What is Fair Consideration Framework?

After yesterday's post, it appears that many have forgotten or are unsure what Fair Consideration Framework by MOM is. So I decided to do yet another picture explainer about what FCF is.

FCF is basically the framework to ensure Singaporeans get a fair chance of getting a job. FCF will also put companies on THE watchlist if you are one of those 'triple weak' companies.

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Have economic growth and job creation benefited Singaporeans more than foreigners?

Some saw the parliament video of Minister Chan Chun Sing's reply to Mr. Pritam Singh and Mr. Liang Eng Hwa and asked me some questions.

I am no politician but here I am trying to explain some of the main ideas that I understood from Minister Chan's speech. I try to keep it short for easy reading.

Have economic growth and job creation benefited Singaporeans more than foreigners?

Between 2015 and 2018, local employment increased by nearly 60,000 for the whole economy.

These jobs include jobs from companies like Google, Facebook, and Grab. They are big players and many jobs were created. No doubt they are for both locals and foreigners. If not for these investments, many of us might not have the luxury of working in your own country where your friends and families are.

The above would not have happened if not for foreign investments. And no, it doesn't work in a way where you take their money and not their people. Their people are needed here to ensure the operations. Which is not all bad, because we also get to learn from big companies about their businesses.

I would even question the intention of the question. To make things worse, asking for the breakdown of PR vs Non-PR. Does it matter who benefitted more when at the end of the day, Singapore is a better place to have a career than many other places? Better than many years ago?

My point is very simple. You want to win a championship but you and your team are not good enough. So you signed LeBron James, (Michael Jordan, David Beckham, or Fandi Ahmad. Take your own pick.) and you guys are a winning team. But, you still not happy because you are no longer the star player. You are also unhappy that you are paid lower than LeBron. If not for LeBron, you would not have won your championship, you would not be paid as much as you are being paid now. You might even be in a worse off situation. So how is that a bad thing to have someone better that can put you in a better situation and also make you a better person than before?

I personally feel that Singaporeans can be a bit egoistic. We are a small country with very limited resources. We need the support from other countries. We need to learn when we have to take a step back look at the big picture. This is probably a problem of our own success. We think that we are very good and very successful after achieving all the "firsts" in the world. Being successful is not difficult, it is about staying successful.

There is no perfect policy. Like I always say, you can't have your cake and eat it too. In every policy, there will be something that you have to give. However, there can be balanced with other measures too. Which is why MOM has the Fair Consideration Framework (FCF) and is continually updating the system to ensure that Singaporeans are taken care of.

So in conclusion? Yes. To quote Minister Chan, "a resounding yes."

Not only have we gotten the local-foreign workforce balance just in terms of quantity, but quality too.

P.S. I'm no woke salaryman, but I just gotten a new tablet, just let me have it.

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What happened in 2019?

Ask and you shall get. 

If you guys have been following this space for awhile, you will remember that I do my yearly summary during the last week for each year.

I can't believe how long I have been doing this. Yes, it has been 10 freaking years. Can you believe it? Ten freaking years! If you have been reading since the very 1st edition in 2010, congratulations!!! You have wasted a good 10 years of your life by my side. I can't thank you enough for doing so.

For those who missed it and wish to catchup: 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011 and 2010. 

2018 was a rather depressing year as I've shared last year. To quote me from a year ago,

"Maybe I am just jaded or maybe it's mid-life crisis some may choose to call it. Regardless of what it was, it has to stop. I need a change. Not too sure how to achieve it yet but I hope help is on the way. And when I say help, I mean myself. Nobody can change me. It's probably all on me. "

I am not the most religious person but I always believe in a higher power. I've no idea who or what it is but my prayer was answered once again. I got the change I needed. A change that brought me new energy and new targets in life. I asked, and I got it.

