement at around 12.30pm yesterday to announce that Ms Cheong was sacked with immediate effect, after "establishing with her" that she had posted the offensive comments on her personal Facebook page.
Her comments went viral and drew a torrent of criticism on Facebook and Twitter. A police report was lodged against Ms Cheong by a grassroots leader in Hougang and at least one Facebook page was set up urging NTUC to fire her.
At about 1am yesterday, her employer said on its Facebook page that it had been alerted of the inappropriate comment and it was investigating. Thousands of Facebook users posted comments in response, with many calling for Ms Cheong to be sacked. By the afternoon, she was out of a job.
NTUC Secretary-General Lim Swee Say issued a media statement at around 12.30pm yesterday to announce that Ms Cheong was sacked with immediate effect, after "establishing with her" that she had posted the offensive comments on her personal Facebook page.
Mr Lim, who is also a Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, said: "The NTUC takes a serious view on racial harmony in Singapore. We will not accept and have zero tolerance towards any words used or actions taken by our staff that are racially offensive."
He added: "Regrettably and rightly so, her comments have upset members of the public, including many union members. We are sorry that this has happened. We have counselled the staff and impressed upon her the seriousness of her action. She is remorseful and has apologised for her grave lapse of judgement.
We would like to reiterate that inclusiveness remains at the heart of the Labour Movement."
Weighing in on the matter, Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said on Facebook that it was "good that NTUC acted quickly".
Mr Tharman, who is also the Finance Minister, added: "The person's comments were offensive not only to Malay-Muslims, but all the rest of us who value Singapore's multiracial spirit and who want to take it further."
Foreign and Law Minister K Shanmugam described Ms Cheong's comments and conduct as "shameful and completely unacceptable". He noted that NTUC's swift action to terminate Ms Cheong's employment should "send a message that such conduct will not be tolerated".
He added: "This confirms what I had long suspected and said: there are deep fault lines in our society, based on race/religion. The emergence of the Internet and social media such as blogging and Facebook frees some people to say what is really in their hearts."
WAS SACKING TOO HARSH AND HASTY?
While many Internet users also applauded the swift sacking of Ms Cheong, some questioned the move - wondering if NTUC had overreacted and succumbed to public pressure, and whether Ms Cheong could have been educated on the error of her ways instead.
National University of Singapore new media and communications lecturer Aaron Ng noted that there was "no real benefit from sacking" Ms Cheong.
"Strong condemnation does not equal to a witch hunt. An inclusive society does not exclude; we should try to understand and correct racist ideas after condemning them," he said.
Still, he stressed that "racially insensitive remarks can never be justified, and no organisation would risk their image being tarnished by being associated with a person perceived as being racist".
He added: "In the context of Singapore where the government has adopted a very strong anti-racism stand, the impetus for a government-linked organisation to disassociate with a perceived racist is definitely stronger."
Singapore Human Resource Institute Executive Director David Ang noted that the termination of an employee without any notice is rare. And in most circumstances, a formal disciplinary enquiry is warranted if an employer wants to dismiss an employee on disciplinary grounds, he said.
Responding to TODAY's queries, an NTUC spokesperson rejected suggestions that Ms Cheong was sacked due to public pressure. Ms Cheong had violated the terms and conditions of employment, which require "our staff to uphold professional decorum at all times so as not to cause disrepute or damage to NTUC's interest, image and credibility", the spokesperson said. An investigation was conducted to ascertain the facts, she added.
On its social media policy, the NTUC spokesperson said that under its employment terms and conditions, "all staff shall observe proper decorum in their communication to the external public at large and to all forms of media". She added that it was not aware of previous instances where Ms Cheong had made comments of a similar nature.
On its social media policy, the NTUC spokesperson said that under its employment terms and conditions, "all staff shall observe proper decorum in their communication to the external public at large and to all forms of media". She added that it was not aware of previous instances where Ms Cheong had made comments of a similar nature.
Sacking Amy Cheong "one of the most difficult decisions I have to make": Lim Swee Say
TODAY, 9 Oct 2012
NTUC's secretary-general Lim Swee Say spoke to reporters today about the NTUC's decision to sack Ms Amy Cheong, whose offensive Facebook post on Malay weddings at void decks went viral. He was speaking on the sidelines of an event at Pei Chun Public School.
