Netizens react to Minister Wong’s emotional breakdown in Parliament

Singapore’s fight with the Wuhan coronavirus or COVID-19 continued–and Minister Lawrence Wong’s emotions got the best of him during his speech to Parliament.

At a recent speech as the head of the task force handling COVID-19 response in Singapore, Minister Lawrence Wong was moved to tears as he expressed his gratitude for the frontliners and volunteers involved in fighting the disease.

He said, “Words are not enough,” and had to stop the speech for a moment as he composed himself. He asked for a minute while he was crying.

What happens to people who violate quarantine?

What did Minister Lawrence Wong say in his speech about Singaporeans?

His speech thanked all the Singaporeans who were working in their own ways to stop the virus in various industries and capacities.

Minister Wong mentioned first the youth groups who were diligent in disseminating information on safety and the outbreak to isolated elderly citizens. He also praised the government workers who aren’t always visible but are constantly working to adjust and respond to the needs of the fight.

Minister Wong was visibly emotional as he continued to thank all the Singaporeans who have joined the efforts to control the virus. His emotions eventually spilled out and he understandably had to pause as he composed himself.

Meanwhile, this guy boldly violates quarantine and outs himself on social media.

What do netizens have to say about Minister Wong’s speech?

Here are some reactions to Minister Wong’s address to Parliament, and how he broke down during the course of his speech:

This commenter echoed the Minister’s sentiments, and thanked everyone for their efforts and sacrifices.

This person mentioned that Minister Wong still had some “haters” and that they came from a certain age group. The comment also mentioned the upcoming elections, and reminded netizens that even Lee Kuan Yew cried when Malaysia split from Singapore.

Another commenter called out how people always linked anything the government did to elections.

This person was allegedly not convinced of Minister Wong’s sincerity, and said that he should have made the speech in front of a hospital instead.

One Singaporean commenter said that another specific age group in Singapore prefers a different sort of politicians–and that they are possibly not supportive of this sort of emotion in Parliament.

A foreigner who watched the video of Minister Wong’s speech said that the latter looked like he was trying his best and it was heartwarming to see how much he cared.

How is Singapore battling COVID-19?

Singapore has been lauded for its transparency and government response to the disease, but with another wave of infections has arrived in the form of returning citizens and foreign workers. They have made their contact tracing app available for all countries in a show of solidarity to the world as it battles the disease.

As of publishing, the number of cases has doubled this week, ballooning to 558. The task force has assured Singaporeans that they are expanding their contact tracing teams as they anticipate a surge in cases in the weeks to come.

Header image from Channel News Asia.