David Neo’s ‘Ministers have no time to watch movie’ joke in Parliament draws criticism
Acting Minister for Culture, Community, and Youth David Neo has drawn criticism after joking in Parliament that he did not have time to catch the movie Dear You, with netizens labelling him “out of touch”.
Speaking in Parliament on July 7, Workers’ Party MP Kenneth Tiong asked if ministers had watched Dear You, and if so, whether in Teochew or Mandarin.
He also questioned whether the government would consider removing restrictions on dialect content — which he described as “unnecessary” — and whether it would increase enrolment in dialect classes organised by clan associations.
Responding to Tiong, Neo quipped in Mandarin, “Ministers have no time to watch movies” — drawing laughter from other MPs — before explaining his ministry’s stance.
In a TikTok video uploaded on July 7, user @crystallimlange described Neo’s remark as “out of touch”, saying it was “not a good joke”. The clip has amassed over 60,000 views and more than 280 comments.
‘It’s literally your portfolio, Minister’: TikToker
The TikToker began by saying that Tiong had raised a “real” question about the Dear You saga, which erupted when the film started screening in Singapore on June 18. While the Mandarin-dubbed version was released for general screenings, the original Teochew version was initially available only at selected festivals and niche screenings.
Responding to such a topic can be “tricky”, said the TikToker, who goes by Crystal. She argued that dialects and cultural heritage are not “just a policy thing” but relate to “identity”, which shapes how Singaporeans connect to their roots.
“This makes it one of the most emotionally loaded things you can talk about in Parliament,” she stated.
She says that by cracking what she describes as a “throwaway joke”, Neo appeared to be trivialising the issue. She added that the joke came across as almost “condescending”, likening it to an “annoying relative trying to make conversation by saying, ‘Oh, I don’t know, I’ve been too busy to watch that kind of stuff.’”
Additionally, Crystal pointed out that the issue falls under the purview of the ministry that Neo helms: “It’s literally your portfolio, Minister.”
She added that Neo’s joke made him seem “out of touch” with popular culture and gave the impression that he “(doesn’t) care”.
Crystal also noted that Neo did not answer Tiong’s question directly through the joke, making it “additionally frustrating for the listener.”
“Jokes should never detract or distract from the message,” she highlighted.
Crystal also pointed out that Neo need not have watched the film. Instead, she stressed that all he needed to do was make an “empathetic connection” by acknowledging why the question resonated with Singaporeans before explaining policy matters.
“Communication is all about connection,” Crystal concluded.
After joking that ministers were “too busy to watch movies”, Neo went on to explain that the ministry works closely with dialect associations, including those that conduct Hokkien classes, to promote dialects and their respective cultures.
He added that these groups “contribute very distinctively” to Singapore’s Chinese culture. Should there be greater demand, he said the associations would be “more than happy” to expand their classes to reach more people.
‘Cold and disconnected’: Netizens
Neo’s remark also sparked discussion on other platforms, including Reddit and Instagram, where many users expressed displeasure.
Many netizens echoed similar sentiments to Crystal's, saying that Neo’s remark came across as “cold”, “disconnected”, and “disrespectful”.
“He just diminished the issue,” a commenter wrote, while another said Neo simply “brushed” the issue off with a “lame remark”.
Several users said empathy is crucial. One wrote: “This is politics, not talking to your staff. There’s a broader impact that reflects your attitude towards issues and they need to be aware of that.”
Neo’s remark also drew criticism on Reddit, with users expressing similar views. In a July 7 Reddit post that has garnered over 90 comments, many described it as “out of touch” and “disrespectful”.
“He is mocking those who watch movies, that they are too free,” a commenter said.
In a separate Threads post, user @seangoh80 described Neo’s joke as “arrogant and condescending”, saying he should have watched the movie in Teochew before addressing the issue in parliament.
Authorities reviewing guidelines on use of dialects in films
During the same parliamentary session, Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information Tan Kiat How said the government is reviewing its guidelines on the use of dialects in films.
Tan said that there is scope to consider how the government can expand the dialects while continuing to uphold the importance of Mandarin.
He added that the government would take into account the different media platforms as part of the review.
“We recognise that the circumstances have changed since the guidelines were first introduced,” Tan said.
On July 7, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) announced that it had approved an additional 100 screenings of Dear You in its original Teochew version, bringing the total number of screenings of the original dialect version to 272.
It is also prepared to approve more screenings should the film distributor request them in response to audience demand, said Tan.
Stomp has reached out to Neo for comment.
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