A former aide to Johor DAP chairman Liew Chin Tong has apologised after facing widespread criticism for mocking a convenience store employee over her decision to vote for Barisan Nasional (BN) in the recent Johor state election.
Terrence Tey issued a public apology, admitting he acted out of “excessive emotion” when he posted the remark on social media following the election results.
The controversy began after Tey shared an Instagram Story on July 12, claiming he had visited a convenience store at around 1am to buy instant noodles, where a staff member told him she had voted for BN candidate P. Pannir Selvam.
In the now-deleted post, Tey allegedly responded by writing, “No wonder you’re working at a convenience store.”
Screenshots of the post quickly spread across social media, triggering backlash from netizens who accused him of insulting retail workers and disrespecting a voter for exercising her democratic right.
Pannir Selvam, contesting under the BN banner for MIC, defeated DAP candidate Alan Tee Boon Tsong to win the Perling state seat, which had previously been held by Liew.
In his apology, Tey acknowledged that the Instagram post was a serious mistake and said he never intended to belittle the employee or any retail worker earning an honest living.
He added that his actions were inconsistent with the values of mutual respect, harmony and unity promoted under the Muafakat Johor initiative, and admitted he should have demonstrated greater professionalism given his previous role in public service.
“With humility and deep regret, I offer my sincerest apologies to the employee whose feelings I hurt, as well as all retail workers affected by my statement,” he said.
Tey also clarified that his final day working at Liew’s office was July 10, two days before the controversial post was published, stressing that the remarks were made in his personal capacity and did not represent the views of Liew or his office.
He concluded by saying he accepted the incident as a valuable lesson and pledged to become a more mature and responsible individual in the future.
