Singapore Athletics spat: 'I'm not the whistleblower', says ex-sprinter Poh Seng Song
SINGAPORE – Ex-Singapore sprinter Poh Seng Song has revealed details of an ongoing spat with the national track and field body Singapore Athletics (SA) after his disbarment from holding any office within the SA was reported in local media.
Previously SA’s vice-president of finance and partnership, Poh resigned from the management committee (MC) but his resignation was rejected.
The current sanction bars Poh from holding any office within the jurisdiction of the association and/or its affiliates for two terms, and includes his termination and removal from the MC and a reprimand, according to papers filed in a court appeal by Poh’s lawyers.
Currently a pilot and father of a young son with ex-national hurdler Dipna Lim-Prasad, Poh is also asking for an open appeal hearing and has indicated that he intends to contest the upcoming SA elections on 25 September.
Calling what he has experienced in the last four weeks “just unimaginable”, Poh said in a Facebook post on Monday (31 August) that he has been wronged following a Board of Inquiry (BOI) conclusion that he was “very likely” a whistleblower in an internal disagreement. He has denied that he was the whistleblower.
According to Poh, sometime in February, “the current Hon Sec, Eric Song received a letter of demand alleging him of making defamatory and malicious remarks” about a national athlete and her trainer-husband. Song’s remarks, sent via Whatsapp, were allegedly leaked or reported by a whistleblower. SA then set up a BOI to investigate the matter, Poh said.
Besides questioning the validity of the BOI, Poh did not agree with the MC’s decision to finance Song’s possible defamation lawsuit. These remarks, Song had argued, were made in his official capacity as the SA’s Honorary Secretary. Some members, including himself, Poh said, disagreed. They further disagreed with the SA’s decision to finance Song’s lawsuit, which they deemed to be a personal one.
Poh said he recorded his objections in emails – he did not clarify the emails’ recipients – in which he asked, among others, “was the message right, truthful and said in an official capacity” and “is it right for SAA as a charity organisation with IPC [Institutions of a Public Character] status to [sic] use public funds for a personal matter”?
“Again, it’s not me,” Poh reiterated in his post.
When contacted by Yahoo News Singapore, Song and SA declined to comment.
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