SINGAPORE: Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) candidate Gigene Wong has issued two separate apologies after she used a racial slur to describe fellow candidate Ariffin Sha during a rally at Evergreen Primary School on Saturday (Apr 26) night.
In a Facebook post on Saturday night, Dr Wong, 59, apologised for using a term that was “offensive towards our Indian community”, adding that she was “not aware of the real meaning behind it”. “My sincere apologies!” she said.
In a second Facebook post on Sunday morning, Dr Wong again apologised for the comment, saying it “disrespected” Mr Ariffin.
“I also understand that it offended the Indian community. I have been counselled by my party members about the word and now I understand it is offensive,” she added.
“My comments were very hurtful and unacceptable. I am fully responsible for them. My original vetted speech did not include the comment I said which happened impromptu. There is no excuse and I am sorry for all the pain and anger that I caused.”
During her rally speech, Dr Wong, who spoke in a mix of Mandarin, English and Hokkien, used the term “keling kia” to describe Mr Ariffin, and labelled the 27-year-old as the party’s “future Pritam Singh” as he speaks well.
“Keling kia” is a derogatory term in Hokkien that is used to describe Indians.
She also mispronounced Mr Ariffin’s name, and kept saying “elephant”.
Dr Wong, in her speech, separately urged Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC voters to help SDP so that the team contesting the constituency would not lose their election deposits and that Mr Ariffin would not “get scolded by his mother”.
Dr Wong and Mr Ariffin are part of SDP’s slate contesting Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC, along with SDP’s organising secretary Jufri Salim and theatre director Alec Tok.
SDP is fielding 11 candidates across four constituencies in the upcoming polls on May 3 – Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC, Sembawang GRC, Sembawang West SMC and Bukit Panjang SMC.
Eight people spoke at the rally at Evergreen Primary School, which is located in Sembawang West SMC, including SDP chairman Paul Tambyah and SDP secretary-general Chee Soon Juan.
Mr Ariffin, who was not one of the speakers on Saturday night, is the founder of alternative news outlet Wake Up Singapore.
This is Mr Ariffin’s electoral debut, though he was the assistant secretary-general of the Singapore People’s Party (SPP) before he reportedly resigned in 2020, while Dr Wong was the Progress Singapore Party’s (PSP) candidate in Hong Kah North SMC in 2020.
