Straits Times or Shameless Times?
ST March 11, 2005
NMP chided for bad language in House
By Laurel Teo
A FOUR-letter expletive and another impolite word blurted out in
Parliament earned new Nominated MP Ong Soh Khim a stiff admonition
yesterday for 'dishonourable conduct'.
The mechanical engineering academic was apparently heard uttering the
word 'shit' once and 'rubbish' several times at the close of a debate
on the Education Ministry's budget on Tuesday.
Her conduct was brought to the House's notice yesterday by Speaker
Abdullah Tarmugi, midway through the seven-hour parliamentary session.
Before debate on the Manpower Ministry's budget resumed after a tea
break, a grave-looking Mr Abdullah rose to announce 'a matter
concerning the conduct of an honourable member of the House'.
He said he had received several complaints from MPs that Dr Ong had,
towards the end of Tuesday's sitting, 'uttered certain
unparliamentary words'.
The 35-year-old had also interrupted Deputy Speaker Chew Heng Ching
who was chairing the sitting then.
'Having considered the words unparliamentary, it amounts to
dishonourable conduct. She has also breached the Standing Orders for
interrupting the chair,' said Mr Abdullah sternly.
Adding that she had 'agreed unreservedly to withdraw her remarks', he
then called upon the NMP to make a statement.
Looking discomfited, Dr Ong read out her apology tersely, from a
prepared sheet.
I have always wished that Straits Times could offer more balanced viewpoints and not just parroting PAP propaganda, however, latest developments showed that I could perish the thought!
When PAP censured NMP Dr Ong for using "unparliamentary" words in the parliament sitting, Straits Times had a whale of time shaming Dr Ong. It had her photo splash across the front page. Its reporter sinisterly misled the readers into thinking that Dr Ong had uttered vulgar words by saying "a FOUR-letter expletive and an impolite word blurted out ..." when what Dr Ong said were just shit and rubbish.
Straits Times really reminded me of the nefarious Gang of Four of the old communist China who went on the rampage of humiliating, persecuting and torturing countless number of their innocent people in the 1970s. It is sad and shocking to find that the only mainstream English papers in our "first world" democratic society could behave like the uninitiated third world.
Straits Times has sunk into an abyss of shamelessness!
NMP chided for bad language in House
By Laurel Teo
A FOUR-letter expletive and another impolite word blurted out in
Parliament earned new Nominated MP Ong Soh Khim a stiff admonition
yesterday for 'dishonourable conduct'.
The mechanical engineering academic was apparently heard uttering the
word 'shit' once and 'rubbish' several times at the close of a debate
on the Education Ministry's budget on Tuesday.
Her conduct was brought to the House's notice yesterday by Speaker
Abdullah Tarmugi, midway through the seven-hour parliamentary session.
Before debate on the Manpower Ministry's budget resumed after a tea
break, a grave-looking Mr Abdullah rose to announce 'a matter
concerning the conduct of an honourable member of the House'.
He said he had received several complaints from MPs that Dr Ong had,
towards the end of Tuesday's sitting, 'uttered certain
unparliamentary words'.
The 35-year-old had also interrupted Deputy Speaker Chew Heng Ching
who was chairing the sitting then.
'Having considered the words unparliamentary, it amounts to
dishonourable conduct. She has also breached the Standing Orders for
interrupting the chair,' said Mr Abdullah sternly.
Adding that she had 'agreed unreservedly to withdraw her remarks', he
then called upon the NMP to make a statement.
Looking discomfited, Dr Ong read out her apology tersely, from a
prepared sheet.
I have always wished that Straits Times could offer more balanced viewpoints and not just parroting PAP propaganda, however, latest developments showed that I could perish the thought!
When PAP censured NMP Dr Ong for using "unparliamentary" words in the parliament sitting, Straits Times had a whale of time shaming Dr Ong. It had her photo splash across the front page. Its reporter sinisterly misled the readers into thinking that Dr Ong had uttered vulgar words by saying "a FOUR-letter expletive and an impolite word blurted out ..." when what Dr Ong said were just shit and rubbish.
Straits Times really reminded me of the nefarious Gang of Four of the old communist China who went on the rampage of humiliating, persecuting and torturing countless number of their innocent people in the 1970s. It is sad and shocking to find that the only mainstream English papers in our "first world" democratic society could behave like the uninitiated third world.
Straits Times has sunk into an abyss of shamelessness!
posted by locky2ky at 11:52 PM
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