The former beauty queen had claimed on a web talk show that she was representing the campaign and “went for lessons taught by Dr KK Seet from NUS, sponsored by the National Library Board (NLB)”.
Not true, retorted the Speak Good English Movement (a campaign spearheaded by NLB).
Ms Jennifer Yin, head secretariat of the Speak Good English Movement, said in response to a New Paper query: “Miss Low was never our ambassador, or our official spokesperson.
“The National Library Board did not sponsor her, because there wasn’t any fee involved at all.
“We approached KK Seet, a good friend of mine, and we decided to help her improve her English as compassionate Singaporeans would. It wasn’t done in an official capacity.”
She added that the sole lesson with Dr Seet took place well before news broke of Miss Low’s brush with the law.
Said Ms Yin: “It wasn’t a proper English language class, it was more like a prep session to get her ready for the Miss World finals in Johannesburg.”
All further sessions were dropped when Miss Low subsequently gave up her Miss Singapore World title and withdrew from the international competition, after the media revealed that she had been convicted of using illegally obtained credit cards.
Her English Language teacher, Dr KK Seet (right), has also come forward to question her latest claims. The NUS Theatre Studies lecturer said: “The way she said it on the talk show, she seemed to suggest that she was still currently taking classes from me.
“But the truth is, I only did one session with her, following which I recorded a cassette tape with sample questions and answers that might be asked at beauty pageant finals.
“Of course, I never got around to passing her the tape.”
Dr Seet is peeved that Miss Low told the hosts on the web talk show that she was “taught to speak with a British accent”, which she claimed to be one of the “techniques” to improve her verbal English.
Miss Low’s tone was a mocking one and she even did a spontaneous, on-the-spot imitation of a fake accent.
“We certainly didn’t prescribe that good English means speaking with a British accent,” said Dr Seet.
He added that he “doesn’t want to judge Miss Low”, but felt that “clarification about the matter has to be made”.
Changed her tune
When The New Paper contacted her over the phone yesterday, Miss Low continued to give us the impression that she was taking English lessons under the Speak Good English Movement umbrella.
She changed her statement and said she is “not an ambassador” with the campaign.
She then said she “is an example used by the campaign” because of her “improvements in the language”.
As for the “lessons”, she claimed that she attended them “on and off, not regularly”, and they were just “casual sessions to help me speak better”.
Whether she now speaks better or not is arguable but the 19-year-old polytechnic student certainly spoke colourfully during the latest episode of web talk show The Shan & Rozz Show, hosted by 987FM deejays Rosalyn Lee and Shan Wee.
It’s an online talk show where the hosts meet and talk with interesting personalities. The previous episodes of this bi-monthly show included conversations with a transsexual, a sex shop owner and a spiritual coach.
Miss Low did not only stretch the truth during the show but also peppered it with expletives.
She had no qualms dropping the F-word twice and at one point, while describing what goes on in her head when faced with “stupid questions by reporters”, she blurted out a Hokkien vulgarity.
When interviewed by The New Paper yesterday, she said she makes no apologies for the expletives.
“The producers of The Shan & Rozz Show said I should be as natural and real as I could,” she said.
“I see nothing wrong with me being who I am. If you read my blog, I use vulgarities all the time.”
She said that unlike joining a beauty pageant, where “everything is very pretentious on stage”, it is the real Ris Low that appears on the talk show.
Towards the end of the show, she strips down to a bikini and shows off a butterfly tattoo near her waist.
“During a beauty pageant, I had to act and always be nice and poised,” she said.
“But if you are looking for a sweet young thing, that’s not me.”
She added that she doesn’t care if people start labelling her as an “ah lian”.
“Many high-profile personalities and celebrities swear too, but you don’t call them ah lians, right?” she said.
“I know I am not one.”
SHE SAYS
“I was some sort of an ambassador for the Speak Good English Movement...”
“I went for lessons taught by Dr KK Seet from NUS, sponsored by the National Library Board.”
“I was taught to speak with a British accent.”
“(Lessons) were ...on and off... casual sessions to help me speak better.”
THEY SAY
“Miss Low was never our ambassador, or our official spokesperson...
“...The National Library Board did not sponsor her, because there wasn’t any fee involved at all.”
– Ms Jennifer Yin, head secretariat of the Speak Good English Movement
“We certainly didn’t prescribe that good English means speaking with a British accent...
“...the truth is, I only did one session with her.”
[email protected]
This article was first published in The New Paper.
She committed a crime, lied repeatedly during and after winning the crown and continues to lie even now. Ambassador my foot, if there is an association of liars or one to promote the F word yeah she can be the ambassador not otherwise.
Honestly think that she got away too easy from her crime and she has not learn t her lesson, throw her into jail for her credit card crimes then maybe she will wake up and hopefully change.
Huh>>??? One year not enuff..it would be better for her to F off from here for good and disappear from the surface of the the earth. I got a feeling she is F siao! .....Shock shock one......
She need to got o IMH to have her F brain check!!!
:D
She is just one of our youngest generation that still growing up and also trying to figure out the real world.
I believed if her friends are good enough to console her on what she had lost but also mark up her mind if she really want to be matured in her coming years. Else, her parents will require to take up more effort in educating Ris to differentiate the black & white world. If dont, then it is an pity ending for her.
Whether how bad in real world, but one's mentality, integrity must be there. There is good and bad Ah Lian, Ris is now at bad Ah Lian now if she is still Naive. Knowing Hokkien vulgarity is nothing wrong but must only be used to defeat bad people and must also know how to develope maturely by not .....
She not only need to improve her speech, she got to mature up too!
The way she thinks and speaks are way too immature and childish. Being what she was supposed to be (Miss Singapore), she shouldn't use any expletives. She must understand her roles and responsibilities, which she has no idea. And telling all these lies just to gain attention, which will definitely get exposed in no time, is sure way to tell everyone, something is really wrong in her mind.
Her parents must be feeling so shameful and have no idea where to hide their faces now. I pity her parents.. really.
http://www.clicknetwork.tv/watch.aspx?c=5&p=16
To the media:- How about trying a different angle? Get Ris' mama to speak on how she TRY to cope with this compulsive-lying-daughter of hers who will do anything to be on any media?
To Ris Low:- Get a life. You lie, steal, badmouth, strip, all to get nothing but small online media to cover your nonsense. End of day you still have zero media value. Plus negative value for Speak-good-English Movement. PATHETIC!