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Tan Chuan-Jin Apologises for Allegedly Saying “F***ing Populist” After Jamus Lim’s Speech

2023-07-11 , 4:58 pm

Last Updated on 2023-07-15 , 8:24 am

Tan Chuan-Jin Caught in Hot Mic Saga

A discovery by a sharp-eared Reddit user froze the cockles of everybody’s hearts. And it also sparked a major controversy surrounding the Speaker of Parliament, Tan Chuan Jin, who had to make an apology today.

It turns out that on 17 April 2023, after Workers’ Party member Jamus Lim concluded his speech and MP Vikhram Nair was called to speak, Tan Chuan-Jin allegedly uttered the words “F***ing Populist” (most definitely targeted towards Jamus Lim) under his breath.

Here’s what happened.

Tan Chuan-Jin Apologises for Allegedly Saying “F*ing Populist” After Jamus Lim’s Speech**

Reddit user u/Sentosa_Cove_42069 posted a link to the YouTube recording 17 April’s Parliament Session full recording, sharing their discovery with netizens on the r/SingaporeRaw subreddit.

Here’s the thing: they linked the exact timing when Tan Chuan-Jun mouthed the offensive phrase under his breath, and if you up the volume, you can actually hear it quite clearly.

Here’s the video, or you can watch this clip instead:

The post detailed the moment the Speaker of Parliament muttered the “Unparliamentary Comment”, causing the controversy to gain significant online traction.

Tan Chuan-Jin has since apologised to Jamus Lim and the general public this morning with a Facebook post:

He expressed that his remarks were private opinions meant for himself and no one else, though he admitted that he should not have said them out loud.

Tan Chuan-Jin’s Rude Remarks in Response to Jamus Lim’s Speech On Establishing A Poverty Line in Singapore

So, what made Tan Chuan-Jin so triggered?

An associate professor of Economics with a PhD in International Economics, Jamus Lim has always been a staunch advocate of implementing a minimum wage policy in Singapore.

His speech on 17 April was in response to a 5-day debate on President Mdm Halimah Yacob’s Address, which outlines key priorities the government should take when broadening meritocracy to combat social stratification.

In his speech, Jamus Lim supported the President’s call to improve Singapore’s social compact.

He suggested establishing a poverty line in Singapore, which measures the lowest income level deemed adequate in a given country, that is adjusted to the needs of Singaporeans beyond just necessities such as food and clothing.

He also suggested tying a minimum wage policy (yes, again) in accordance with the previously mentioned poverty line to improve the standard of living of low-income Singaporeans in response to the rising cost of living in the country.

By the way, you can watch this video understand why Singapore has no minimum wage:

The Term “Populist” An Insult?

However, Jamus’ proposals in parliament have often been deemed ‘populist’ and unrealistic.

Populist policies refer to policies that are used to appeal to the common people who feel that their needs are overlooked by the elite in power.

While these policies have the potential to garner massive support and votes from the people, the most popular decision may not necessarily be the one that the country needs.

One prominent example can be seen in former US President Donald Trump’s rise to power in the 2016 election.

His “America First” campaign aimed to reassure workers who felt threatened by undocumented migrant workers by closing borders with countries such as Mexico.

He addressed citizens’ concerns about offshoring factory jobs to other countries by pulling out of many major international trade agreements with Europe and Asia, leading to disastrous consequences for the country.

The dangers of populist policies may be why Jamus Lim has been grilled extensively by PAP MPs on his advocacy for a minimum wage in Singapore, with him being chided by Tan Chuan-Jin himself back in 2020.

The long-standing beef between them may have sparked Tan Chuan-Jin’s unsavoury remarks on 17 April.

Tan Chuan-Jin’s “Unparliamentary Remarks” Reminiscent of Vivian Balakrishnan’s Previous Controversy

Tan Chuan-Jin’s apology is an uncanny mirror of when Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan made a condescending comment in parliament towards Non-Constituency MP (NCMP) Leong Mun Wai back in 2021.

He was reportedly heard calling Leong “illiterate” and insulting his alma mater, Raffles Institution.

Balakrishnan has also since apologised to Leong, with Leong accepting his apology.

The moral of the story?

Think twice before bad-mouthing others, especially in a room full of high-quality microphones.