Here is the transcript of Mr Lim's comments, provided by Channel NewsAsia:
"There is no such thing as a private space in the social media. In fact, social media is public. Therefore, it is important that whatever we say and express in the social media should be done knowing that it would become public.
For this episode, as an employer, it was not a decision [to terminate Amy Cheong's services] that we take lightly. To me, it was one of the most difficult decisions I have to make as SG of NTUC because it is going to have a tremendous impact on her - to lose her job in just over 24 hours.
But, at the same time, it is important that the Labour Movement uphold the core values and beliefs that we have in terms of inclusiveness and racial harmony. In terms of labour leadership, union membership and our role in the community, we are a firm believer of inclusiveness and multi-racialism, and ALL CAN.
This is a painful experience for NTUC to go through. Also, we should spare a thought for Amy and the pain that she is going through. Through some counseling, she has realised the grave mistake, apologised to the public and appeal to them to find somewhere in their heart to forgive her.
As her former employer, I must say that I did what we had to do. However, I do feel the pain that she is going through. I appeal to the public to go beyond this. This episode not about Amy Cheong or NTUC. As one of my Facebook fan says, the sooner we forget about the name and person, and remember the lesson we learn, the better it is for everyone.
I really hope something good would come out from this episode. Let us as a community come together to learn to make use of the social media in a positive way. Social media is neutral, any technology is neutral. Social media can play a positive role in our society or it can lead to negative consequences depending on how we make use of this platform. I sincerely hope that all of us can make use of social media in a positive way. Let us draw out the positive energy of the community and move forward together so that Singapore can be a better place for everyone."
Q: Was other cause of action considered, like suspension or demotion?
"In my statement yesterday, I made it very clear that inclusiveness is at the heart of the Labour Movement. I don't want to go back and talk about this [the course of action taken] again as it seems that we are still going after 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."
Q: How would NTUC handle such a situation if it happens again?
"I would say that every case is different and we have to look at each case and its circumstances. There is no one way of dealing with the issue. To me, how we deal with the issue in the future is secondary. More importantly, we should ask ourselves what lessons we can learn together as a Labour Movement, a community, and a nation.
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."
Totally proud of Singapore's diversity: Tan Chuan-Jin
Channel NewsAsia, 8 Oct 2012
Acting Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin says he is "totally proud" of Singapore's diversity - sounds, smoke and all - as it is part of the country's colourful tapestry.
Sharing his thoughts on Twitter and Facebook on Monday, Mr Tan said he embraces and celebrates Singapore's diversity.
Channel NewsAsia, 8 Oct 2012
Acting Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin says he is "totally proud" of Singapore's diversity - sounds, smoke and all - as it is part of the country's colourful tapestry.
Sharing his thoughts on Twitter and Facebook on Monday, Mr Tan said he embraces and celebrates Singapore's diversity.
"As I write this, prayers from Masjid Omar Kampong Melaka, our oldest mosque in Singapore, are being broadcast. This is part of our life. It is part of our landscape... together with the burning of offerings, void deck funerals and weddings, increased parking during Friday prayers or Sunday morning worship," he said in a Facebook post.
He acknowledged that there are many of such activities that can seem to "intrude" into the personal space of residents.
He said individuals write in to complain but stressed that the reactions of some individuals do not reflect the values of the rest.
"But we all give and take. Most live and let live. Many are proud of this colourful tapestry that we have here. This is part of what it means to be Singaporean," said Mr Tan, who is also the Senior Minister of State for National Development.
His post was accompanied by a report on the sacking of an assistant director of the membership department of the National Trades Union Congress, Ms Amy Cheong.
She was sacked by NTUC on Monday, a day after she posted offensive remarks on Malay weddings at the void deck on her personal Facebook page.
Netizens urged to be responsible
By S Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia, 8 Oct 2012
Singapore's newly formed Media Literacy Council said people who create and share information, whether they are professionals, social media users or bloggers, need to reflect on the ethics and implications of their words or actions.
By S Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia, 8 Oct 2012
Singapore's newly formed Media Literacy Council said people who create and share information, whether they are professionals, social media users or bloggers, need to reflect on the ethics and implications of their words or actions.
The council's vice chairman, Carmee Lim, said this is an especially crucial component in media literacy because of the multiplier effects of online communications.
She was responding to queries from Channel NewsAsia in the wake of former NTUC assistant director Amy Cheong's inappropriate comments on Facebook.
