'Asking isn’t criticising,' say Singaporeans about questions raised by WP's Kenneth Tiong on SIA, Air India

SINGAPORE: After the exchange between Workers’ Party MP Kenneth Tiong (Aljunied) and Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow in Parliament on Tuesday (Sep 8), a number of Singaporeans online expressed the belief that Mr Tiong had been right to raise the questions concerning Singapore Airlines’ investment in Air India.

Mr Tiong has come under fire recently, after writing in an Aug 26 social media post that “No one, least of all Singaporeans, owes Air India a living. I will not support, nor expect, any future use of Temasek’s funds to prop up Air India via Singapore Airlines. If Singapore Airlines wants to continue its bet on Air India, it should do so on its own two feet, and not on Temasek’s.”

Unfortunately, the discussion online around the report of Air India asking Tata Sons and SIA, which own the carrier, for an additional US$1.5 billion (S$1.9 billion) amid large losses, has been tinged with racism, which many have called out.

Mr Tiong had noted that as SIA has been designated as an important operating entity in Singapore and that it is losing money on foreign associates such as Air India, he asked whether those losses would affect SIA’s ability to provide essential air services to Singapore. And if the losses continue, when would SIA have to notify the Government under the law?

In reply, Mr Siow said that there is no present threat to SIA's Singapore operations. Furthermore, he made a distinction between Air India’s losses and SIA’s losses, adding that Air India's request for capital doesn't mean SIA is legally or financially obliged to provide it.

Also, while, in relation to this, the Transport Minister said SIA has not sought additional capital from shareholders, he went on to appear to take aim at Mr Tiong in reference to the MP’s Facebook post.

“He has drawn these multiple tenuous linkages, dressed them up in emotive terms, insinuated that through SIA's investments, Singaporeans somehow owe Air India a living, and suggested that SIA is not making its investment decisions on a commercial basis, but for some other reason. 

There is no basis for this…. It’s easy to criticise, but I suspect it is much harder for the member to tell us what SIA should do,” he added.

Netizens, however, did not appear to agree with Mr Siow.

“Asking questions isn’t criticising,” a Facebook user pointed out.

“WE ARE NOT CRITICISING, WE ARE CONCERNED…  I feel Kenneth Tiong has a duty to ask in Parliament on behalf of Singaporeans. His questions are valid, which are genuinely Singaporeans’ concerns too,” another added. 

“Sir, just questions only. If you have very good reason, just explain la. No need to tell ppl off when ppl raise questions. Questions make ppl think carefully, isn't it? In school, teachers always like students to ask questions so that there is clarity and they know that the student is thinking right. Aiyo,” wrote a third.

On Reddit, a user on the platform asked, “Why do they keep questioning that KT’s message was racially divisive when KT was clear in his messaging on multiple occasions that he was clearly questioning the risk aspect?” /TISG

Read also: Kenneth Tiong, ‘Singaporeans are best served when we can hold 2 things at once: zero tolerance for racism & hard questions about money’