SINGAPORE: Raffles Girls' School (RGS) said on Friday (Oct 25) that a controversial comment in The New Paper (TNP) about its move away from Orchard Road did not come from the school's spokesperson.

TNP had published a report on Oct 22 titled "Raffles Girls' School moves to new home", which included the comment: "Moving away from the luxurious condominiums in Orchard Road will allow our girls to reach out more to the ordinary Singaporean."



The comment, which drew widespread criticism, was attributed to "an RGS spokesman".

In a statement responding to queries from CNA, the school said that the report "had referenced an informal conversation with a staff member who was not the school's spokesperson".

"He had also not identified himself as such to the reporter."

The school also pointed out that the comments made to the reporter had been "off-the-record" and that the member of staff had "intended to convey that the move would allow students to engage more deeply with the local community, given the school's proximity to the Braddell area".



"At no point of time did he say 'ordinary Singaporean'," said RGS.



RGS moved from its Anderson Road campus to 2 Braddell Rise on Monday, and is now connected to Raffles Institution via an overhead bridge linking the bus stops on both sides of Braddell Road.

The new S$90 million campus was co-funded by the school and the Ministry of Education.



CNA has sought comment from TNP.