Fickle & Innocent Singapore

WELCOME TO EDITION 825 of GRAPEVINE

Singapore Health Minister ONG Ye Kung, the snow-white, most innocent, trusting politician in the world

When restrictions were eased 11 days ago on Monday 12 July 2021 to allow for up to 5 people to dine together in Singapore, this is what Minister of Health ONG Ye Kung (a member of the country’s Covid Multi-Task Force) said two days later – Wednesday 14 July – after new, troubling infections were attributed to KTV lounges:

“There will be no changes to safety measures despite the spike. We thought long and hard about it, and given that we are in a much more resilient position than before. So as for now, we will keep the rules that have come into effect since Monday. There will not be any reversal.”

Two days later, the afternoon of Friday 16 July 2021, the Singapore Government announced new restrictions.

From Monday 19 July, only 2 people will be allowed to dine together. If 5, all have to be vaccinated.

A day later, Tuesday 20 July, came yet another announcement:

No in-dining in hawker centres, coffeeshops, food courts or restaurants from 22 July to 18 August 2021.

Welcome to Fickle Singapore!

After it was discovered some KTV lounges were the source of new infections, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung said:

“We knew about cases like that happening in Korea, in Hong Kong. Nightlife (means) people coming very close together, some with hostesses, and leading to big clusters. So we have never allowed such activities for more than one year.” 

In order to help KTV lounges tide through tough times, the Singapore Government allowed them to “pivot” to F & B activities instead of operating as KTV lounges.

Before and after marketing material of Club de Zara pivoting to Restaurant de Zara

Ong Ye Kung does not seem aware there are real KTV lounges catering to family and groups of colleagues and friends, and KTB lounges which are really girly bars.

(He could had just asked the Police or Vice Squad which are which. In fact, they can also tell – perhaps even down to every individual house in Geylang – which is a brothel and which a private residence).

Just as there are genuine and fake KTV lounges, there are also real and fake Chateau Lafite Rothschild and Romanee-Conti; real and fake LV bags; good and corrupt politicians; honest and cheating businessmen (including Singapore’s very own alleged fraudsters NG Yu Zhi of Envy Asset Management and LIM Oon Kuin of oil trading company Hin Leong).

Ong Ye Kung must be the most snow-white, innocent, trusting politician in the world when he said he was “disappointed” those KTV lounges did not follow the rules.

Did he actually imagine they were going to become genuine food and beverage outlets selling delicious Hainanese Chicken Rice, Char Kway Teow, Laksa, Fish-Head Bee Hoon, or Michelin-starred cuisine even as their hostesses transition into waitresses offering service worthy of Singapore Airlines?

Did Ong Ye Kung also imagine Singaporean families and foodies were going to form a beeline outside basement and upper-floor KTV lounges in Selegie, Golden Mile, Lavender Street, Textile Centre, etc., to savour a wholesome, new culinary experience?

Welcome to Innocent Singapore!!

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