Allegations about Sylvia Chan, founder of Night Owl Cinematics (NOC), have dominated the internet space in recent times.
The allegations included the alleged verbal abuse of a talent in a leaked audio clip.
NOC’s first reaction to the allegations in an official capacity was to issue a 4-page statement on Instagram.
sgcickenrice, an Instagram page that first released the allegations was also served with a lawyer’s letter by NOC on Tuesday (11 Oct).
Now, Sylvia herself has released her own statement on her Instagram page, with an apology for her actions.
She also said that she’ll remove herself from the NOC talent roster. The full statement is available on her IG account here.
We summarise the statement after the jump.
In the statement released on 13 Oct, Sylvia apologised for the lateness of her response to what transpired 14 days ago, sparked by allegations posted on Instagram page sgcickenrice.
Although she wanted to tell her side of the story, she realised it “did not matter”.
What mattered most, she said, was the fact that she did not live up to the standards that were expected of her.
“Regardless of the situation or context, I acknowledge that I have disappointed people around me. I did not step up to the standards that I should have upheld, and I have instances where my emotions overrule my better judgement.”
However, she said it was never her intention to upset anyone. Going forward, she shared that she’ll learn to be more conscious of her choice of words.
Sylvia also mentioned that she is grateful to be leading NOC.
With many people supporting and placing their trust in her, she feels apologetic that she hasn’t stepped up to the standards expected of a leader.
Her “biggest shame” is in failing to model a newly-minted culture code at NOC.
That is, “to give feedback openly and kindly and to receive in good faith”, and “to make decisions for the collective good”.
She acknowledges that she failed to provide the safe space for her colleagues to give her feedback.
“I always thought that a leader should be tough and I now realise, that I may have come on too strong, and people have now perceived me to be unkind and rude.”
She apologised to her teams, promised to do better, and thanked everyone for supporting the company “despite the shortcomings” of their leader.
Sylvia also talked about her side of what happened regarding the incident involving NOC talent Samantha Tan.
She said that it “has never ever been my intention to harm, abuse or discriminate against her or anyone”, even though she conceded that it appeared she had been “bullying a subordinate”.
Sylvia explained that she’d been upset because Samantha had a 3-year bond with a government agency, which wouldn’t allow her to sign on as a full-timer with NOC if she won kNOCkout, a reality show that secured her passage in the company.
In her anger, Ms Tan had “vented” to colleagues behind the scenes, to make her sentiments clear so that other contestants could have the opportunity to win.
She reiterated that Samantha is kind and talented, and revealed that the NOC talent had graciously reached out to Sylvia to make peace.
Sylvia also stressed that what she shared with her colleagues do not represent what she really feels about Samantha, but towards the situation.
Finally, Sylvia announced that she’ll be removed from NOC’s lineup of artistes, and agreed, along with the company’s management committee, that she “doesn’t deserve the job opportunities that NOC offers”.
As such, she’ll take “time to reflect”.
As times are already challenging, she hopes that people will stop “attacking or harassing those associated with NOC”.
She also hopes that people will give allowance for NOC to fulfill jobs which have already been booked.
In closing, she said she is truly sorry to all who have felt “disappointed in her” after they had placed their faith in her.
She promised to become kinder, more patient, and more thoughtful.
As a leader, one has to be aware of and utilise management styles that work for each employee. Even in stressful situations, all staff should be treated fairly, with kindness and empathy in every workplace.
As such, many are rightfully angered by the allegations and it is good to see that Sylvia has apologised for her actions.
We hope that Sylvia will learn from this experience and strive to better herself as she has shared in her statement.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from YouTube and Instagram.
The thief left the wallet and more than RM200 behind, presumably to mislead the 72-year-old…
Such poor sportsmanship.
Earlier this year, three managers were found to have made manual updates on a customer’s…
On the other hand, some said they'd prefer sitting next to a massive dog than…
Some sustained injuries after jumping from windows, while others starved to death.
A record of more than 553,000 travellers crossed both checkpoints on 13 Dec.