At-home Chronicles: Chee Soon Juan suggests “some good old-fashioned reading” to pass the time

As Singapore delves deeper into the month-long circuit breaker measure which has many confined to their homes, Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) leader Chee Soon Juan has been providing Singaporeans with ideas to pass the time. Though in a previous post, he urged people to give cooking a try, he now calls on Singaporeans to read, as spending time engrossed in a book is also a good way to spend one’s time.

Mr Chee on Sunday (April 12) took to Facebook to share another way for Singaporeans to pass the time at home. Beginning his post with a homage to Charles Darwin’s Origin of Species, he shared that though he bought his copy for only $5, certain editions of the book can actually go for a lot of money. “Apparently, the first edition (which mine isn’t) is worth $200k!” he said.

Then came his proposition for Singaporeans who find themselves in search of something to do at home. “Speaking of books, this lockdown might be a good time to do some good old-fashioned reading,” he wrote. He then shared that before the circuit breaker commenced, his children were able to borrow books from the Toa Payoh library. “All ‘Potterheads’ when they were younger – that’s what they call Harry Potter fans,” he disclosed. “I think they still are. I tried it myself but couldn’t quite get into it.”

Offering parents a helping hand with finding activities to keep their kids well-occupied at home, he urged them to do what they’d like their children to mirror. “Mums and dads, it’s always good to pick up a book to read,” he wrote. “Kids, especially younger ones, imitate their parents. After that, book-reading becomes all but a habit.”

Mr Chee also expressed his support for the battle against making gadgets a staple in children’s hands. “Might be good to minimise children’s use of all those Apples and Samsungs. It’s a losing battle, I know, but one worth fighting anyway,” he argued. “Happy reading, everyone!”