I stopped almost entirely with paid content. I stopped almost entirely with all the PR events. It is not because I am very busy but I just wasn't in the right headspace throughout the year. I do not know how to express this part of my life but I just feel that I am pretty much done using my personal voice to sell things for others. Good news is I am a lot more active writing things online be it on my own space, Facebook page, or even just contributing articles to various online sites.

Erm, as for Instagram, I am feeling very strong fatigue not just in terms of me posting but also in terms of users uploading and engaging with Instagram posts these days. I can't say for sure but I guess most users are using IG Stories more than IG's original function. I might be right or maybe I am just giving an excuse for my lack of posts this year.

I also stopped travelling. I had a lot fewer reasons for me to be travelling with my life's new arrangement. Do I miss it? Maybe. Do I wish to travel again? Not really. Did I even travel in 2019? Yes, I did went to Bali and I'm proud to say that the picture I shot was actually featured on some 10 over different travel sites. #weirdflexbutokay

Anyway, here are some of the crazy things that happened this year. (Not in any specific order.)

New Job New Me at NTUC. #Everyworkermatters 



My journey with NTUC has been a hell of a ride so far. The people at work are great. I probably can't ask for more. Actually, maybe I can, no harm having more hot colleagues right?

Not to sound like I am carrying balls but NTUC is really less rigid than I imagined. I guess I am one of those lucky ones that have very supportive bosses and colleagues. NTUC might be an organization with loads of legacy but yet at the same time is very willing to innovate and evolve with time.

I actually asked for more projects and opportunities throughout the year. Despite me being a very new staff, I got pretty much most of the things I asked for. Of course, I hope this has something to do with how convincing I am as a person and also the way I pick my battles and not just because I am handsome.

I've a full list of people that I wish to thank after these 10 months of working at NTUC but I guess I will save it for next time. Meanwhile, I just want to say that I really appreciate everyone here with me and all the opportunities are given.

There are a lot more exciting changes coming 2020 and I can't wait for it.

New Job at Ngee Ann Polytechnic 



Being an educator has always been something I see myself doing in maybe another 10-20 years time. However, I never back down from a good opportunity.

A friend of mine was helping his friend to look for a part-time lecturer and he thought I might be a good candidate. After reviewing my own schedule and getting approval from my bosses, I decided to use my personal leave to teach at Ngee Ann Polytechnic. I wanted this so much, and yes I got it.

Yes, you got that right. I am now a lecturer. Probably the last person that you imagine working in NTUC or as a lecturer. BOOM! I am currently working at NTUC as well as a lecturer.

Yes, I am very busy but it is very fulfilling. I don't think I am any worse at work and in fact, I think I am doing better and more motivated with the additional responsibilities and work. I know, I'm crazy. The students are lovely and it's so fun teaching them.

One of the most common questions that I get all the time is regarding my tattoos and working at these established organizations where public image matters. I guess I am lucky that I am born in an era where tattoos are seen as art. That being said, I can't stress enough that I am not encouraging anyone to have tattoos all over your body. I did plan the shit out of my life and I am glad it worked the way I wanted it to. Here are some tips for you;

1. Do your tattoos on spots where you have an option to hide. Ngee Ann Poly does need me to hide my tattoos in classes. I am working with a group of youths in their formative years and I personally do not wish to misguide anyone too.

2. I only had my sleeves tattoo very late in life. No doubt I said that they are being appreciated as art, but the truth is there are industries that still see it as a stigma. Thus, I only started having these many tattoos when I am sure of the industry I will be at and also my career path. So do think twice before committing to any tattoos.

New Ink of 2019 



What can I say? I am a big fan of star wars and my favourite movie vehicle of all time has to be the millennium falcon. The lines are so fine and I love it. It was a birthday present to myself.

Not exactly asking when I paid for it, but yes, I got it as well.