She said the values and practices of the online world are not unique.
She explained: "In the real world where there is a great deal of personal contact, we rapidly learn that certain types of behaviour are frowned upon and there is a cost to such behaviour. The same should apply online.
"In this instance, the comments were unacceptable in our multi-racial society; but there are also many other instances where netizens should consider the impact of their words on individuals, or corporations, and the potential liabilities to themselves.
"Responsibility and empathy are values that people should universally apply, and especially online, because the impact of the words are easily amplified."
Ms Lim said netizens who encounter irresponsible and inappropriate online behaviour should continue to register their stand by flagging out such comments as unacceptable and that social media and forum operators should also take heed of the community's feedback.
Police report lodged against ex-NTUC staff's Facebook post
By S Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia, 8 Oct 2012
A grassroots leader from the Hougang single-member constituency has made a police report against former NTUC employee Amy Cheong for her racist remarks which were posted on Facebook.
By S Ramesh, Channel NewsAsia, 8 Oct 2012
A grassroots leader from the Hougang single-member constituency has made a police report against former NTUC employee Amy Cheong for her racist remarks which were posted on Facebook.
The secretary of the division's inter-racial confidence circle, Lionel de Souza, has posted his police report on his Facebook page.
He told Channel NewsAsia that he lived through the racial riots in Singapore and felt such remarks should never be allowed to be made here.
In his police report, he said that the remarks made by Amy Cheong were calculated to promote enmity between different groups on the grounds of race.
He added in his complaint that this was prejudicial to maintaining racial harmony in Singapore.
Police have confirmed on Monday that reports on the Facebook posting have been lodged and are looking into the matter.
Amy Cheong says sorry for Facebook post
Amy Cheong says sorry for Facebook post
Channel NewsAsia, 8 Oct 2012
The woman who posted offensive comments on her personal Facebook page on Malay weddings at void decks said she's terribly sorry.
The woman who posted offensive comments on her personal Facebook page on Malay weddings at void decks said she's terribly sorry.
Ms Amy Cheong said in a statement on Monday that she's aware of the pain she has caused through her insensitive remarks on social media.
She said: "Please see me as a person offering my most sincere apology."
Ms Cheong said there was no racism intended in her posts.
She said she was trying to rest and the noise was affecting her greatly; and she understands that this was not a valid reason to post the comments.
She added that she was wrong and repentant.
Ms Cheong said as soon as she realised how it has affected Singaporeans, she promptly took down her posts and apologised through Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp.
Ms Cheong, who was an assistant director of the Membership Department in the National Trades Union Congress, was sacked on Monday, a day after she made her posts on Facebook.
Social media experts have also weighed in on the incident.
Many said Singaporeans should be extra careful on what they post online, as it could lead to unfavourable consequences.
Director of Singapore Internet Research Centre at Nanyang Technological University, Professor Ang Peng Hwa, said: "In this case because the community reacted, in a way she has been punished. Because people sort of know now, this lady probably wouldn't be hired for a frontline job."
Professor Ang, who is also a member of the Media Literacy Council, said such incidents will likely occur again.
He urged netizens to be extra careful with what they post.
Ms Cheong's posts also led to netizens expressing frustration over her insensitive comments.
Just before 9am on Monday, a Facebook page called "Fire Amy Cheong" was created, garnering thousands of "likes".
At 11am, Channel NewsAsia received about a hundred comments online, to the post that NTUC was investigating the incident.
The majority were appalled by Ms Cheong's remarks about Malay weddings at void decks.
News of Ms Cheong's sacking led to over 4,000 "likes" on the Channel NewsAsia Facebook page, where some expressed shock, while others respected NTUC's "swift decision".
Noordin Mohd said Singaporeans must "respect each other's culture and religion in order to have peace and harmony". He added they must learn to be tolerant, "otherwise the repercussions can be devastating".
Shaharina Ahmad said Ms Cheong should not have posted such comments as when one posts something on Facebook, it is meant to be shared. She added schools should also perhaps stress on educating kids on the misuse of Facebook. She said there is too much unhealthy stuff on Facebook and Twitter these days.
Troy Parry said Ms Cheong was just "venting her anger and frustration, as most people seem to do on Facebook". Although she crossed the line with the racist remarks, one should "forgive and forget".
* Amy Cheong gets stern warning from police - 25 Mar 2013
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