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Controversy surrounding commemorative packaging featuring Lee Kuan Yew’s image sparks public debate

Controversy surrounds Yeo’s commemorative packaging depicting the portrait of late Lee Kuan Yew, igniting discussions on respect, practicality, and inventive ideas in the public domain.

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1 year ago

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SINGAPORE: A recent controversy has arisen over a beverage packet featuring an image of Singapore’s founding Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew, leading to questions regarding official approval.

On 25 August, a Reddit user shared a photograph of the beverage packet on the social media platform, likening the inclusion of Mr. Lee’s image on the packaging to what they called “a cheap endorsement.”

Furthermore, this raises the query of whether the beverage brand had secured official authorization to feature Mr Lee’s image on its packaging.

Yeo’s, a local food and beverage brand responsible for producing the limited-edition chrysanthemum tea packets with Mr Lee’s image, has affirmed that they sought approval from the authorities for the design of the beverage’s packaging.

However, as per information provided by Mr Lee’s executor, Gutzy has learned that no permission was sought from them.

According to a report by The Straits Times, the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) confirmed on Thursday that Yeo’s had indeed consulted them regarding their commemorative initiative.

This consultation aimed to ensure that it adhered to the guidelines concerning the use of Mr Lee’s name and image.

An MCCY spokesperson directed attention to the guidelines available on the ministry’s website, emphasizing that it remains the responsibility of individuals and entities to ensure that their use of Mr Lee’s image complies with intellectual property laws.

Yeo’s chief executive, Ong Yuh Hwang, stated last Saturday (2 Sept) that the company had consulted MCCY to ensure that its “latest initiative to commemorate the centenary year of Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s birth” aligned with the published guidelines governing the use of his name and image.

None of the 500,000 limited-edition packets of their popular chrysanthemum tea were available for sale; instead, they were distributed for free, Mr Ong said as reported by The Straits Times.

He also noted that in designing the packaging, they intentionally departed from the usual brand identity of the product, which included bright yellow and red colors and the prominent placement of the logo.

In the commemorative design, green was chosen to symbolize Mr Lee’s visionary role in turning Singapore into an environmentally friendly city.

Additionally, Yeo’s reduced the size of its logo and relocated it from the center to the bottom of the packaging.

Mr Ong expressed hope that Singaporeans would view this gesture from Yeo’s as an attempt to unite the community around the significant value of balancing economic growth with environmental protection, which the late Mr Lee had advocated.

Furthermore, Mr. Ong stated that Yeo’s had partnered with various organizations to distribute the commemorative packs, primarily in educational settings.

These partner organizations included Gardens by the Bay, the National Museum of Singapore, Children’s Museum Singapore, National Parks Board, army camps, Safra clubs, and schools.

In 2016, MCCY issued comprehensive guidelines regarding the use of Mr Lee’s name and image, allowing them to be employed “for purposes of identifying with the nation” while cautioning against their use for “commercial exploitation or (to) be assumed or taken to indicate any kind of official endorsement of products or services.”

Yeo’s invites Singaporeans to join the centenary tribute

On 31 August, Yeo’s took to its Facebook page to reveal the introduction of its special-edition chrysanthemum tea packets, known as “Heritage Chrysanthemum Brew.”

Based on the post, this release serves as a tribute to Mr. Lee’s remarkable role in evolving Singapore from a humble village into a captivating garden city.

Yeo’s also invited individuals to capture a photo of their limited-edition Yeo’s LKY100 package and use the hashtag #YeosLKYCentenary in celebration of Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s centenary in September.

This initiative provides an opportunity for all residents of Singapore to join in paying tribute, it said.

The public’s mixed perspectives on commemorative packaging

In a critical assessment, a netizen expressed their dissatisfaction with the concept, suggesting that using the founding father’s image on a perishable item like a packet drink for commemoration may not be the best choice.

They also questioned the judgment MCCY and highlighted the irony of it being distributed for free.

Another netizen questioned the wisdom of using the late Mr Lee’s image on a product to mark his centenary, considering it thoughtless due to the nature of the product being consumable.

They expressed skepticism about the practicality of keeping it as a souvenir and suggested that a notice advising respectful disposal might have been more appropriate.

A subsequent commenter said they acknowledged the importance of commemorating Mr Lee’s centenary but expressed concerns about people potentially discarding the packaging disrespectfully after consuming the drink.

The netizen then expressed discomfort at the idea of cleaners having to sweep such packaging.

A netizen pointed out the practical issue that packet drinks have an expiry date and worries that the packets might be crushed and thrown away since they are not meant to be kept indefinitely.

Conversely, another netizen offered a contrasting perspective by suggesting a solution.

He recommended creating two small holes underneath the packet to drain and consume the drink, then flushing it repeatedly and allowing it to dry.

He propose that this method would enable the packaging to be kept as a keepsake indefinitely.

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Business

Times Bookstores to close after nearly four decades in Singapore

Times Bookstores will cease operations in Singapore after nearly four decades, with its final outlet at Cold Storage Jelita closing on 22 September 2024. The closure is seen as being attributed to high rents, low sales, and rising operational costs, reflecting challenges faced by physical bookstores in Singapore.

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7 hours ago

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16 September 2024

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Times Bookstores will end its operations in Singapore after nearly 40 years, as its last remaining outlet at Cold Storage Jelita on Holland Road is set to close on 22 September 2024.

In a farewell statement posted on Instagram on 16 September, the English book retailer, established in 1978, invited customers to visit the store one final time. “Our happily ever after has finally come,” the post read. “It is with both a heavy heart and a sense of fulfilment that we announce the closure of Times Bookstores.”