New Family Member - not quite, but coming soon 



Seth is an amazing child. He has grown up so much within this 1 year. He is so sweet and witty. Just the way I wanted him to be. In fact, 2019 was a very special year for us. Due to my wife's pregnancy, we spent a lot more time together. I mean we have always been close but I feel like we connected even more since we were spending a lot more father and son time with the wife out of action, suffering from her morning sickness.

I digress.

After long planning and discussion, we finally decided to try for our 2nd child. I asked, and I got it. I can't wait to meet him (yes, him again) in 2020.

Seth is going to be a brother!

New Friends, new relationships 

Nope, don't worry, I did not get myself a new girlfriend or wife but I got a lot more friends. Not just new friends but also deeper relationships.

Many of my friends like to say that I have many friends but I choose to correct them that I am just well connected. I am going to be shameless and just say it. I am a person who is pretty good at meeting new people. I also have to admit that I am not exactly good at keeping friends around me for long. I choose to believe that it has nothing to do with my fun-loving character but more often because I am a very lazy person when it comes to maintaining a friendship.

However, I also choose to believe (once again) that I did better this year. Here are some of the friends that I like to thank for sticking around. Don't be sad if you did not get a shoutout. I already said I suck at this. Just remember this, although you are not mentioned, I still love you. And also means that we should hang out more often.

The Boys.

I swear I thought I have a better picture of us and not me cross-dressing. We are getting ahead of ourselves about that story.

Started off as basketball kakis but now they are just like family. We spent so much time hanging out. These boys are 15 years younger than me on average.

The Old Boys



Probably the strangest relationship ever. I met these old boys on a gaming Facebook group and the rest is history. We text each other more than we text our wife and girlfriend. That's how clingy we are.

The Chimi's Gang

I've no idea why I do not have one that I am dressed properly.

Chimi's is this place that serves good drinks and food right below my office. I met them earlier this year simply because they are just right below my office. It is a great place to connect. What started off as a customer/business owner relationship soon turned into a friendship. And also because of these dogs (we call everyone dog there.) I have been drinking a lot. Yes, 2019 is a very very bad year for my health.

The Office Sisters

I LEGIT THOUGHT I'VE MORE PHOTOS THAN ALL THESE CROSS-DRESSING ONES! I AM SORRY TO YOUR EYES!

I do not know about you but I probably spent more time with these ladies than my own wife. I love my work and silly shenanigans. I think we successfully made working at NTUC look very chill and fun. And we are the office sisters because I am the only guy in the team.

OR am I?

What will 2020 be like? 

2019 was a great year. I'm given more than I could ask for. I really don't think I can complain much or at all.

2020?

It will be yet another crazy year.

Greater job responsibility. Hope that everything goes well.

New Child. Most importantly, be a healthy one.

GE is coming. (No, I am not going to be MP but I mean it is a big deal since I am a Singaporean after all right?)

I can see all these coming.

What else will I ask for?

WEIGHT LOSS OF COURSE!

Happy 2020!

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Old School Mama Shop Way of Life.

It has been a while since I have seen one of these old school mama shop. Being the typical "city boy", I do my shopping mostly at malls or my wife would just buy things off online stores.

I stumble upon this mama shop in Jurong when I was visiting someone.

I have spent a good 20 over years in newer towns such as Tampines and Punggol. The sight of such an establishment is really almost never.

"Uncle, how long have you been doing this?"

"36 years already." 

"Wah! So long?" I was kinda shocked because he does not look that old. He looks like he is at most in his early forties.

"Ya. Life not easy okay. With people like Sheng Siong around the corner. And youngsters like you buying everyone online."

He hit me with the truth and a wave of guilt.

I looked around their shop and I could tell that they are a rather progressive couple in their own ways. Not only do they sell the typical sundries but they also provide pick-up and drop-off of dry cleaning. They also sold things such as portable chargers, phone cables, and even earpieces. Probably catering to the people staying around the neighbourhood. He even tried to upsell me some candies when I was just buying a drink.

I looked at the couple and I tried to imagine living their life and wonder what they are going through.

How old are their kids?

