MP Penny Low caught looking down at handphone when National Anthem was played

I am sure many people have heard of this incident. At the National Day Parade yesterday, when the National Anthem was being played, MP Penny Low was seen to be looking down at her handphone instead of standing at attention.


This is an utter disgrace to Singapore.


During the playing of the National Anthem, everyone is to stand at attention. We have been taught this since the beginning of primary school. Nobody is any exception to this case, especially the leaders of Singapore. Nothing is so important that it must be done even when the National Anthem is playing. Standing at attention when the National Anthem is playing is a respect to the nation. MP Penny Low's actions simply go to show her blatant disrespect for Singapore. As a leader of Singapore, she should supposedly be "more country-loving" then the common citizens of Singapore, yet if the common citizens of Singapore can stand at attention instead of checking their phones out when the National Anthem is played, I do not see why she could not.


Many citizens have complained about her actions online, criticizing her as being disrespectful to Singapore, some even calling for her resignation from her job as a politician. In view of all these events, MP Penny Low released a message on Facebook, stating this:


"I was so caught up in the wonderful NDP 2011 and felt so proud of being a Singaporean, that I wanted to capture that moment of pride, at the very tail end of the anthem, to share on FB with my residents. If in my enthusiasm i offended anyone, please accept my apologies. NDP is a time to unite not divide. Majulah Singapura!"


Of course, not many of us believe the excuse she gave. Many citizens see it as an attempt to save her skin. However, speaking the truth or not, the way she talks really infuriates me. Let us break it down this way:


She claims that she was so, so so proud of Singapore that she wanted to share this moment with her residents. We give her the benefit of doubt in this case, that she was really doing so, as she said. However, she does not know where her priorities lie! Better said, she failed to "Do the right thing at the right time." 


Let me provide you with an analogy: several workers are having a meeting with the boss in a conference room, with several other colleagues. Of course, the boss expects you to listen to him when he is talking. However, instead of listening to him, a worker is quietly doing some office work.
Do you think the worker is right? NO! Do you think he should have been doing work at that time? NO!
Now, lets say the worker claims "I was so caught up in doing my work, for the sake of the company, that I failed to concentrate on your talk."
Then, this worker still fails to get his priorities straight. So what if you truly are? Different times call for different actions! Especially for MP Penny Low, a POLITICIAN needs to really get her priorities right. If she cannot do the right thing at the right time, does she even have the capability of being a politician? Of being one of the country's leaders?


Next, I move on to the next sentence: "If in my enthusiasm i offended anyone, please accept my apologies. NDP is a time to unite not divide.". Enthusiasm is what we all should have in NDP: a pride for Singapore. Now, she is using this "pride", that she has, as an excuse for using her handphone. It is an atrocity, to even consider this enthusiasm as the root cause for her mistake. Does it mean that, just because I possess this enthusiasm, I will be so muddle headed as to commit such a mistake? Furthermore, does she expect us to feel bad for criticizing her? She is plainly saying "Why are you criticizing me? I did it because I was enthusiastic!" she tells us that she was more enthusiastic then us, because she was not doing the right thing at the right time. I am purely disgusted. She is insulting the enthusiasm that Singaporeans have on National Day. It can even be seen as a further disrespect to Singapore.


After that, she even says "NDP is a time to unite not divide." Now, this statement is trying to tell us "Stop criticizing me, you are also in the wrong for doing so." Excuse me? The last time I remembered, it was MP Penny Low at fault. Is she "criticizing us for criticizing her"? She is at fault now, so who is she to give lectures to others if she already deserves one?


To end it off, I say to all Singaporeans: this message from MP Penny Low, however it already seems to be very apologetic, is in truth extremely far from sincere. If she was sincere, she would not have given her "enthusiasm" as an excuse.


Leaders are to set an example for your people. If you can't even do that, how do we as citizens look up to you? Even worse, how will other countries look at us when they hear of this? I urge leaders to watch the way they act in public, and even more importantly, to the people: choose leaders who really love the country.