On Tuesday (Jan 11), Progress Singapore Party (PSP) member Leong Mun Wai claimed that he received feedback from residents, “that some teachers have already practised vaccination diferentiated safe management measures in schools”.
When asked by Education Minister Chan Chun Sing to name the schools and teachers involved, Leong backpedalled and said that the feedback was through Whatsapp and that he would need to ask ‘his’ residents before making a clarification. He later disclosed that the feedback originated from a Telegram group called SG Concerned Parents.
After a terse exchange between Chan and Speaker of the House Tan Chuan Jin, Leong admitted that the chat group messages did not name any particular schools.
Indranee: When you make allegations against teachers and just cast it out there, you must be able to substantiate it
Leong’s response drew a rebuke from Leader of the House Indranee Rajah who admonished Leong for making unsubstantiated claims.
Indranee rose and said: “When you make allegations against teachers and just cast it out there, you must be able to substantiate it. And that is why Minister Chan (had) asked, ‘Please provide me with the details of which school and which teacher so that the Ministry of Education can follow up’.”
She described Leong’s explanation on Tuesday as an attempt to “grandstand” or make broad speeches that have no bearing on the details requested by the Education Minister.
Leong Mun Wai another Raeesah Khan?
In August last year, Raeesah shared an anecdote in Parliament about details of a rape case she alleged was mishandled by the police. She later admitted to lying about the anecdote.
In 2014, Workers’ Party MP Faisal Manap also made an unsubstantiated claim alleging that when he was a counsellor, he came across a couple who were having housing issues and advised to file for a divorce by the Housing and Development Board — so that the wife would be eligible to buy a house under the Singles Scheme and she could subsequently remarry her husband.
He later apologised for not verifying the authenticity of his anecdote.