Are they even a couple?

Do they still love each other?

With the need to open this shop, how often do they travel out of this area?

Do they even travel?

What hobbies do they have?

What do they do after work?

They seem like they built their lives around this shop.

Most importantly, are they happy?

I once had a dream when I was young. I wanted to open a mama shop. My uncle laughed at me when I told him that. He said that I have no ambition. He called me useless. I was only in primary school then.

I told him this or something along the line, (It has been a while.)

"I want a shop. I can provide my family with food. I can eat whatever I want. I can also earn money by selling things to people who needs them. I also get to interact and make friends with the neighbours. I do not see why is that useless." 

I remember this very clearly. I have no idea why but this conversation replays itself more often than I can explain. I remember exactly why I wanted to do it and the kind of happiness that filled me when I was explaining myself almost 30 years ago.

More questions came to me as I stood there looking at the little shop.

Are they still making money?

Are they in debt?

Can they be doing anything else?

What is their story?

Can they be earning even more money if they are just working as a cashier in a bigger establishment?

Is there anything anyone can do to grow their business?

Marketing? No one is going to travel here just to shop.

Funding? So what if they got more money? Hire someone to do it? Expand their business?

Upskilling? They sound like they are in their 50s, upskilling after 36 years of working at their own mama shop ain't impossible but it ain't changing this business.

Is there anything we can do to keep the business?

They did not tell me the shop is closing or in any trouble. It is just my own baseless assumption. Everything has to come to an end, eventually. 

What can the government do to help such businesses?

What can the government do to keep these businesses alive?

Then, I stop again and ask myself.

Do we really still need these businesses alive?

If no one is buying anything from them, what is the point of such businesses? Just for the sake of nostalgia?

What is going to happen to them if they ain't making a living out of this shop?

I guess they can always be placed in some other jobs.

I do not think anyone is going to take over such businesses anyway.

I actually have no conclusion at all for these thoughts.

It was just a very strange wave of emotion while I stood there looking at them doing their things.

Their way of life.

And I've no message for this post. I just wanted to pen it down. It still helps to clear my head sometimes. 

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It is not easy being a cleaner.

"I had to wipe semen off the floor every morning"

Recently I bumped into an old acquaintance of sorts (I hope she is not reading this.) and she was telling me about her job as a property manager and all the dirty (both literally and figuratively) deeds she heard from some of her cleaners.

Some of the stories she shared got me thinking if they really happened in Singapore.

1. I had to wipe semen off the floor every morning

Random staircase sex image.jpg

This auntie was working in one of these really old buildings in Singapore that has many nightclubs. So according to her that there will always be inconsiderate people having sex at the staircase and not clean up after.

She tried to complain to the security team but they just brushed her off.

"Nvm lah auntie. People having a good time. Why must we go and disturb? Any way we can watch free show via CCTV."

2. Some guys flashed me on purpose

It is really not easy being a cleaning lady where one of the many jobs include cleaning of the male toilet. For those of you who are familiar enough with the male toilet will know that there are standing cubicles with no doors. This other cleaning lady actually got flashed by a young man.

"He looks like he is around 20 or 30 yrs old. I wasn't offended or shocked at all. I just told him, "Boy ah, auntie almost 60 years old. What shape and size never see before? Don't need to show me okay?" but too bad he ran off before I could finish the sentence." , my, erm friend, related to me the story while I was laughing my head off. 

And all I could think about is him not washing his hands. 

3. Getting fired for being smelly

Sadly this uncle in his 60s was an odd job cleaner. He was being paid on a daily basis and was working at this place for six months before he got fired and started working with my friend's company.

The supervisor merely told him that he was very smelly and had bad personal hygiene and not suitable for the work. They fired him after six months with immediate effect. This is unacceptable in all the ways.

Not only did his job require him to do a lot of physical tasks that made him perspire, he also did not have a proper rest area. His rest area was a hot little corner hoarded up in a basement carpark.