The closure of Times Bookstores has been anticipated for several years. The company, owned by regional consumer group Fraser and Neave Limited, closed its branches in Plaza Singapura and Waterway Point in February 2024.

The shutdowns triggered a discussion in Singapore’s literary community about how to better support bookstores.

Struggles Facing Book Retailers

Times Bookstores has been affected by increasing rent, low sales, and rising operational costs. The Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated its challenges, with the business quietly closing outlets at Marina Square and Paragon in 2021.

A key warning came in 2019 when the retailer closed its 8,000 sq ft Centrepoint branch, once one of Singapore’s largest bookstores.

These closures reflect a broader struggle for physical bookstores in Singapore. Rising rent, higher goods and services taxes (GST), and increasing printing costs have driven book prices up, making it difficult for traditional retailers to compete.

Popular bookstore also shut its Marine Parade outlet on 18 June 2023, citing similar reasons, while Books Kinokuniya closed its JEM branch on 9 May 2022 due to slow sales and rental costs.

Future of Singapore’s Bookstores

Following the closure of Times, few large bookstore chains remain in Singapore. Books Kinokuniya, the largest bookstore in Singapore, continues to operate its flagship store at Takashimaya Shopping Centre.

According to a spokesperson from Toshin Development Singapore, cited by the Straits Times, Kinokuniya remains a key tenant, though no specific renewal dates were disclosed. The spokesperson added that Kinokuniya continues to engage with the landlord regularly to appeal to patrons and remain in trend.

Although Times Bookstores will no longer have physical stores in Singapore, its book distribution business, which supplies books from international and local publishers to other retailers, continues to operate.

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Opinion

Are Govt policies and big business interests limiting competition in Singapore?

This opinion piece from Foong Swee Fong explores concerns about how restrictions on private driving instructors and rising COE prices may reflect a broader trend of collaboration between large corporations and the government, potentially reducing market competition and impacting Singaporeans.

Published

10 hours ago

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16 September 2024

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by Foong Swee Fong

The article, “Driving schools fully booked for months; some students paying bots to secure limited lesson slots” by Channel News Asia, encapsulates all that is wrong with Singapore.

The reason why students can’t get slots is because the “police stopped issuing private driving instructor licences in 1987 when the first two driving schools were set up”.

The police cited coordination and safety reasons.

In 1987, there were “thousands of them” but today “the country only has about 300 private driving instructors” as those who retired were not replaced.

With the gradual reduction of private driving instructors, students have little choice but to patronize the two main driving centres.

Thus, their business is booming not because they are providing excellent service at a competitive rate but because their main competitors – private driving instructors – are being reduced with each passing year, eventually to zero.

Singaporeans should be incensed because what the authorities did is anti-competitive and disadvantageous to them, but not surprisingly, this being Singapore, they brushed it aside, accepting it, perhaps, as the price of progress.

It is becoming a recurring trend: Big Business working hand in glove with the government to subvert the free market.

For crying out loud! The police “stopped issuing private driving instructor licenses WHEN the two driving schools were set up!” How blatant must it get before people start waking up?

While ComfortDelGro Driving Centre is part of the publicly listed ComfortDelGro Corporation, which is commonly perceived as government-linked, Bukit Batok Driving Centre is majority-owned by large corporate entities including Honda Motor Co, Kah Motors, and Income Insurance Ltd.

The CNA article then quoted young Singaporeans who say they still want to learn driving despite the skyrocketing COE prices “due to the convenience and option of renting a vehicle” from car-sharing companies.

It then relates the positive experience of a 22-year-old national serviceman, Calvert Choo, with car-sharing companies, about the price of rental and its convenient location near his HDB block, about Tribecar and GetGo, ending by saying that other reasons for learning to drive
include working in the ride-hailing and delivery industry.

I can’t help but sense that Big Business, with the government, is again trying to subvert the market:

In 2012, taxis were exempted from the COE bidding process to prevent them from driving up Category A COE prices. Instead, they pay the Prevailing Quota Premium, which is the average of the previous three months’ Category A prices at the point of purchase, with their COEs sourced from the Open Category. This arrangement acknowledges that taxi companies are using passenger cars for commercial purposes unlike private car owners, and that they can outbid private car owners.

However, recent trends have seen Private Hire Vehicles (PHVs), car-sharing companies, and even driving schools pushing passenger car COE prices higher, echoing the earlier situation with taxi companies. A simple solution would be to extend the taxi model to these groups. Yet, this approach has not been adopted, and authorities have instead proposed unrealistic solutions.

If COE prices remain elevated, average and even above-average-income drivers will be priced out of the market, forcing them to use PHVs and car-sharing vehicles.

Is this another diabolical scheme to force the people to patronize certain businesses, just like student drivers have now to patronize driving schools?

There are numerous worrisome alliances between Big Business and the Government in our country. They are using fewer generic medicines compared to many other countries in the region, which may contribute to higher healthcare costs. Some have raised concerns about the influence of patented medicines within the healthcare system, potentially increasing overall medical expenses.

As a measure of how preposterous the situation has become, the said CNA article, which in fact is propaganda and free advertisement for the respective big businesses, is published by state-owned MediaCorp, thus paid for by the people, to brainwash themselves!

The Big Business-Government cancer has spread deep and wide. By subverting the free market, resources will be mis-allocated, the poor will be poorer, a large chunk of the middle class will become the new poor, and the rich will be richer, thus tearing society apart.

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