Updated: 23/12/2011
Politicians need to improve communication skills
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MP for Chua Chu Kang GRC Zaqy Mohamad says politicians or public figures need to improve their own communication skills, especially in sensing the ground and the sensitivities with respect to beliefs and race.
He shared his thoughts in a post on Facebook on Friday (23 Dec), in response to the outcry on comments by MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC Seng Han Thong in a TV programme, Blog TV.SG.
In the Channel NewsAsia programme telecast on Monday, Mr Seng has said: "I noticed that the PR mentioned that some of the staff, because they are Malays, they are Indians, they can't converse in English well enough".
His comment drew ire from netizens, who perceived it as suggesting as SMRT staff failed to communicate with commuters during the two massive service disruptions last week because of their ethnicity.
Mr Zaqy said in his Facebook post that he agreed that the comments were unwarranted.
He said he was personally disappointed that Malay and Indian SMRT staff were singled out.
He added that he can understand if Singaporeans are upset because he feels the same way about the comments too.
Mr Zaqy said Mr Seng has already given his explanation and apologised.
Mr Zaqy said after reading the transcript, he thinks Mr Seng meant to paraphrase someone else and that the first postings online omitted that fact.
"However, I don't think this changes the fact that it was said and that we should be more sensitive, especially in public forums," said Mr Zaqy.
"We too, as politicians or public figures, need to improve our own communication skills, not just the SMRT staff, especially in sensing the ground and sensitivities with respect to beliefs and race," he said, adding that that's one item on his list of new year resolutions.
Mr Seng had apologised on his Facebook page, saying: "I made a regrettable mistake in my language, which may be misconstrued as me saying that people speak bad English because of their ethnicity."
He explained that the remark was made in the context of a larger discussion about how to improve the current problems with the mass rapid transport system.
He shared his thoughts in a post on Facebook on Friday (23 Dec), in response to the outcry on comments by MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC Seng Han Thong in a TV programme, Blog TV.SG.
In the Channel NewsAsia programme telecast on Monday, Mr Seng has said: "I noticed that the PR mentioned that some of the staff, because they are Malays, they are Indians, they can't converse in English well enough".
His comment drew ire from netizens, who perceived it as suggesting as SMRT staff failed to communicate with commuters during the two massive service disruptions last week because of their ethnicity.
Mr Zaqy said in his Facebook post that he agreed that the comments were unwarranted.
He said he was personally disappointed that Malay and Indian SMRT staff were singled out.
He added that he can understand if Singaporeans are upset because he feels the same way about the comments too.
Mr Zaqy said Mr Seng has already given his explanation and apologised.
Mr Zaqy said after reading the transcript, he thinks Mr Seng meant to paraphrase someone else and that the first postings online omitted that fact.
"However, I don't think this changes the fact that it was said and that we should be more sensitive, especially in public forums," said Mr Zaqy.
"We too, as politicians or public figures, need to improve our own communication skills, not just the SMRT staff, especially in sensing the ground and sensitivities with respect to beliefs and race," he said, adding that that's one item on his list of new year resolutions.
Mr Seng had apologised on his Facebook page, saying: "I made a regrettable mistake in my language, which may be misconstrued as me saying that people speak bad English because of their ethnicity."
He explained that the remark was made in the context of a larger discussion about how to improve the current problems with the mass rapid transport system.
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