Kenneth Tiong, ‘Singaporeans are best served when we can hold 2 things at once: zero tolerance for racism & hard questions about money’
Mr Tiong on the current Air India issue in a Facebook post over the weeken d This article ( Kenneth Tiong, ‘Singaporeans are best served when we can hold 2 things at once: zero tolerance for racism & hard questions about money’ ) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News .
Singaporeans are best served when they hold two principles in balance: zero tolerance for racism and a willingness to ask hard questions about money. This was the message conveyed by Workers’ Party Member of Parliament Kenneth Tiong, as he defended his August 26 post criticizing Air India’s request for an additional US$1.5 billion in funding.
Tiong acknowledged that racism has no place in Singapore society and called the recent remarks "shameful" and "totally unacceptable." However, he maintained that his concerns were "purely commercial" and that the airline's financial troubles warranted scrutiny. Air India, which lost over S$3.5 billion last year and owes S$800 million to SIA, has been asking its shareholders for more funds, a request Tiong likened to a prudent measure for Singaporeans to consider.
He argued that SIA, with its substantial cash reserves and stake ownership, is capable of handling the additional burden, but warned that the long-term implications for taxpayers and the quality of life must be evaluated. Tiong stressed the importance of separating the two issues, stating that Singaporeans must be able to hold both zero tolerance for racism and a critical approach to money matters without conflating them.
Written by urgent.news from The Independent Singapore's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
