David Neo: Idiots?

Following the Singapore Lions’ historic win at the Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong, which sealed Asian Cup qualification for Singapore for the first time on merit, Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth David Neo Chin Wee was seen in a video circulating online telling the players, “It was fantastic, the team was fantastic. You kena pressured by them, all the fans were bloody idiots, end up players also played like idiots ... But you all played like lions.” (Minister David Neo says he should have been more respectful towards Hong Kong fans, The Straits Times, published 19 Nov 2025, 07:28 p.m., updated 20 Nov 2025, 9:27 a.m.).

Firstly, it is disrespectful, especially for an acting cabinet minister. It is unacceptable, even though it was spoken to the Lions in their locker room. Perhaps, it might have been acceptable when a commander is speaking to his soldiers about enemy soldiers in a real combat situation (Mr Neo was most recently a major-general and Chief of Army in the Singapore Armed Forces), although even then it's risky to under-estimate their enemy.

Secondly, the Hong Kong team played much better than the Lions, in my opinion, except that they didn't manage to convert their superiority into goals and a lapse of concentration for a few minutes allowed the Lions to score two quick goals.

Thirdly, does this mean that, in Mr Neo's mind, the fans of the Lions have been bloody idiots and the Lions themselves have played like idiots in previous versions of the Asian Cup because the Lions have never before qualified for the Asian Cup on merit?

Fourthly, what was an acting cabinet minister doing in Hong Kong watching a football game even if it involved the Lions and sports is part of Mr Neo's portfolio? Doesn't he have more important matters to attend to?

Mr Neo took back what he said, according to The Straits Times.

Last updated 22 Nov 2025 11:54 p.m.

Finding Time to Tour a New Bus Interchange

Minister for Transport Chee Hong Tat, Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information Janil Puthucheary, Minister of State for Home Affairs and Social and Family Development Sun Xueling and Director of National Trades Union Congress's U SME and Women and Family Unit Yeo Wan Ling toured the Punggol Coast Bus Interchange on 20 May 2025.

Mr Chee is Minister for Transport. It seems justifiable for him to tour the interchange. But is it necessary for a Cabinet Minister to tour a soon-to-be-opened interchange? Isn't it a waste of several hours of his time that could have been better spent looking after transportation matters?

Or, could it have been that Mr Chee had been informed by the Prime Minister that he would within the next few days relinquish his transport portfolio (this was announced on 21 May 2025), so no better time than now to spend a few hours touring the facility?

Neither Mr Janil nor Ms Sun was representing their respective ministries (at least I don't see the connection); they were present in their capacities as Members of Parliament for Punggol, within which the interchange is located. Did they take annual leave from their paid full-time jobs to tour the interchange?

(I won't comment on the relevance of Ms Yeo's present, other than that she is also a Member of Parliament for Punggol, since I am not familiar with NTUC's U SME or its Women and Family Unit.)

If Mr Chee, Mr Janil and Ms Sun can take time off from their work at their respective ministries to tour the interchange, is it any wonder why our Cabinet is so bloated with so many senior ministers, ministers, senior ministers of state, ministers of state, senior parliamentary secretaries and parliamentary secretaries.