‘What’s become of our moral compass?’: Stomper calls for accountability after S’pore livestreamers’ vulgar rants
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A Stomper is calling for greater accountability for livestreamers’ conduct after two Singapore sellers came under fire for hurling vulgarities and curses at customers.
Stomper Anonymous said she was disturbed by the behaviour of livestreamers Winnie Heng and Vadalene Eng, who have been at the centre of an online controversy in recent weeks.
“What’s become of our moral compass in Singapore?” she asked.
“It’s alarming to see livestreamers openly using vulgar and degrading language, targeting innocent individuals, without facing any repercussions from the platform.”
Livestreamers cursed customers over cancelled orders
As previously reported by Stomp, Heng and Eng drew flak in August after clips of a livestream showed them lashing out at customers who apparently cancelled orders after a sale.
The pair were upset that customers had snapped up sought-after items during the livestream and subsequently cancelled some of their purchases, depriving other viewers of the chance to buy them.
During the profanity-laden tirade, Heng repeatedly swore at the customers and called out several of them by their TikTok handles.
At one point, she declared: “I curse you from the bottom of my heart.”
She also pretended to transfer the “suay-ness”, or bad luck, in her life to one customer.
Eng subsequently explained that the pair had spent two months preparing for the livestream and went ahead with it despite being unwell.
She said some customers had bought six or seven items before requesting to cancel four or five of them after the livestream ended, and questioned whether this was fair to other customers who had been waiting to make purchases.
Mock apology sparks more backlash
The controversy did not end there.
The livestreamers faced another round of criticism after posting what initially seemed to be an apology.
In the video, Heng appeared emotional and wiped her eyes with a tissue before the apology turned out to be sarcastic.
The pair laughed and mocked the prospect of apologising, with Heng telling those expecting an apology that they could “wait long long”.
They also described themselves as “Singapore’s best livestreamers”.
The response prompted further backlash from viewers who felt they were doubling down on their earlier behaviour rather than showing remorse.
Pair later address controversy separately
Heng and Eng later addressed the controversy separately in more serious videos.
Heng acknowledged that she had gone too far during the original livestream and should not have used foul language or cursed the customers.
The saga also prompted discussion among other local livestreamers and personalities, with livestreamer Jaylene Hong among those who weighed in on the controversy.
‘Prioritise basic respect and accountability’
Anonymous told Stomp she had watched Heng and Eng’s livestreams and was troubled by what she described as their attitude towards viewers who commented on their behaviour.
She questioned whether enough was being done to hold livestreamers accountable for their conduct on publicly accessible platforms.
“As a nation that takes pride in being law-abiding and upholding standards, we must recognise that freedom of speech doesn’t give anyone the licence to harass or humiliate others,” she said.
Anonymous also questioned whether TikTok should take stronger action when such incidents are reported.
“TikTok has a responsibility to take action against such behaviour, ensuring that reporting incidents leads to tangible consequences, rather than allowing perpetrators to continue livestreaming with impunity,” she said.
She felt the issue went beyond the conduct of individual livestreamers, questioning what impression such behaviour could give viewers about Singapore.
“It’s time for us to draw a line and prioritise basic respect and accountability over views and followers,” she added.
“Singaporeans are watching, and it’s crucial that we take a stand.”
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