Malaysian actor-host Hero Tai sorry for saying Singapore is ‘man-made’ and ‘too boring’

TAIPEI – Malaysian actor-host Hero Tai has apologised for

comments he made about Singapore

on a Taiwanese variety show.

Speaking to The New Paper (TNP) on Dec 25, the 37-year-old explained that the theme of the controversial episode was “Singapore versus Malaysia”.

Showrunners had wanted verbal sparring between both sides, he said.

Tai had sparked backlash for remarks he made on the Dec 13 episode of Student. In it, guests from Singapore and Malaysia were invited to speak about their respective countries.

Tai, who has been living in Taiwan for 12 years, said: “The entire episode was about two groups of people ‘attacking’ each other purely for entertainment purposes.”

However, he realised that his scenes had been “specially edited” only after the show’s broadcast.

“It looked like I was very dissatisfied with Singapore, but it was really just a performance to suit the entertainment programme,” Tai added.

In the programme, he recommended that visitors spend only two to three days in Singapore “because it’s too boring”.

He was then seen going on to mock iconic attractions such as Jewel Changi Airport’s Rain Vortex, Siloso Beach and Gardens by the Bay, describing all of them as man-made.

The bombshell, however, came when Tai said: “It’s really too much. All of Singapore’s delicacies are stolen from Malaysia.”

According to him, most dishes associated with Singapore such as chicken rice, char kway teow, bak kut teh, Nonya kueh and barley drink already existed in his country long before Singapore gained independence.

Tai’s comments led to a heated debate among netizens, many of whom criticised him. Several said he was desperate for a few minutes of fame, with one calling it “typical sour grapes”.

However, some also pointed out that the hoo-ha was part of the entertainment and there was no need to be so worked up.

One user commented: “I pity him if he had been instructed to make this controversial point, just to improve audience ratings and attract attention.”

Tai, who is expecting a girl with his 25-year-old Ukrainian wife Tatiana Marchyshyna in January, said that he received many messages from Singaporean netizens after the show was broadcast.

He said: “Some just expressed their unhappiness, but there were also many malicious insults and attacks.”

He added: “I hope that both the Internet and the real world can be filled with more love and peace. I sincerely apologise to any Singaporeans whom I’ve upset.”

Tai and his wife, a YouTube content creator, also appeared on Singapore live-streaming platform Star Live to address the issue.

Tai and Star Live’s co-founder, local actor Terence Cao, discussed how netizens tend to only read headlines without understanding the full picture.

Tai joked: “You have about 20 minutes (today) to scold me.”

Cao responded: “Feel free to scold him if you want. But listen to the whole thing before you scold. Don’t anyhow scold.”

Asked about his plans moving forward, Tai told TNP: “I will pay more attention to future performances, but remain true to myself. I will still work hard to do my part as an artiste and strive to do good work.”