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In the fast-paced digital landscape of 2025, even the most cautious government officials can find themselves embroiled in social media controversies.
The recent Facebook incident involving Ministers Tan Kiat How and Vivian Balakrishnan serves as a perfect case study in what can go wrong with a single errant thumb movement.
One moment, you’re casually scrolling through your feed after a long day of parliamentary sessions; the next, your account has somehow endorsed content criticizing government policies that has opposition parties and online commentators in a frenzy.
What transpired was nothing short of a textbook example of digital crisis management—from the mysterious appearance of likes on posts questioning ministerial decisions to their equally mysterious disappearance once screenshots began circulating on HardwareZone forums and Reddit threads.
For those unfamiliar with this particular saga, suffice it to say that our esteemed ministers demonstrated that even Harvard educations and technological savvy provide no immunity to the pitfalls of Facebook’s deceptively simple interface.
In the spirit of public service, I present this comprehensive guide for any current or aspiring politicians who might someday find themselves in similar circumstances.
After all, in Singapore’s meritocratic society, we believe in learning from others’ experiences—especially when those experiences provide such entertaining lessons in damage control.
CASE STUDY: The Ministerial Social Media Crisis
When Disaster Strikes
So it’s happened—you’ve been alerted to an unfortunate social media interaction made by your account. Perhaps your phone was unlocked during a Cabinet WhatsApp group discussion, or maybe Facebook’s interface updated overnight without warning.
Whatever the cause, your ministerial account has now liked content that ranges from mildly embarrassing to politically problematic (such as posts questioning the wisdom of imported foreign talent policies or the affordability of public housing).
The important thing is: it was absolutely, positively, unequivocally not intentional—just like those BTO launch delays that happen to coincide with election cycles.
The Discovery Window
The time between your accidental engagement and public discovery is critical.
Unfortunately, in Singapore’s hyper-connected society, this window typically lasts between 3 and 17 minutes, depending on the hour and how controversial the content is.
By the time your aide nervously approaches you during a void deck meet-and-greet session, screenshots are likely already circulating in Telegram groups faster than tissue paper reserving hawker center tables during lunchtime.
The Initial Response
Upon discovering the situation, maintain absolute composure.
Express genuine surprise—after all, you truly have no idea how this could have happened.
Useful phrases include: “I’m looking into this matter” or “Thank you for bringing this to my attention.”
This look of confusion should be practiced in front of a mirror until it matches the expression citizens make when trying to decipher their CPF withdrawal eligibility.
Success Story: “When screenshots of my account liking a post about ministerial salaries went viral, I simply maintained a look of serene puzzlement that I had perfected during budget debates. The media eventually moved on to more important stories, like an otters sighting at Marina Bay.” – Anonymous Former Minister
The Digital Cleanup
Immediately remove the offending like.
Technology being what it is, sometimes these things happen through no fault of your own—much like how NEA temperature readings occasionally decide to stay below 34°C during heatwaves.
Ensure your team checks all other recent activity for any additional accidental engagements that might have occurred during the same mysterious technical glitch, with the same thoroughness they check your speeches for any accidentally included policy commitments.
The Official Statement
Issue a brief statement citing “technical irregularities” with your account.
Reference the possibility of “unauthorized access” without directly claiming it, allowing people to draw their own conclusions—a technique perfected during decades of explaining why ERP gantries must expand “for the good of traffic flow.”
The statement should convey that you take your social media responsibility seriously, hence the immediate security review you’re now implementing with all the urgency of addressing Orchard Road flooding.
Strategic Communication Pause
Allow a 24-48 hour cooling period on the specific topic, approximately the same time citizens need to cool down after a new round of GST increases.
Continue regular posts about your ministerial duties, particularly those involving community service.
This demonstrates that you are too busy serving Singaporeans to be distracted by trivial social media matters or questions about your recent overseas study trip to Silicon Valley during Parliamentary recess.
The Positive Media Flood
Your communications team should now deploy a series of pre-planned positive stories.
These might include your participation in community improvement initiatives, educational outreach programs, or candid moments with constituents, preferably eating at hawker centres where you definitely know the price of cai png with three vegetables and can order in dialect.
The ratio should be approximately 5:1 positive stories to each negative mention of the incident in the news cycle.
Success Story: “After my unfortunate Facebook incident involving a post questioning TraceTogether data usage, I immediately appeared at three nursing homes, two school openings, and took a publicised MRT ride during off-peak hours. The media was so busy covering my community engagement they forgot about the whole incident.” – Minister of Something Important
The Graceful Closure
After sufficient time has passed (approximately one news cycle or three days—whichever is shorter), make one final reference to the incident framed as a learning opportunity about digital literacy.
Position yourself as relatable by acknowledging that technology presents challenges for everyone, while subtly reinforcing that the incident was clearly a technical anomaly beyond your control, much like those mysterious forces that cause escalators at MRT stations to be perpetually under maintenance in exactly the direction you need to travel.
What NOT To Do: Cautionary Tales
The Overexplanation
Do not, under any circumstances, provide detailed explanations of what happened. Remember Minister [REDACTED]’s infamous 2023 press conference where he spent 45 minutes explaining how his phone might have been hacked by foreign agents interested in his views on local food blogs? Don’t be that minister.
The Scapegoat Strategy
While blaming staff members might seem tempting, remember the 2024 incident when Minister [REDACTED] blamed his “digital communications intern” only to have said intern appear on a podcast the following week. The resulting #JusticeForInterns campaign is still taught in PR crisis management courses.
The Counterfactual Defense
Never claim “I would never like such content” when there exists evidence of you previously engaging with similar content. Minister [REDACTED]’s infamous “I have never used social media for personal purposes” statement collapsed when journalists uncovered his extensive history of liking cat videos during Parliamentary sessions.
The Facebook Like Decision Flowchart
- Did you like the post?
- Yes → Deny immediately
- No → Deny immediately
- Maybe → Deny immediately
- Is there evidence?
- Screenshots exist → “Technical glitch”
- Video evidence exists → “Account compromise”
- Multiple witnesses → “Currently investigating”
- Was it politically sensitive?
- Yes → Full crisis protocol
- No → Still implement full crisis protocol
- Uncertain → Refer to nearest PR professional
Conclusion
Remember, in the high-stakes world of ministerial social media management, a misplaced like isn’t just a technical glitch—it’s an opportunity to demonstrate your crisis management skills.
Follow this guide diligently, and you too can transform an unfortunate digital mishap into a masterclass in political damage control, worthy of its own National Education chapter right after “The Importance of Racial Harmony” and just before “Why Chewing Gum Remains a Threat to National Security.”
The truly skilled minister doesn’t avoid social media crises—they simply ensure that citizens remember the recovery better than the mistake.
After all, in politics as in the Hungry Ghost Festival, what matters isn’t that offerings occasionally catch fire, but how quickly you can convince people it was always meant to be that way.
Disclaimer: Results may vary. This guide works best when accompanied by a complacent press and short public memory.