“Coward!” and the middle finger.
These are probably what Singaporeans remember most of the exchange between the Minister of Law K. Shanmugam and the two sisters who had come to see him during the Meet-the-People Session (MPS) on the night of March 12.
The video of the incident went viral and overnight, the sisters Nurul Afiqah and Sabrina were cast as vanquished activists while Shanmugam emerged the victor who won through incredible patience.
But what do Singaporeans really think of their minister?
Shanmugam, one of the most talked about ministers in Singapore not least due to the Ridout Road saga, has earned himself a reputation for being stern and unsparing towards anyone who seeks to upset the national narrative.
Has the MPS incident changed the way Singaporeans view him? Do they see him as uncompromising and unwilling to engage in dialogue or firm and unwavering in standing by his principles?
While the sisters’ gestures took centre stage during the incident and people were quick to lecture them on how not to behave during Ramadan, there were Singaporeans who stood up for the sisters, especially after they published their account of the MPS incident. Take for example, people who thought the whole incident was ‘sus’ and the sisters might have been set up:
Screengrab from @_new_rule_
However, Singaporeans appeared unsatisfied with the sisters’ sharing and postulations that the incident was staged. They gave reasons for the ministers being mic-ed up and for being entitled to record them.
In an online poll, the majority of those polled thought the two sisters were the rude ones.
Screengrab from @sgfollowsall
In another poll on Shanmugam himself, the majority of those polled felt Shanmuam was fair.
Screengrab from @sgfollowsall
Is this a true reflection of how Singaporeans think? How did Shanmugam fare as a minister for more than a decade? Do you agree with the Gen Zs?
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