Singapore’s Chan Brothers Travel to pursues legal action against public figures over live stream allegations

SINGAPORE: Chan Brothers Travel, one of Singapore’s premier tour agencies, has publicly announced its intent to take legal action against certain “public figures” for statements made during a live stream on Facebook two weeks ago.

Although the agency has refrained from disclosing the specific identities of the individuals in question, online community members on public forums have connected the allegations to Wang Lei, a renowned “sing-song” (getai) performer and digital content creator, along with his associates.

The focal point of the controversy revolves around a Chan Brothers Travel-organized exclusive European tour, which reportedly garnered feedback from several notable “public figures.”

On 16 July at 8:29 pm in Vienna, Wang Lei, who boasts an impressive following of 1.4 million on Facebook, conducted a live stream wherein he voiced various criticisms about a travel agency.

He expressed dissatisfaction with the service, highlighting issues with the quality of the arrangements and raising allegations of an additional and purportedly unwarranted S$10 thousand charge for transportation.

Wang Lei asserted that his group’s grievances were allegedly brushed aside by the agency manager and that their attempts to communicate were reportedly left unanswered. He claimed to have exposed the matter with the intention of bringing it to the attention of the agency owner.

According to Mr Wang, the group had each paid S$6,000 for the trip. His companions during the live stream included three women, among them the getai singer Anderene Choo and comedian Tay Yin Yin.

In response to the litany of complaints and allegations presented during the live stream, Chan Brothers Travel has resolved to pursue legal action to seek resolution.

“We actively sought to address their concerns and invited them to meet in person upon their return to Singapore, so that we could deal with matters in the aftermath directly and thoroughly,” said Chan Brothers.

The statement claimed that the parties, however, took to “multiple Facebook live streams” to make false and unfounded allegations against the company.

Chan Brothers has chosen to assert its rights and reputation in the face of the allegations after much “careful consideration” and legal advice.

In response to media queries, Chan Brothers Travel emphasized the importance of maintaining the reputation and integrity of their business and the tourism industry at large.

“As we must be accountable to our stakeholders and customers, our firm response is crucial for a far resolution and to set an example for responsible digital conversations,” they added.

The agency concluded by saying that they have always been committed to providing quality travel experiences to all their customers, regardless of their social status or public visibility.