歉意？

令人感到意外（但并没有惊喜） - 联合早报居然也有“表示歉意”的时候。

事情的经过是这样的：

根据TR Emeritus (TRE)的网上信息报道：在后港区补选期间，联合早报记者蔡永伟在他的报道文章（20.5.2012）“后港补选并非捍卫民主之战”的附图（照片）底下解说里，如此说道：“李显龙总理（右一）昨天走访后港选区时，受到一批正向志愿福利团体领取干粮的居民热烈欢迎。该志愿团体和工人党合作，定期在租屋底层分发干粮给贫困居民 …………………..” 。

因为“该志愿团体和工人党合作”这句话，引起了“该志愿福利团体” - 快乐天使Happy Angel Seniors Programme (HASP)的抗议与不满。“快乐天使”表明：他们纯粹只是一个志愿福利团体，和工人党并没有任何关系，并要求联合早报就此“误传”（misrepresenting）做出澄清和道歉。

根据TR Emeritus (TRE)的网上信息：当联合早报有关报道（头版）发表之后，“快乐天使”创办人Ms Jane Lim便马上联系并质问有关记者，但有关记者和联合早报当局对此事除了一开始的“不以为然”，到透露“一些内幕”，到“无奈”“承认错误”，之后又“反反复复”，整个过程拖沓了整两个星期，最后在“快乐天使”愤然提出法律行动并“祭出”李显龙总理的名堂之后，才终于“表示歉意” （3.6.2012）。（详情见附原信息）

虽然联合早报破天荒（？）“表示歉意”，但整件事从头到尾，似乎未能令人感觉多少诚意（注），更遑论（如王昌伟先生所谓的）“问心无愧”！

注：错误报导登在报纸的头版封面上端，“表示歉意”却只是在封背底下的一个小角。

原信息

June 3rd, 2012 Author: Editorial

SPH’s Zaobao finally apologies to independent volunteering group

TR Emeritus (TRE) earlier reported on 26 May that a local independent volunteering group, Happy Angel Seniors Programme (HASP), had lodged a police report against SPH LianHe ZaoBao for allegedly “misrepresenting” the group in its news article and had demanded an apology from ZaoBao, failing which it would seek PM Lee’s “sponsorship” to sue the paper

(‘Volunteer welfare group seeks PM Lee’s ’sponsorship’ to sue LianHe ZaoBao?‘).

The report, lodged by its founder Ms Jane Lim, alleged that ZaoBao had “misrepresented” the group insinuating that it is ”co-operating with the Workers’ Party”, which was not the case. The same report also alleged that a certain PA grassroots member had intentionally fed the misleading information to the ZaoBao journalist who wrote the news article and that the journalist had failed to verify the information with HASP.

On 19 May, HASP was distributing groceries to elderly residents at the void deck of Block 2 Hougang Avenue 3. Coincidentally and unknown to the group, PM Lee was also conducting a walkabout with Hougang By-election candidate Mr Desmond Choo in the same area. Both PM Lee and Mr Desmond Choo left shortly after greeting the elderly residents.

On 20 May, ZaoBao then published a news article about HASP co-operating with the Workers’ Party (WP) to “distribute groceries to elderly residents”. This was denied by HASP and Ms Lim confronted the journalist, Mr. Chua Eng Wee, who wrote the article. Initially, Mr. Chua had refused to furnish any information to Ms Lim, but when pushed further, Mr. Chua supposedly informed Ms Lim that “someone within the Grassroots had instructed him to write about this so that they can show to the public that both the People’s Action Party and Workers Party are able to work with each other in harmony and state my event as a Workers Party join organized event [sic].”

Ms Lim and Mr. Chua later arrived at an agreement that a “disclaimer” be published by ZaoBao on the following day to clarify the misinformation. However, ZaoBao did not do so. When Ms Lim confronted Mr. Chua again, she was informed that the Chief Editor had removed the intended disclaimer.

Furious with the rude u-turn, Ms Lim posted her unhappiness over the incident on PM Lee’s Facebook page, REACH forum and ZaoBao’s forum, but the postings on both the REACH and ZaoBao forum were deleted. She sent emails to REACH and ZaoBao, but did not receive a satisfactory reply.

Subsequently, on 21 May, Ms Lim sent an SMS to Mr. Chua demanding for an official apology or legal actions will be taken against ZaoBao. She did not receive any reply from Mr. Chua. Finally on 23 May, Ms Lim proceeded to lodge a police report against ZaoBao.

Ms Lim also put up a notice on HASP’s website:

I wish to state that my volunteering group, Happy Angel Seniors Programme, does not side with any political parties as we are an independent volunteering group and it is unfair that Lianhe Zaobao was able to be influenced by other sources which was not being verified by the actual situation.

I strongly request Lianhe Zaobao to give an apology to this issue and to be publish on the newspaper front page. If not, we will be taking civil action against Lianhe Zaobao and seek sponsorship from PM Lee for the (legal) fees.

Finally, after close to 2 weeks of silence over the matter, SPH ZaoBao’s published an apology about its misreporting over the 20 May article today (3 Jun):

8.6.2012