How do you expect him to smell like a flower every day?

--

We all know that there are no elves that will fix our shoes or sew our clothes while we sleep. All our bins, toilets, common areas and more are being taken care of by cleaners. However, how often do we really think about them? How tough is their job? Where do they even rest or have their meals? If you ever need some cleaning agent or trash bags, do you even know where to find them within your office or buildings?

Guilty as charged. Some times we really overlook all these things in our lives. Especially when we are living in a time where it is all about "me". We are living in a time where it is just about ourselves. Personal achievements over the little things in life.
--

In recent news, it was announced that cleaners will have to undergo a mandatory Workplace Safety & Health course from 2022 to make sure they are aware of and take precautionary measures against occupational risks such as slips and falls.

I am glad that while everyday people like you and me may have neglected these invisible heroes, there are people fighting for not just their welfare but also for their wages and work progress.

Besides the compulsory safety course, cleaners will also have to sign up for a second Workforce Skills Qualification (WSQ) module validated and endorsed by the Tripartite Cluster for Cleaners (TCC).

These initiatives, which were put forth by the TCC and come under the Progressive Wage Model framework, were accepted by the Government.

The Progressive Wage Model (PWM) is a wage progression pathway that helps to increase workers’ pay through skills upgrade and improved productivity. It is applied to the cleaning, security and landscape sectors, while the model was mandated for lift technicians last year.



In the last budget, my ex-teacher and also labour MP Mr Zainal Bin Sapari fought for the following things for older/poor low wage cleaners. For those of you who are unfamiliar, he has always been advocating for the low wage workers’ rights for a while now.

1) Revise employer’s CPF contribution rates for mature workers aged 55 and above, up to age 65. - checked.

2) Low wage workers to receive mandatory Annual Wage Supplement to reduce income gap. - checked.

3) Employers to bear outpatient cost and outpatient consultation fees (healthcare cost). - While there is no updates publicly on this but this is something that I am sure something will happen eventually.

In March this year, MP Zainal also wrote a blogpost and in parliament, highlighting the need to provide rest areas for outsourced workers.

In his recent Facebook post,

"It was a basic need that was lacking when we engaged these workers on the ground. MOM agreed and the tripartite partners worked together to produce an advisory. Cheers to MOM and the tripartite team for working on this."

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Kicking the habit of co-sleeping.

One of the biggest pain of be coming a parent is adapting to changes. If it has been such a difficult journey for me, what makes me think that it is going to be easy for my child?

Changes kicked in the moment I knew my wife was expecting Seth. I started throwing things out and emptied out a room for him and all the stuff that he might need. Because of him, I sold my bicycle, collapsed one of my tables in my studies, and dismantled all my legos and kept them into different boxes.

So with the new child on his way, one of the big changes for Seth is that he has to stop co-sleeping with us. He has his own bed but I do enjoy co-sleeping with him, thus I have been allowing him to co-sleep with us despite his age(He is turning 4 soon). The moments spent in bed before he falls asleep or just having him around while I call it a night from working late are rather precious to me.

Smelling his tiny little head and giving him a kiss on his forehead is pretty much my routine every night.

One of the things we did to help him to adapt is by enticing him with his own room where all his favourite toys and books will be.

Yup. That also means more of my stuff went out the window. Figuratively. I gave up my dumbbells, my books, some of my collectibles and yet another study table. I am left without a room to work from home anymore. I guess that is pretty much a want than a need.

There is no way for me to work from home these days anyway.

"Papa, are you doing work? Why are you still doing work? Can you play with me?"


Cat, "meow."

Seth. "shhhhhh."

He was supposed to be napping but he was trying to play w his toys quietly and got caught on cctv. Lol.

Being very worried parents, my wife and I decided to install a CCTV to keep an eye on this little one. For those of you who are familiar with his adventures, you will know that he is always up to no good.

So this happened the other night...




