S’poreans rank e-scooter ban, HK protests and Christchurch terror attack as top news events of 2019: Survey

SINGAPORE — The ban on e-scooters, raging protests in nearby Hong Kong, and horrific mass shootings at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, were ranked by Singaporeans as the top news events of the year. This is based on a survey by research firm Blackbox Research.

United States' President Donald Trump, Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat and the late Singaporean television actor Aloyisus Pang were ranked among the top news personalities of the year.

About 1,000 Singaporeans aged 15 and above were polled in Blackbox’s Year in Review survey, which was released on Friday (Dec 20).

The results showed distinct preferences among the 15- to 24-year-old age group, with the peeping tom case involving undergraduate Monica Baey and teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg resonating more with them.

Here’s a look at some of the key findings:

SINGAPORE NEWS EVENTS

Singaporeans felt that the top three news events of 2019 at home were:

• The Government’s ban on e-scooters from footpaths — 33 per cent voted this as the top news event

• The 7 per cent hike in public transport fares — 13 per cent voted this as the top news event

• Actor Aloysius Pang’s death from injuries received during his reservist training in New Zealand — 9 per cent voted this as the top news event

INTERNATIONAL NEWS EVENTS

Singaporeans felt that the top three international news events of 2019 were:

• The ongoing Hong Kong protests that erupted over a now-shelved extradition bill — 25 per cent voted this as the top international news event

• The terrorist attacks at two mosques in Christchurch — 16 per cent voted this as the top international news event

• Mr Trump’s second meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Vietnam — 13 per cent voted this as the top international news event

NEWS PERSONALITIES OF THE YEAR

Who Singaporeans felt were the top local newsmakers of the year:

• Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat — 23 per cent

• The late actor Aloysius Pang — 22 per cent 

• Opposition political party leader Tan Cheng Bock — 12 per cent

Who Singaporeans felt were the top international newsmakers of the year:

• US President Donald Trump — 50 per cent 

• Teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg — 6 per cent

• Hong Kong’s chief executive Carrie Lam — 6 per cent

WHAT RESONATED WITH MILLENNIALS

The Monica Baey sexual harassment saga

The story: Ms Baey, 23, sparked a national debate on the issue of voyeurism and sexual harassment when she took to Instagram in April to say that fellow student Nicholas Lim had been issued with only a conditional warning from the police and a one-semester suspension from the university after filming her in the shower at Eusoff Hall in the National University of Singapore last November.

Even though only 8 per cent of Singaporeans polled ranked this case as the top Singapore news event of 2019 overall, 20 per cent of 15- to 24-year-olds picked this as the top home news event of the year. 

They were also more enraged than older Singaporeans over the incident, with 56 per cent feeling angry over it, compared with the overall average of 36 per cent. 

While only 9 per cent of Singaporeans ranked Ms Baey as the news personality of 2019, 23 per cent of those aged between 15 and 24 felt that she was the newsmaker of the year.

Teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg

The story: Greta, 16, made headlines worldwide in September due to her impassioned speech at the United Nations (UN) Climate Action Summit, where she berated world leaders for their lack of action towards climate change, stating that their failure to address the problem is a “betrayal” against young people.

While only 6 per cent of Singaporeans ranked Greta as the top news personality of 2019, 12 per cent of those aged between 15 and 24 picked her as the top news personality.