Singapore influencer Novita Lam has apologised following online criticism for a wordplay referencing the Iran-Israel conflict in one of her recent Instagram Stories.
Lam, who has more than 430,000 followers on the platform, posted a photo of herself running at Marina Barrage with a caption that played on the names of the two countries. In the now deleted post, Lam wrote, "Iran this. Israel that. IRAN 5km and the pain ISREAL."
The viral post, which was later circulated on Reddit on Monday, March 2, quickly sparked backlash online, with many calling it insensitive given the ongoing violence in the Middle East. The Instagram Story has since been taken down.
On Wednesday, March 4, Lam issued a public apology, acknowledging that her comment was "insensitive and hurtful", especially in light of current global events. The story read, "I would like to apologise for a story I posted earlier. It was insensitive and hurtful especially with what is happening around the world right now."
She said that she removed the post once she realised it was inappropriate and added that she would be "more mindful" in future.
A screenshot of the original Story was later shared on Reddit on Tuesday, March 3, where it attracted dozens of comments. Several users described the post as "tone-deaf" and "distasteful", with some expressing disappointment that a public figure would make light of a serious geopolitical conflict.
"There are fellow Singaporeans who are stuck there, and she gives such comments. Many people are unable to leave now, not just Singaporeans. The locals there are in a war zone — quite insensitive of her," added another user.
One commenter wrote that Lam appeared "out of touch", while another labelled the post "embarrassing". Others criticised that this was as an attempt to turn a global crisis into content.
