Ms Lee is such a hot potato. She is too hot to handle. Even her boss, Teo Ser Luck had to admit that this was his most draining task by far.
Ms Lee made some mistakes, caused some miscommunication and misunderstandings, simply by over reacting. And she did all this without any help from others. All by herself.
She has caused so much trouble that the very top dog of the ministry, Sports Minister Dr Vivian has to personally take over to resolve the issues at hand.
This is however no small laughing matter. A nation is at wrath. A sport is in danger. If left to Ms Lee alone, she could have make the situation worse. She could be that spark that cause the nation displeasure with the government.
So the government had to step in and settle it once and for all, instead of dragging it further.
And now even Teo Ser Luck is implicated. After this article below was published, with Teo saying this was this most draining task by far, there had been harsh online criticisms of his handling of this matter.
Some felt that this was actually not that difficult a matter and wondered if he could cope with the stress and pressure that comes with the political job.
And if he found this table tennis drama be such a handful, how could he handle the Youth Olympics in 2010?
Anyway, I used to think that Teo Ser Luck was a very cute fella. That was before he joined politics and was working in the corporate world.
But now, gosh, he seemed to age so much in just a few years. Now his face is all wrinkly and dry and old. He just looks like some ugly uncle.
-------------------------
The Sunday Times
31 Aug 2008
Ser Luck's 'most draining task by far'
By Terrence Voon
Resolving the table tennis debacle was by far the most draining task that Mr Teo Ser Luck has had to do as Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Community Development, Youth and Sports.
He, together with Sports Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and Singapore National Olympic Council vice-president Ng Ser Miang, had worked feverishly the past week to settle the disputes within the Singapore Table Tennis Association.
Speaking to The Sunday Times yesterday, he revealed that he went home exhausted after attending Friday's pivotal press conference at the STTA.
'When the whole thing was resolved, I went back home. I put on some music and sat on the floor, not moving, for half an hour,' Mr Teo said. 'Since I took office, I have helped to resolve different issues. This was, by far, the most draining.'
Only the aftermath of the dragon-boat tragedy in Cambodia last year, he said, was more emotionally-taxing.
Paying tribute to Dr Balakrishnan, Mr Teo said the minister's personal attention had been crucial in bringing the table tennis saga to a close.
'Like the good eye surgeon that he is, he saw the issue, dissected the problem, dispensed the medication, and restored everyone's eyesight so that they could see the road ahead,' he said.
As public outrage swirled around the association, Dr Balakrishnan, Mr Teo and Mr Ng spent time speaking to the players, coaches and STTA officials. During the mediation process, numerous meetings were held and countless phone calls made.
Mr Teo confessed that he lost sleep during this period.
Said Dr Balakrishnan on Friday: 'In the course of my interactions with the stakeholders, it's very obvious to me that there have been some mistakes made, there was a lack of communication, there were certainly some misunderstandings, there was some overreaction.'
But as the talks went on, one common ground emerged: All parties wanted what was best for the sport and the country.
Even Gao Ning, whose outburst sparked the initial controversy, cooperated in the discussions.
Gao, Singapore's top male paddler, had suffered a shock defeat in the third round of the men's singles, after his coach failed to turn up for his match.
Said Mr Teo: 'I don't blame him for being emotional, especially after the Olympic loss. But when he cooled down and thought things through, we were able to find a solution to the problems.'
Following the mediation, as well as investigations by Team Singapore's chef-de-mission Dr Tan Eng Liang, it was decided that a dedicated head coach would be hired for the men's team.
No one was disciplined over Gao's incident. Explaining this, Mr Teo said: 'Gao Ning's case is about improving the process, not about finding out who's at fault.'
Following Friday's press conference, the paddlers, coaches and officials shared dinner at a nearby restaurant with their mediators.
It was a fitting gesture to mark the end of a traumatic week for the table tennis fraternity.
Said Mr Teo: 'It wasn't easy. But now we have all managed to cross the finishing line together. 'What is more important now is that the players and the coaches can carry on with their good work in the coming years.'
