Mediacorp has issued a statement saying it will investigate the hurtful contract negotiations veteran actress Jin Yinji had to experience.

In a statement on June 1, the head of studios, Doreen Neo, said: "At Mediacorp, we respect all our colleagues and partners, whoever they are. The media reports about our contract negotiations with actress Jin Yinji are a matter of grave concern for us and we are investigating the specific remarks reported."

The former artiste was with Mediacorp for three decades. She left three months ago after contract negotiations broke down when she was asked to take a pay cut, which would see her receiving only one-third of her former remuneration.

“You could have talked to me nicely”, Jin said. “There was no need to say, ‘If I hire you to act, I might as well get a $50 an hour freelancer’.”

The 70-year-old had made these revelations in an interview with Lianhe Zaobao.

The Mediacorp statement also said: "In any contract negotiation, the volume of work undertaken by the artiste is a key consideration. There might have been a misunderstanding leading to reports that Yinji saw a fee cut in the last financial year."

Mediacorp said it has reached out to Jin and is anxious to clear up any misgivings.

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