Singapore’s political sagas prompt memes but won’t hurt stability: ‘dark clouds will pass’
- PM Lee has acknowledged ‘no system can be completely infallible’, as his ruling PAP faces a series of high-profile issues
- Citizens unused to political scandal have spread memes, as social media discussions and commentaries in the local media delve into the implications of the sagas for the country
Singaporeans accustomed to a sedate political scene this week have deployed caustic humour to navigate the unexpected intrigue within the long-ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) and the main opposition, the Workers’ Party (WP).
The PAP’s biggest rival, the WP, was battling drama of its own on Tuesday, as details continued emerging in the local media of an alleged affair between two of its most popular figures, MP Leon Perera and youth chief Nicole Seah.
While analysts and citizens alike have been asking tough questions about the handling of the sagas, the scandals have also sparked an explosion of memes and wisecracks – some in Singlish, the local patois – across social media and on platforms such as Reddit.
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Singapore’s political scandal deepens as 2 MPs resign amid separate high-profile corruption probe
Singapore social media researcher Jeremy Sng suggested that citizens were using humour as a “safe” way to poke fun at high-profile leaders and express bewilderment at the unexpected state of political affairs.