Ms Lee made some mistakes, caused some miscommunication and misunderstandings, simply by over reacting. And she did all this without any help from others. All by herself.
She has caused so much trouble that the very top dog of the ministry, Sports Minister Dr Vivian has to personally take over to resolve the issues at hand.
This is however no small laughing matter. A nation is at wrath. A sport is in danger. If left to Ms Lee alone, she could have make the situation worse. She could be that spark that cause the nation displeasure with the government.
So the government had to step in and settle it once and for all, instead of dragging it further.
And now even Teo Ser Luck is implicated. After this article below was published, with Teo saying this was this most draining task by far, there had been harsh online criticisms of his handling of this matter.
Some felt that this was actually not that difficult a matter and wondered if he could cope with the stress and pressure that comes with the political job.
And if he found this table tennis drama be such a handful, how could he handle the Youth Olympics in 2010?
Anyway, I used to think that Teo Ser Luck was a very cute fella. That was before he joined politics and was working in the corporate world.
But now, gosh, he seemed to age so much in just a few years. Now his face is all wrinkly and dry and old. He just looks like some ugly uncle.
-------------------------
The Sunday Times
31 Aug 2008
Ser Luck's 'most draining task by far'
By Terrence Voon
Resolving the table tennis debacle was by far the most draining task that Mr Teo Ser Luck has had to do as Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Community Development, Youth and Sports.
He, together with Sports Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and Singapore National Olympic Council vice-president Ng Ser Miang, had worked feverishly the past week to settle the disputes within the Singapore Table Tennis Association.
Speaking to The Sunday Times yesterday, he revealed that he went home exhausted after attending Friday's pivotal press conference at the STTA.
'When the whole thing was resolved, I went back home. I put on some music and sat on the floor, not moving, for half an hour,' Mr Teo said. 'Since I took office, I have helped to resolve different issues. This was, by far, the most draining.'
Only the aftermath of the dragon-boat tragedy in Cambodia last year, he said, was more emotionally-taxing.
Paying tribute to Dr Balakrishnan, Mr Teo said the minister's personal attention had been crucial in bringing the table tennis saga to a close.
'Like the good eye surgeon that he is, he saw the issue, dissected the problem, dispensed the medication, and restored everyone's eyesight so that they could see the road ahead,' he said.
As public outrage swirled around the association, Dr Balakrishnan, Mr Teo and Mr Ng spent time speaking to the players, coaches and STTA officials. During the mediation process, numerous meetings were held and countless phone calls made.
Mr Teo confessed that he lost sleep during this period.
Said Dr Balakrishnan on Friday: 'In the course of my interactions with the stakeholders, it's very obvious to me that there have been some mistakes made, there was a lack of communication, there were certainly some misunderstandings, there was some overreaction.'
But as the talks went on, one common ground emerged: All parties wanted what was best for the sport and the country.
Even Gao Ning, whose outburst sparked the initial controversy, cooperated in the discussions.
Gao, Singapore's top male paddler, had suffered a shock defeat in the third round of the men's singles, after his coach failed to turn up for his match.
Said Mr Teo: 'I don't blame him for being emotional, especially after the Olympic loss. But when he cooled down and thought things through, we were able to find a solution to the problems.'
Following the mediation, as well as investigations by Team Singapore's chef-de-mission Dr Tan Eng Liang, it was decided that a dedicated head coach would be hired for the men's team.
No one was disciplined over Gao's incident. Explaining this, Mr Teo said: 'Gao Ning's case is about improving the process, not about finding out who's at fault.'
Following Friday's press conference, the paddlers, coaches and officials shared dinner at a nearby restaurant with their mediators.
It was a fitting gesture to mark the end of a traumatic week for the table tennis fraternity.
Said Mr Teo: 'It wasn't easy. But now we have all managed to cross the finishing line together. 'What is more important now is that the players and the coaches can carry on with their good work in the coming years.'
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