Singapore foreign minister’s apology lays bare angst over elite school obsession and class divide

Singapore's Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan speaks during an interview at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Singapore August 20, 2021. - Reuters

SINGAPORE, Sept 17 (SCMP): When Singapore’s foreign minister Vivian Balakrishnan remarked on an opposition politician’s educational background to a party colleague in parliament on Tuesday, he did not expect what he said to go viral.

But his asides were caught on microphone – and with the session being live-streamed, an audio clip with the comments “He’s illiterate”, “Seriously, how did he get into RI?” and “Must be a lousy school” quickly made the rounds.