Not sure drunk or asleep.

Good night my little one.

Sleep tight and don't let the bedbugs bite.

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Do you want to build a snow man?

"Mama. I like Christmas. Got present. Got snow!" 

"No Seth, we do not have snow in Singapore." 

That was a conversation between my wife and Seth before they knew about #PSSnowhouse.

Part of #LINEFRIENDSWORLDTOURSINGAPORE, they actually built a temporary container outside of Plaza Singapura and brought snow there! I know, the hashtag is so long it will satisfy anyone. Cough.

You would probably know what it is like if you have visited Snow City in Singapore. 

It was Seth's very first time and obviously he had a good time!

And I obviously photoshopped my face given how fat I am now. 

Details: 

To redeem a pair of tickets, you just have to spend a minimum of $45 in a single receipt at CapitaLand malls. And if you used an Amex CapitaCard, its 2 pairs for the same amount!

This is happening from now till 26th Dec 2019.

Questions and Answers.
Here are some answers to the questions that I gotten via my IG's DM.

• You are highly encourage to bring your own equipment. 
• Else, they have it available for rental as well. However the jacket size starts from 3yrs and up.
• They are not smelly in my opinion. Quite well maintained so far.
• Socks and pants are compulsory. 
• You are allowed to bring in your DSLR cameras.
• Yes, Seth's gloves are too big for him. But that's probably the smallest. 
• Seth is turning 4yrs old and is 95cm. If your child is below 7yrs old you will need an adult companion for this. 
• I am very fat and they still have outfit for me. Yes, they look tight. Don't be annoying. 

Besides this event, LINE also has a series of events happening in various Capitaland Malls!

 More information here!



It's more than just building snowman and taking selfies. They also have a large slide (for 8yrs old and above) that connects level 2 to 1 as well as a tiny slide for pussies the smaller kids like Seth. (3 - 6 yrs old)

P.S. If you are preggo or ate too much buffet like my wife, you are not allowed inside. LOL.

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Thailand is not just about Siam Diu

Image from HWZ.

So this happened the other day. One of my friends brought his new girlfriend to meet us for dinner.

All names have been changed to protect the guilty and also the innocent.

Tom, “Hi guys, this is my new gf - Penchan.”

Me, “oh hello hello.”

Dick, (In mandarin) “Wah bro, which Thai club you went and find this siam bu (Thai Lady, commonly used to describe Thai Ladies who work at a Thai-Disco). Quite hot leh!”

Penchan, (Apparently understands mandarin), “You Singaporean men are so typical and full of yourself. Just because I am an attractive Thai lady means I am from Thai-Disco!” #offendedaf

Tom left the scene chasing after Penchan. It was very very very awkward. Although I did not verbalise it loudly like Dick did, it did somewhatcross my mind too. We are such horrible people. In Dick’s defence, Tom could have given us a warning. Not exactly good enough an excuse but probably the only way Dick could make himself feel a bit better about the whole incident.

So apparently Tom has been traveling within Asean quite a bit for work recently. He met Penchan when he was working in Thailand and they soon fell in love and got into a relationship. I cannot believe this man is in a long distance relationship. Like seriously, I cannot even handle having a girlfriend who stays in Bukit Batok.

Talking about working in Asean did bring back quite a bit of memories for myself. Although I was never exactly an expat living in any of the Asean countries, I do have good working relationships with many business partners in Thailand, Philippines, and obviously Malaysia over the last few years of my career.

Working in Asean

Media Trip to the Philippines with Bloggers and SPH.

Media Trip to Bangkok with Bloggers and AirAsia. (Also don’t ask me why I was the only guy there.)

I know how it looks. The pictures does not say much about me “working” overseas. But hey, who take pictures of themselves working in front of the computer anyway?

