MP Hri Kumar accuses TOC for running down Seng Han Thong

TR EMERITUS

The Voice of Singaporeans for Singapore

• CHINESE
• COLUMNISTS
  • A – H
    • ABDUL GAFOOR
    • ABDUL MALIK
    • ALEX TAN
    • AMANDA LIAN
    • ANDY LIM
    • BHASKARAN KUNJU
    • CHERYL CHAN
    • CHUA YUAN KAI
    • DAMON YEO
    • DAVID L K SEE
    • DAVID NG
    • EDMUND KHOR
    • GILBERT GOH
    • HURR RIYAHI
  • I – P
    • DR GEORGE LIM
    • JAMES OH
    • KEVIN LEE
    • KHALIL ADIS
    • LAWRENCE PEK
    • LOUIS LIM
    • LOW WEI XIANG
    • NG KOK LIM
    • NIGEL TAN
    • NOVIA LIM
  • Q – Z
    • RICHARD LU
    • TAN KENG LENG
    • WAYNE SIM
    • WU NI-CHEN
    • YOONG SIEW WAH
    • ZAHARA ABDULLAH
    • ZHEN HE
• EDITORIAL
• FEEDBACK
• GE 2011 ARCHIVE
  • COMMENTARIES
  • EVENTS
  • NEWSFLASH
  • RALLY
  • WALKABOUT
• LETTERS
  • CARTOONS
  • COMPLAINT
  • POEMS
  • REVIEW
  • SCOOPS
  • SUGGESTIONS
• OPINION
  • ECONOMICS
  • LIFE STORIES
  • POLICY FORUM
  • POLITICS
  • SCOOPS
  • SOCIETY
• REVISITED
• SNIPPETS
  • BLOGS
  • BOOKS
  • CIVIL SOCIETY
  • EVENTS
  • GOSSIP
  • GOVERNMENT
  • HUMOUR
  • LAW WATCH
  • MEDIA
    • KOREAN
    • TABLOID
  • SPORTS
    • ASIA
    • SOCCER
    • WORLD
    • Y O G
  • TECH
  • WORLD
    • ASIA
      • MALAYSIA
      • OTHERS
• VIDEOS

MP Hri Kumar accuses TOC for running down Seng Han Thong

 December 24th, 2011 |  Author: Editorial

Finally, a PAP Indian MP, Hri Kumar, has stepped forward to comment on Seng Han Thong’s racist remark on Blog TV talk show. This is after the Malay MPs such as Mdm Halimah and Mr Zaqy have spoken against Seng’s regrettable comment.

However, instead of defending the dignity of Singaporean Indians like what the Malay MPs have done for Singaporean Malays in this unfortunate Seng Han Thong’s episode, this PAP MP of Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, Hri Kumar, went on the offensive and criticized The Online Citizen (TOC) for creating trouble and running down Seng Han Thong.

This was what Hri Kumar said in his facebook (Sat morning, 24th):

Hri Kumar:

“A friend of mine asked me why I had not denounced Seng Han Thong immediately on his remark about Indian and Malay SMRT employees not having a good command of English. I told him that I did not have all the facts. I am glad I waited. It now appears that Han Thong was quoting, and commenting critically, on a statement by the SMRT, which he felt had unfairly put the blame on employees.

He had unfortunately also misheard what SMRT had said on the ethnicity of the employees, and thought two ethnic groups were mentioned by SMRT. He made a disappointing comment, for which he apologised. Was his apology sincere? There is no doubt it was. Is he a racist? Any of us who know Han Thong, as I do, know that he clearly isn’t.

It did not help that The Online Citizen gave an inaccurate account of his statement, especially in its headline. It generated anger, and not an appreciation of what was actually said, and the circumstances under which the subject arose. George Cherian, who is clearly independent, took TOC to task for this.

There is no question that racism exists in Singapore. We are not perfect. But we probably work harder and have done more than any other country in the world to ensure that race does not define our society, and that every person, regardless of race, language or religion has a reasonable opportunity to succeed on his own merits. TOC, in its eagerness to run Han Thong down, certainly did not help that cause. I wonder if it will apologise?”

Even if Seng Han Thong has misheard and “thought two ethnic groups (Malay and Indian) were mentioned by SMRT”, shouldn’t that itself raise the red flag and cause him to question SMRT the reason for singling out Malay and Indian?

That should have been his first instinct to react as a MP of Singapore since racial harmony is treated sacredly in Singapore in view of our turbulent historical past. Instead, Seng Han Thong continued to talk about it on BlogTV with no racial sensitivity or remorse in his mind.

Likewise, it appears that Hri Kumar falls into the same group of MPs as Seng Han Thong with zero racial sensitivity since he went on to defend Seng instead of rebuking him in his facebook comment.

Indeed, other netizens were quick to rebut Hri Kumar after seeing his facebook comment:

TRE reader Titiana Ann Xavier: “Twenty thumb downs for Hri Kumar in trying to whitewash his comrade, SHT and George Cherian. He accused TOC of giving an inaccurate account and even had the gall to suggest that TOC apologises. Hri Kumar had joined in the fray to stoke up more racial acrimony. He is not helping SHT’s cause as SHT had already apologised for his lack of sensitivity. It would have been much better if Hri Kumar had kept his mouth shut.”

facebook user Weilun Hong: “TOC made a fair account. Why are you running them down now? The source seng han tong quoted from did not mention ‘Malay’ or ‘Indian’. These 2 groups are part of Seng’s reflex thinking. Hri, you are a lawyer and should know better. This is so disappointing.”

Hri Kumar should just learn from the Malay MPs like Mdm Halimah and Mr Zaqy, who are indeed sensitive to Singaporeans’ feelings. It’s even more ironical that he is defending Seng Han Thong when Seng has already admitted his mistake. So why is Hri Kumar stoking fire by writing such insensitive comment on his facebook?

Rather than asking TOC to apologise, it is Hri Kumar who should apologise for being insensitive to the feelings of Singaporeans, especially our Singaporean Indian brothers and sisters.