Gan Kim Yong’s car selfie en route to airport sparks debate, netizens point out contradictory message
Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Gan Kim Yong has sparked debate online after sharing a selfie while on the way to the airport.
In a post on 12 April, Mr Gan said he will be travelling to the United States as both countries mark 60 years of diplomatic relations.
He is set to meet state leaders in Texas, as well as members of Congress in Washington, D.C.
Source: Ministry of Trade and Industry, Singapore
DPM Gan takes selfie in car en route to airport
The selfie, posted on Facebook, shows DPM Gan seated in the passenger seat of a car.
Source: Gan Kim Yong on Facebook
“On my way to the US. Looking forward to meeting my counterparts as well as government and business leaders,” the caption said.
The post has since garnered over 3,200 reactions and nearly 1,000 comments, with the context and location of the selfie raising many netizens’ eyebrows.
Netizens question optics of car ride
Response to the photo has been mixed, with some pointing out that the post came just days after he had encouraged Singaporeans to take public transport to conserve electricity.
Source: Facebook
Mr Gan was also recently seen riding the Punggol East LRT Loop with fellow MPs to test new trains, drawing comparisons to Workers’ Party’s Secretary-General Pritam Singh, who had been spotted taking the train on his own just days earlier.
Source: @wakeupsingapore on Instagram
Critics questioned whether efforts to take public transportation were merely symbolic, saying the car selfie appeared to contradict Mr Gan’s earlier message.
Others defend necessity of trip
However, others defended Mr Gan, noting that travelling by car to the airport may be necessary in certain situations.
Some argued that his message was about reducing unnecessary car usage, rather than avoiding it entirely.
Source: Facebook
A few commenters also took a lighter tone, joking about whether official meetings could be conducted online to save fuel.
Source: Facebook
Also read: Not your average commute: DPM Gan Kim Yong seen on LRT after Pritam Singh’s photo on MRT went viral
Not your average commute: DPM Gan Kim Yong seen on LRT after Pritam Singh’s photo on MRT went viral
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Featured image adapted from Gan Kim Yong on Facebook and Facebook.
