PETALING JAYA: A leaked audio recording – purportedly of a Singaporean cabinet minister commenting on Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam's decision to wear a mask in a press conference – is gaining traction in social media.
The 12-minute audio recording, allegedly of Singapore's Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing, was said to have been recorded during in a closed-door dialogue with members of the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry.
In the recording, Chan said if politicians in Singapore were to emulate Lam – who wore a surgical mask during a press conference on the Covid-19 outbreak – Singapore's hospital system would have "broken down".
"If we don't issue masks, everyone scold us, say we don't care (sic).
If we still issue masks and give everybody mask just to make them feel syiok (good), because they said Lam wear mask right? Everybody must wear mask right? Today you see newspaper, what is happening to Hong Kong?
"They are down to less than one month supply of masks to the medical people, which means when medical people don't have masks, you think they dare to take care of sick people?
"If we have done what Hong Kong did without thinking ... I can guarantee you today our hospital system would have broken down.
"There will be no more masks for hospitals because people all used up like tissue paper (sic)," Chan was heard saying.
He also lamented the panic buying of masks in Singapore, which he said the government had addressed by distributing four masks to each of its 1.37 million households.
"So what did we do? We took a gamble. To calm the nerves, we distributed four to everyone to use when they are sick or going to the hospital.
"But to issue four to everyone, I (already) burnt another five million masks from my limited stockpile," he said.
Chan, speaking in a distinctive Singaporean English accent, also took the opportunity to chastise Singaporeans who were panic buying for groceries.
"This one ah, I damn ashamed. You know why? Sia sui (disgraceful). We disgraced ourselves," he said, drawing laughter from the audience.
Chan also questioned why Singaporeans had "behaved so idiotically" by stockpiling toilet paper, instant noodles, alcohol swabs and even condoms, drawing laughter from the crowd.
"Our toilet paper comes from where? Indonesia and Malaysia. So did they cut off supply? Why do we behave so idiotically? I cannot tahan (take it).
"Then, the selfish idiot took all the alcohol swabs ... to clean tables. That one people use for diabetic patient.
"Walaoweh, you take that one to clean table and clean finger, I cannot tahan (sic)."
Meanwhile, Chan said Singapore's tourism sector had the potential to grow faster, but had placed a limit on tourists from each country so it would not exceed the 20% limit of Singapore's visitor arrivals.
"You look at what happened to Taiwan, South Korea and Japan, when the market is turned off either for political or economic reasons, we're dead," he said.
Chan's ministry also refused to confirm the authenticity of the recording when South China Morning Post had attempted to do so.
The recording is being circulated on WhatsApp and on social media.
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