‘Rich Sng’ apologises to 2 ministers & NTUC chief after receiving legal letters from them
A Facebook user known as “Rich Sng” has apologised to Health Minister Ong Ye Kung, Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat and NTUC chief Ng Chee Meng for his posts about their photos with money launderer Su Haijin.
In a Facebook post on Friday (16 May), he said all three posts have since been taken down.
Source: Ong Ye Kung on Facebook, Chee Hong Tat on Facebook and Ng Chee Meng on Facebook
Rich Sng makes false allegations about Su Haijin photos
Mr Sng, whose real name is Sng Chia Huat, had falsely accused the ministers and Mr Ng of knowingly tolerating unlawful behaviour by Su, a convicted money launderer who was jailed and deported from Singapore.
He also alleged — without basis — that the ministers had accepted favours from Su, falsely denied knowing him, and were part of a system that protected individuals like him from accountability.
The allegations were posted after photos of the ministers with Su, originally posted on Instagram by former Reform Party chairman Charles Yeo, circulated online.
Source: @toxicstatenarrativeinsg on Instagram
2 ministers & labour chief sent letters of demand
Following Mr Sng’s allegations, the two ministers and Mr Ng sent legal letters to him, demanding:
- A public apology
- Full retraction of his allegations
- A proposal for damages, the proceeds of which would be donated to charity
They also gave him until Friday (16 May) to comply or face legal proceedings for defamation.
On Thursday (15 May), Mr Sng said he had received the letters that day at 12.45am.
Source: Rich Sng on Facebook
Rich Sng apologises in replies to letters
In another post on Friday, Mr Sng said he had replied to the letters of demand, personally writing and hand-delivering the replies to their lawyers as he is unrepresented.
Source: Rich Sng on Facebook
In his replies, which he also posted on Facebook, he apologised to Mr Ong, Mr Chee and Mr Ng for the “distress and embarrassment” he caused to them by publishing his posts.
He also admitted and acknowledged that his allegations were “baseless, false and completely without foundation”.
Source: Rich Sng on Facebook
He has removed the posts and undertook not to make further similar allegations or publish any posts containing such allegations.
Rich Sng apologises & roposes to do community service in lieu of damages
On Friday evening, Mr Sng said in his most recent post that he had been experiencing financial difficulties since closing his 18-year-old business on 1 April due to economic factors, adding:
Since then, I’ve had no income, been managing debt, and doing what I can to remain useful to society.
Thus, he is unable to offer monetary compensation, he stated.
Instead, he proposed to serve a total of 300 hours of community service in lieu of paying damages — 100 hours for each public servant named in the letters.
He also listed examples of volunteer and charity work he said he participated in since 2019, including house cleaning and assisting and donating items to the needy and elderly, adding:
My time, sweat, and labour are what I can offer. Let me serve the people you intended to benefit through your charitable donation using hands-on effort instead of dollars.
Additionally, he invited the two ministers and labour chief to join him for a “quiet walk” on the ground “to see the corners of Singapore that many never speak about”.
‘Not practical’ for ministers to avoid bad persons
In a joint statement on Friday quoted by Channel NewsAsia (CNA), Mr Ong and Mr Chee said it was necessary for them to take legal action against Mr Sng, adding:
While an individual has the right to disagree with government policies, this does not extend to making baseless accusations against policymakers that impugn their honesty and integrity.
The ministers also said political office holders regularly interact with a wide range of people as part of their duties, which is “part and parcel of the job”.
Thus, “it is not practical” for ministers to ensure they do not meet or take photos with individuals who may be or potentially may be bad persons, they noted, adding:
The key is we do not do anything wrong in the way we discharge our duties, even as we make ourselves accessible to all segments of society.
The ministers did not indicate whether they would take any further action against Mr Sng.
Separately, Mr Ng told CNA that he would not take further action against Mr Sng “to close matters and move forward”.
In statements on 6 May, the ministers’ press secretaries said they did not know Su personally and did not have any contact with him before and after the dinners.
Mr Ng said on 6 May that he was at the dinner with Su as part of his work to engage with different companies and private-sector leaders, and came to know about the police investigations and charges against Su later, after which he ceased all contact with him.
After Mr Sng’s posts were published, the two ministers’ press secretaries said his allegations “are baseless and are false”. Mr Ng said the claims are “false, misleading, and defamatory”.
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Featured image adapted from Ong Ye Kung on Facebook, Chee Hong Tat on Facebook and Ng Chee Meng on Facebook.
