After Singapore High Commissioner to India Simon Wong won praise, and not just a few hearts, when he traveled all the way to a village in Uttar Pradesh to attend the wedding of one of his staffers last month, unfortunately, circumstances were not as easy for a more recent wedding.
Like many, many other travelers, Mr Wong’s plans were thwarted by #IndiGoChaos, the not-so-fond nickname given to the widespread flight disruptions on India’s IndiGo airline that started at the beginning of this month due to crew shortages and operational mismanagement.
Needless to say, #IndiGoChaos has made many members of the public very unhappy indeed, and an official investigation has been announced.
“I joined the tens of thousands of passengers stranded by #Indigo. My flight to #Deoghar has been cancelled. My sincere apologies to my young staff waiting for me to attend his #shaadi. Lost for words. HC Wong,” he wrote.
Undaunted by the cancellation of his flight, the High Commissioner still found a way to attend the wedding, albeit virtually.
“Distance may divide us #IndiGoChaos, but Spirit #shaadi will unite us. Beta, congratulations, and may your marriage be a happy and blessed one. HC Wong,” he wrote in a post on X on Friday (Dec 5).
In the same way his previous post about his staffer getting married did, the tweet met with a lot of approval from users on the platform, who praised Mr Wong for his dedication to his team members.
“Wong ji for Deputy Prime Minister of India,” wrote an X user, which was followed up by another who chimed in with, “Wong ji silently winning hearts like a true diplomat.”
Another, meanwhile, wrote, “Sir!! You are great!! BOSS HO TO AISA, VERNA NA HO. ( BOSS SHOULD BE LIKE THIS, OTHERWISE YOU DON’T NEED A BOSS). Particularly very impressed by your use ofthe word BETA for your junior colleague. You are an example for today’s corporate world. God bless you.”
“Beta” literally means “son,” but has come to be a term of endearment or affection for a younger person, whether they’re a blood relative or not.
“Okay, Mr Wong, you are the coolest diplomat I have ever seen. Keep spreading love and joy. Thank you, sir,” added an X user.
“You are really kind and great, Sir. They got the best blessings from you, sir, and they are very lucky to have a boss like you,” a commenter wrote.
Others, meanwhile, expressed outrage and embarrassment on India’s behalf that a diplomat from Singapore had been inconvenienced by IndiGo, and some even apologised to Mr Wong.
Last month, so many were delighted that Mr Wong went to Uttar Pradesh for his staffer’s wedding that the High Commissioner ended up receiving multiple invitations to all sorts of celebrations. /TISG
Read also: SG High Commissioner travels all the way to Uttar Pradesh village for staff member’s wedding
