SINGAPORE: Ho Ching, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s spouse, has spoken out against a woman who criticized a supermarket employee for not speaking English in an extensive social media post. Ho Ching defended the NTUC Fairprice staff member and denounced the customer’s actions as a type of bullying.
Temasek Trust chairperson Ho Ching emphasized that Singaporeans should conduct themselves with discipline, respect, and humility. She asserted that brash bravado and boastful bullying have no place in Singaporean society.
Ho Ching’s comments were in response to a viral video featuring TikTok influencer Datin Amy Tashiana, who confronted a FairPrice employee at City Square Mall for not understanding English, resulting in a poorly handled fish order. Amy argued with the worker in Mandarin and insisted on reporting her to the management for her inadequate English skills.
The video, now removed from TikTok and YouTube, has sparked debate. Some agree with Amy, claiming that customer-facing employees in a multicultural society like Singapore should have a basic understanding of English. Others, however, believe that Amy’s handling of the situation was less than ideal.
Ho Ching, who disapproved of Amy’s actions, expressed her dissatisfaction on Facebook. In a lengthy response, she acknowledged the frustrations faced by those having trouble communicating with non-English-speaking staff, but she urged for kindness and the acceptance of diversity instead of resorting to xenophobia.
She noted that many Singaporeans, including herself, aren’t linguistically gifted, and that patience and understanding could help bridge communication gaps. Ho Ching also encouraged people to learn new languages or musical instruments as a way to make friends and maintain connections with others around the world.
Despite Ho Ching’s views, some commenters remained unconvinced, expressing their frustrations and feelings of marginalization due to language barriers. Others warned that unresolved issues could lead to the election of populist governments by disgruntled voters.
