September 08, 2022, 10:20 AM
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Former People's Action Party (PAP) Member of Parliament Ang Hin Kee posted a collection of photos of what looked like marijuana products on sale in Thailand on Sep 4.
Photo from Ang Hin Kee's Facebook page.
He combined it with a caption expressing his "major disappointment".
However, Ang changed the caption of his Facebook post subsequently.
Mixed reactions to Ang's post
His Facebook post appeared to have attracted some controversy, especially since he was criticising another country's domestic situation.
The reactions to his post were mixed.
Some of the commenters on Ang's post were supportive of his anti-drug stance:
Others were critical:
Ang engaged some commenters but not others, elaborating on his position:
Including this suggestion, whose seriousness is in doubt:
However, on Sep. 5, Ang changed the caption of his post.
It now reads, "The content of my earlier post may have taken the attention away from my concern. Glad that we remain focused on keeping out substance abuse", along with a link to a CNA article.
Ang represented Ang Mo Kio Group Representation Constituency in Parliament from 2011 to 2020, and did not stand in the 2020 general election.
Mothership has contacted Ang for comment and will update this story if he replies.
You can see his Facebook post at this link.
Thailand laws and its implications
Thailand has gradually relaxed restrictions on marijuana in recent years, from legalising medical marijuana, to allowing it to be grown at home, to making it legal for growing and possessing the plant for commercial and medical use.
Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam recently said that Thailand's laws on marijuana availability will pose challenges for Singapore.
He said that following Thailand's legalisation of cannabis on June 9, cannabis was "everywhere" within a week in drinks, toothpaste, food and cookies.
"The government then had to try to rein in the effects. It made all government schools cannabis-free areas, it banned smoking in public, it banned sale to pregnant and breastfeeding mothers and so on, and then it moved to try and protect minors and vulnerable populations," Shanmugam added.
Related story:
Top image from Ang Hin Kee's Facebook page.
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