Netizens Respond with Humor to Josephine Teo’s Remarks on Pritam Singh’s English Test Suggestion

SINGAPORE: A lighthearted response has taken over social media after Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh proposed an English test for Singapore citizenship and permanent residency applications. Second Minister for Home Affairs Josephine Teo expressed reservations about the suggestion, sparking an outpouring of reactions from netizens, many of whom chose to respond with humor and memes.

One viral meme featured the caption, “Me, fail English? That’s impossible,” while another quipped, “Yeah, those are exactly my sentimonies,” poking fun at grammar mistakes. These jokes set the tone for a wave of similarly light-hearted comments, with users chiming in with purposefully incorrect grammar like, “I call my dog ‘the goodest boi’” and “Good, gooder, goodest, gooderderestest.”

The online humor followed Singh’s call for English language proficiency tests, emphasizing the importance of the language for vocational and educational opportunities. While Teo expressed concerns that such a test could be elitist or discriminatory, many netizens countered that the proposal was more realistic given Singapore’s linguistic diversity.

Some users criticized Teo’s remarks as out of touch, accusing her of “living in an ivory tower.” Others supported Singh’s position, with comments highlighting the practical importance of English fluency in everyday life. Despite the serious nature of the debate, the social media conversation has been lightened by plenty of memes and wordplay that continue to entertain.