Can Singapore share? Netizens lambast Singapore group By2 for 'sweeping up' face masks here to give China

[UPDATE, Feb 6, 2.57pm]:

In a statement to local media, Stefanie Sun's representative clarified that the singer wasn't involved in the efforts of gathering supplies and the photos were taken when she met By2 for a meal.

The gathering of supplies was an initiative by By2, and Stefanie did not take part in the process.

As kids, we learnt that we should share with others in need.

But when supplies are short and people are not able to get enough for themselves, can we, or should we, still share? 

On Feb 2, Singapore girl group By2 said on Weibo that they met up with local songbird Stefanie Sun in Singapore. The duo also shared that they "swept up" medical supplies to be donated to China. When the news was shared on Facebook, netizens really let it rip, with some feeling we should "help our own people first".

One netizen said her mother has a kidney disease and requires peritoneal dialysis. Alcohol wipes and face masks are some medical items the patient needs at home for her treatment. However, the family has not been able to stock up on those items because of "people who panic buy and panic stock" as well as those who "bulk buy to do charity".

Singaporean DJ Jade Rasif also commented that there were "less selfish ways to do publicity stunts".

That said, one commenter brought up recent news about the Singapore couple who distributes free masks at Punggol and questioned the double standards. That's because those masks were bought in Vietnam and brought over to Singapore, and the couple was praised for their actions instead of being criticised.

Local netizens were more divided when it came to Chinese singer Hu Haiquan. It was reported by Chinese media on Feb 2 that the 44-year-old bought 160,000 masks in Singapore and brought it back to China with the help of volunteers. In a Weibo post by Haiquan Fund, there were photos of Jewel Changi Airport which affirmed that the masks were sourced from Singapore.

Commenters on Reddit were torn by this incident, as they recognised China's need for supplies but were wary of scalpers abusing the situation.

One even praised the singer as they felt that "more help should be rendered" to China.

BARBIE HSU ANGERS JAPANESE NETIZENS WITH MASK DONATION TO WUHAN

Understandably, this 'my country first' mentality isn't unique to Singapore. It's been reported that Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu also incurred the wrath of Japanese netizens when she bought 10,000 masks from Japan and donated it to Wuhan late last month.

ALSO READ: Barbie Hsu buys 10,000 masks to send to Wuhan - and other celebs helping in fight against Wuhan virus

According to reports, comments such as "You're buying too much for one person" and "Aren't the Japanese people too?" were made against Barbie. Suffice to say that Japanese netizens were upset as the situation in Japan has worsened since then, and they felt that she didn't consider their plight.

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The same sentiment by Taiwanese netizens was what got singer Christine Fan into hot water after she criticised Premier Su Tseng-chang and the Taiwan ban on mask exports. Preferring to share face masks with the Chinese, Christine went on her private Facebook page to rant about the decision.

However, the post was somehow leaked to the public sphere and she was lambasted by locals for not caring about the plight of her fellow countrymen.

Though Christine consequently removed the post and apologised on Facebook for her "emotional words", it did little to quell the anger of her followers. She tried to make peace by uploading a post on Instagram to address the situation and even personally responded to commenters, but it seemed that they didn't let up.

Christine eventually lashed out and wrote: "Just hate, just hate. Our generation doesn't lack hatred. 'Why don't you die?' 'Your whole family will die. Your children will contract the virus and go to hell.' Is this what you wanted to hear? Will you be happy when my entire family is dead?"

ALSO READ: Coronavirus: Singapore confirms 4 new cases, including 6-month-old child of infected couple

Thankfully, tensions are not that high in Singapore, but scalpers and hoarders have already created some level of friction among the people here.

And with health advisories urging citizens to only wear masks if you're sick and to stop hoarding masks, it begs the question: Can Singapore share?

For the latest updates on the Wuhan virus, visit here.

bryanlim@asiaone.com