SINGAPORE: In a Facebook post on Wednesday (Nov 12), veteran diplomat Tommy Koh expressed dissatisfaction with how billionaire hotelier Ong Beng Seng has been portrayed in news reports.
In his post, which has been widely commented on and shared, Prof Koh wrote: “I am not happy with the way the media has reported on Ong Beng Seng. He is a good man and not a bad man, and we should not demonise him. He has made enormous contributions to Singapore in the hospitality industry, the entertainment industry, and the real estate industry. He brought the F1 to Singapore. When I was the chairman of the National Arts Council, I requested him to join my board. When he brought Pavarotti to perform in Singapore, he donated the entire proceeds of the concert to NAC. He asked for nothing in return, and I gave him nothing in return except my friendship and gratitude.”
What he wrote has since sparked a debate, with some agreeing with Prof Koh that Mr Ong should not be disparaged by the press. Others, however, argued back.
Some commenters pointed out that a person’s character is not simply either good or bad, and that people are made up of both.
Prof Koh’s post comes in the wake of the announcement from the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) on Monday (Nov 10) regarding Ong’s permanent resident status.
Saying that his PR status would not be revoked, the ICA added that he was issued a letter of warning “to put him on notice that any future adverse conduct” would render him liable for its revocation.
In August, Ong, 79, was fined S$30,000 after he pleaded guilty in a graft case. Due to his ill health, he was fined in lieu of a prison sentence. The prosecution and defence agreed to grant him judicial mercy, although he could have been jailed for up to seven years.
In August, a spokesperson for the ICA said that the status of permanent residents convicted of an offence in Singapore would be reviewed since they had “been convicted and sentenced.”
Ong had been charged in connection with the case of former Transport Minister S Iswaran, who was jailed last year for obtaining valuable items as a public servant. Between November 2015 and December 2022, he accepted from Ong items worth more than S$384,000.
Here’s what some Facebook users had to say about Prof Koh’s post.
“Prof, what do you mean by not happy with the REPORTING? It’s a straightforward news report. In fact, it didn’t even have background on his past history with the Lees on Nassim condos! Which would be legitimate backgrounding,” commented journalist Bertha Henson.
“I respect Prof Tommy Koh’s loyalty and appreciation for Ong Beng Seng’s contributions to Singapore — from the arts to the F1, but good deeds don’t cancel out wrongdoing.
Giving discounts to the powerful or offering favours to ministers cannot be justified by past generosity. Public kindness does not erase private misconduct.
Singapore’s integrity depends on one standard for all — no matter how rich, well-connected, or well-meaning. We can honour past contributions and still demand accountability today,” wrote a netizen.
“There’s a Chinese saying, ‘one misstep can cause endless regrets,’ especially public opinion!” chimed in another.
A Facebook user put it this way: “The problem is many Singaporeans sense a big and growing wealth gap in Singapore. When there is news of a poor worker jailed for giving a small bribe while a billionaire Ong is fined an amount tiny compared to his wealth and given a stern warning, many Singaporeans, rightly or wrongly, truly or falsely, perceive that the poor in Singapore receive worse treatment than the rich.” /TISG
Read also: Ong Beng Seng’s US$ 1 billion net worth and other interesting facts about the tycoon