Stronger currency

Working overseas and going overseas on a holiday are so different. I mean for starters, I managed to save so much when I was working overseas. I would eat the cheapest crap I could find and go to places the locals would for work meetings. And given that I was being paid in Singapore dollars, working overseas wasn’t bad at all ya’know. It is really one of those moments that you will feel so good about being Singaporean because of strong currency.

That cross culture thing

Understanding their market and target audiences might be one of the most important things for a marketeer, but that is not all. The style, the culture, the way that the people work in other countries can beso different.

Even something as simple as the choice of Instant Messenger could be so different. I had to use LINE just to talk to the Thais, and of course WeChat when talking to my counterparts in China.

You know I once spent hours talking to this potential Thai partner whomt I was trying to work with but we did not even discuss anything related to the project at all? It is always relationship first for them. And the actual work meeting took a real short time. LOL.

That whole language thing

It is really not impossible. My ex-biz partners survived years working in Thailand without actually mastering the Thai language. A huge number of people in Asean can actually speak and write English pretty well.

Why Asean?

What I’ve mentioned earlier are obviously the smaller and more trivial stuff. I believe that gaining experience out of Singapore is always good. It is a valuable experience and one shall never say no when the opportunity is served on a silver platter. Such experience makes you grow, makes you understand the world and yourself better, and last but not least, you will grow to appreciate Singapore a lot. You will realize the beauty of your once hated bureaucracy in Singapore. HAHA.

From a bigger picture, you may have forgotten about this but this was the speech made by our PM Lee Hsien Loong during the 2019 Shangri-La Dialogue

“Singapore cannot afford to adopt the same point of view. Being small, we are naturally disadvantaged in bilateral negotiations. We need to reform and strengthen multilateral institutions, not cripple or block them. More fundamentally, confining ourselves to a bilateral approach means forgoing win-win opportunities which come from countries working together with more partners. We need to build a broader regional and international architecture of cooperation. When groups of countries deepen their economic cooperation, they will enhance not just their shared prosperity but also their collective security. With more stake in one another’s success, they will have greater incentive to uphold a conducive and peaceful international order. This will benefit many countries big and small.”

In a very blatant manner, the bigger countries can effectively live without you and they will probably not miss you at all. However, it is probably a better idea for smaller countries like those in Asean to stick close and forge a strong bond.

LIT Asean


This picture, like my mirror, is a constant reminder that I really need to lose weight.

I was part of LIT Asean earlier this October. I was there for the ASEAN Mentorship.

In official words: The ASEAN Mentorship is an expanded version of the existing Young NTUC Youth Career Network (YCN) programme. The ASEAN mentorship will connect 400 youths with ASEAN Career Guides who have had work experience in the ASEAN region. Career Guides includes young Singaporeans and young professionals from ASEAN countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam. Participants will also be given the option to be matched to a career guide for a 4-month mentorship after the networking session at the event.

Partnering Temasek Foundation, Young NTUC launched the Temasek Foundation - NTUC Workforce Programme: LIT ASEAN Careers. The programme’s objective is to raise awareness on the growing opportunities in the ASEAN region and to encourage more youths to progress their career in this region.

In my words: I was there to kaypo and talk to youths again.

It was quite an interesting experience. It might be the law of attraction and also the natural filter of the event. The youths I spoke to at the event show great interest in working out of Singaporean and in Asean for experience. I do not think the online narrative where “Singaporeans are being driven out of their own country while we are welcoming people from overseas.” is true at all. Most of the youths I have spoken to understand the importance of gaining experience out of Singapore’s market. I think this is especially important for people in the marketing industry. With digital and social media being used widely by the industry, you need to know how to work with people outside of our own country and culture. And with the small market size, there is no surprise here when brands choose to consolidate their marketing efforts.

I am glad that our government knows better and is supportive of us venturing into ASEAN countries to gain experience and return to add value to Singapore.

And also, in case you find this article really boring, here is a picture of me as Siam Bu in trash bag taken during my DnD.


P.S. I am still a respectable person at work.

I think.

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