Adultery website Ashley Madison ‘not welcome’ in Singapore: Chan
SINGAPORE – Minister for Social and Family Development Chan Chun Sing has come out strongly against adultery website Ashley Madison’s plan to launch in Singapore next year, saying in a Facebook post today (Oct 25) that it is “not welcome” here.
SINGAPORE – Minister for Social and Family Development Chan Chun Sing has come out strongly against adultery website Ashley Madison’s plan to launch in Singapore next year, saying in a Facebook post today (Oct 25) that it is “not welcome” here.
Ashley Madison is a online dating website that targets married individuals and encourages them to have extramarital affairs. The website’s slogan is “Life is short. Have an affair”.
In a Facebook post today, Mr Chan said that he is “against any company or website that harms marriage”.
“Saw media reports on Ashley Madison, a dating website targeting married spouses, which has plans to launch in Singapore next year,” he wrote on Facebook.
“I do not welcome such a website into Singapore. I’m against any company or website that harms marriage. Promoting infidelity undermines trust and commitment between a husband and wife, which are core to marriage. Our marriage vows make it clear that marriage is a lifelong commitment between a man and a woman. This includes staying faithful to one another.
“I’m heartened by the responses of many Singaporeans who also spoke up against such website. This reflects the significance we all place in commitment and fidelity in marriage.”
Ashley Madison was launched in 2001 and currently over 21 million users worldwide. It recently launched in Japan and Hong Kong. The Canadian company has made several failed attempts for naming rights to airports and stadiums in the United States.
Ms Trish McDermott, a consultant who helped found popular online dating website Match.com, once blasted Ashley Madison for being “a business built on the back of broken hearts, ruined marriages and damaged families”.
Mr Chan’s comment today follows the setting up of a Facebook page called Block Ashley Madison — http://tdy.sg/1abn2LE — which has garnered over 11,000 likes since it was started on Oct 23.