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Kirsten Han 韩俐颖 Profile picture
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20 Sep 20, 5 tweets, 3 min read
You know you’re in #Singapore when “WE ARE WATCHING YOU” ad campaigns about people snitching is considered a big positive. Calling the police is a national pastime ImageImage
While Singaporeans are encouraged to watch and report one another, who is watching the government, state organs, and other organisations with power?
Just to state for clarity, I never said that people shouldn’t ever report crimes; I’m pointing out that it isn’t great for social cohesion if we constantly promote a culture/narrative in which we are encouraged to monitor and police one another.
A similar point, albeit in a different context, was made in @acadsingapore when #Singapore was considering making contact tracing apps mandatory: academia.sg/academic-views… Image
#Singapore encourages snitching: if you’re not wearing a mask, if you’re not social distancing, if you’re riding a PMD on footpath, if you’re smoking in the wrong place etc. It’s one thing to encourage civic consciousness, but what narratives are we really promoting?

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More from @kixes

Kirsten Han 韩俐颖 Profile picture
8 Apr
When the ruling party in your effectively one-party state country sees its succession plan go up in smoke, you don't wait until the regular Saturday slot to send out your newsletter weekly wrap. Here we go with this week's #wethecitizens: wethecitizens.ghost.io/not-according-…
One thing I didn't add about Lawrence Wong was that he was the minister who talked about "culture wars" when asked about MOE's policy re: transgender students. That's one black mark against his name, although I'm not sure how many (esp. older) Singaporeans would make a note.
With HSK out of the running for the premiership, people are now going to be reading tea leaves and placing (real/figurative) bets on who’s up.

I argued in #wethecitizens that this isn’t the most important question for Singapore.
Read 9 tweets
Kirsten Han 韩俐颖 Profile picture
8 Apr
Heng Swee Keat no longer in the running to be Singapore’s next prime minister. He says the result his team got in East Coast GRC in the last general election is not the reason why he chose to step aside.

Sure thing, buddy channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore…
What’s not mentioned here is that LHL *could* have stuck to the schedule of stepping down in 2022; some have argued that his pledge to remain (made in the middle of the GE2020 campaign) was a response to lacklustre public enthusiasm for Heng and the 4G.
After all, LHL had already allowed the 4G to oversee the #Covid19 situation, which is why we kept seeing Lawrence Wong at those briefings. If there was confidence in the 4G, LHL could have stepped down at 70 as promised. straitstimes.com/politics/4g-le…
Read 7 tweets
Kirsten Han 韩俐颖 Profile picture
7 Apr
Hey @Forbes, please don't let people who don't know anything about Singapore write about Singapore.

During the "circuit breaker" lockdown, psychological treatment wasn't even included in the list of essential services: straitstimes.com/singapore/ment…
Psychology services were re-categorised later in the month, after outcry: channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore…
Written like someone who read some government press releases and websites, and nothing else
Read 4 tweets
Kirsten Han 韩俐颖 Profile picture
14 Mar
‘I feel weirded out by trans people but am too scared to say so publicly in case I get cancelled cos the woke movement has created such a climate of fear” says person who just got her article published in a major local media outlet todayonline.com/gen-y-speaks/g…
The author raises the example of JK Rowling as an example of why she's now afraid to admit that she still has questions and discomfort about transitioning and openly transgender people.
But the the Rowling tweet she highlights is *not* an example of someone who sincerely wants to learn. Rowling was glibly taking a position that trans women aren't women. This is very different from "I'm not well-versed in this issue and would like to know more."
Read 10 tweets
Kirsten Han 韩俐颖 Profile picture
13 Mar
@hamishmckenzie I’d like to respond as someone who has had a good experience w/ @SubstackInc and recommended it to others. I’m doing this publicly instead of via email ‘cos I want to be part of a wider conversation on this.

First: Substack should be transparent about who your Pro writers are.
@hamishmckenzie @SubstackInc Last year, I was a recipient of a Substack grant. This was made public: blog.substack.com/p/substacks-gr… I don’t see how the Substack Pro programme should be treated differently.

This transparency is important ‘cos it shows us who and what @SubstackInc thinks is worth investing in. Image
@hamishmckenzie @SubstackInc I came to hear of this issue after @sadydoyle pointed out that @SubstackInc paid significant advances to transphobic men, which helped them use Substack as a stage upon which to continue spreading these harmful views. I’d like Substack to confirm if these men are on Pro.
Read 10 tweets
Kirsten Han 韩俐颖 Profile picture
26 Jan
Today: A protest by Singaporeans against transphobia in the education system.
They've issued a statement and are using the hashtag #FixSchoolsNotStudents
Within minutes security officers have shown up saying that photos can't be taken and asking them to leave. 2 protesters have left but 3 remain. #FixSchoolsNotStudents
Read 28 tweets

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