CH’NG Poh Tiong
Problems for Singapore Press Holdings
CEO of Singapore Press Holdings NG Yat Chung apologized on Saturday 8 May 2021.
A day after a vast number of civic-, fair-minded Singaporeans took umbrage at him, for him taking umbrage at the innocent question a young woman journalist posed during a news conference.
Apart from the harsh tone in his reply and intimidating the young woman by wagging his fingers at her, Ng was essentially scolding a guest he had invited to the event he was hosting.
The apology:
“I had stood up for SPH Media’s long-cherished editorial integrity and will continue to do so. Being a direct and blunt-speaking person, I apologise for any offence I might have caused and regret any distraction from the merits of the proposed restructuring”
Someone Owes Her an Apology
- This is an “apology to the open air”. It would be like someone saying “I apologise to all the people I have offended in my life”. This type of apology disappears like the wind
- For an apology to be truly genuine, we apologise to the person we have hurt and offended, not issue a grab-all “open air” apology
- An “open air” apology takes place when a person is caught out. It is a reaction to being discovered. Because we now appear bad in the eyes of civil, and civic-minded people
- Even when making his “open air” apology, Ng Yat Chung still made excuses for himself. Trying to justify his outburst because he is “a direct and blunt-speaking person”
- If Ng Yat Chung is so rude to a young journalist from a rival media outlet, how does he treat the hundreds of journalists who work for Singapore Press Holdings of which he is CEO?
- Does SPH have an inventory of the occasions he has taken umbrages in his workplace?
Singapore Press Holdings is Singapore’s principal news gatherer and disseminator.
PROBLEMS FOR SPH
- Is SPH standing by the callous behaviour of NG Yat Chung?
- Is SPH going to insist he apologise to the hapless young woman journalist CHEW Hui Min?
- Singapore Press Holdings – through its main news daily the Straits Times – has an outreach called “Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund”
- Does SPH still have the integrity to ask the Singapore public for donations when their CEO behaved in a way no school children should ever emulate, or have to tolerate from an adult?
