Everyone is proud of Shanti Pereira these days for having won the gold at the 200m event at the SEA Games in Hanoi last Saturday (May 14), including Workers’ Party Member of Parliament Jamus Lim (Sengkang GRC). Aside from winning, she also set a new national record of 23.52s in the race, giving Singapore its fifth gold medal.
Associate Prof Lim wrote in a Facebook post on May 15 that Ms Pereira’s win came “amidst an extended period of wandering in the (metaphorical) wilderness, as she was plagued by a sense of inadequacy, and a feeling that she was ‘over the hill’.”
Singapore’s Sprint Queen had told reporters after bagging the gold, “I really had to like focus the hell out of the race; there was so much of doubt going into it but I really just tuned out everything and I told myself I will give absolutely everything today.
There were so many mental barriers I had to break in order to reach this place.”
She narrowly edged out the Philippines Kyla Ashley Richardson, who finished second at 23.56s. Her sister, Kayla Anise Richardson, took the bronze in 23.87s.
Assoc Prof Lim commented that how Ms Pereira felt is “absolutely human,” but pointed out that there are things to learn from her example.
“But what Shanti has demonstrated is that such self-doubt need not cripple our ability to go out there and give of our best, and to possibly surprise ourselves by what we can achieve.
Whether we are 25 (as Shanti is) or 52 or whatever age multiple we find ourselves at, success is about infusing ourselves with a desire to surpass just the high standards we set for ourselves. And to find peace within, whatever the ultimate outcome.”
The runner, who holds the national record for the 100 metres (11.80s), had taken home the gold for the 200-meter event in 2015 and placed third in the event in 2017 and 2019’s SEA Games.
She told The Straits Times on Saturday, “I’ve been through a lot in the past seven years. It’s been tough, I’m not going to lie, especially in the past two years, where there has been a lot of self-doubt. There was pressure from myself and from around me that made me think I wasn’t good enough to be at that standard anymore. And I kind of let it eat into me, which made the whole process even worse….
I have people who believe in me, people who matter, and that’s really all that counts.”
The WP MP connected Ms Pereira’s win to Vesak Day, which this year falls on May 16, writing, “This recognition of how we are constantly changing (anātman), and how life is itself in constant flux (anitya), also animates two central tenets of Buddhist philosophy. These ideals were espoused by Gautama Buddha, whose life, death, and teachings we celebrate on Vesak day, today. So while we revel in our sportsmen and women’s success on the ASEAN stage, may we also find our own path to meaning and enlightenment.”
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Whoever the next PM will be, he has his work cut out for him. No PM has ever had an easy job, but today’s leaders will find it much more challenging because of an educated and enlightened population. And let’s not forget technology, where everyone knows about something that happened within a few hours.
His job is not made any easier by the obscenely high salaries of cabinet ministers. They have tried to explain and justify it for donkey’s years, but they never managed to convince the public. It never went away. And in my opinion, they stupidly shot themselves in the foot with their high salaries. It’s difficult to trust them and believe they really want to serve the public with such wages!
If he is smart, and I believe he is, his first act would be to reduce all ministers’ salaries by half. This is to shut the mouths of people like me who think they are spouting sanctimonious platitudes.
But if they cut their pay by half (which would still be high globally) then I would have a hard time criticising them on any strong basis. His job to gain trust and convince the voters also becomes a bit easier. But, hey, what do I know. I’m just a mediocre citizen, earning very little (to quote GCT).
Cheers,
Lawrence Seow
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of The Independent Singapore.
Following Health Minister Ong Ye Kung’s latest statements on the Covid-19 situation, noting the virus itself is not the biggest enemy but complacency, netizens expressed criticisms that the general public is not to be blamed.
Mr Ong said during the 15th Health Ministers Meeting and Related Meetings in Bali on Saturday (May 14) that complacency and letting one’s guard down because life seems back to normal is the biggest enemy today.
Mr Ong noted Asean member states have managed to handle the Covid-19 pandemic through close cooperation. He also suggested focusing on testing and surveillance, vaccinations and ensuring the resilience of travel lanes and supply chains for future threats.
“Over various meetings these two days, a common conviction runs through – that regional health cooperation is key to enhance our collective preparedness and response to pandemics, whether for new waves of Covid-19 or a new virus,” he added in a Facebook post on Sunday (May 15).
“In the coming few months, we are all likely to see new waves in our countries, either a resurgence of the Omicron wave as our societal immunity wanes or a new variant that drives reinfections,” said Mr Ong.
“A more dangerous threat is a new virus, which is bound to come as human activities continue to encroach into nature, and humans and animals continue to come into close contact,” he added.
Members from the online community shared strong reactions to Mr Ong’s statements. “Kindly don’t blame us with your mistakes again,” said Facebook user Scarlet Isaiah, referring to the recent easing of Covid-19 restrictions.
“Wah! So fast retract his word…first said no evidence now say likely to see new waves,” said Facebook user Hai N Far, citing Mr Ong’s statements on May 11 that the recent spike in community Covid-19 cases was not a new wave.
“You guys allow all the travellers in and opening of borders…now become us that is complacent.”
Photo: FB screengrabPhoto: FB screengrab
Meanwhile, netizen Joy Lee gave a glimpse of what is happening on the ground in terms of complacency.
“Do go take a look at the hospital wards during visiting hours. Have seen for myself how several inconsiderate visitors pulled down their mask at the bedside to talk to patients without care!” she noted.
“Understand that nurses are very busy. And therefore, MOH should deploy safe distancing ambassadors to patrol the wards during visiting hours to make sure visitors keep their masks on AT ALL TIMES in the wards,” she added. /TISG
One of my former juniors from my last PR agency job just had an unpleasant evening at a restaurant that’s owned by a friend of mind. He has come out to state that not only was the food and service at a sub-par level, but the manager was also insensitive to feedback that he provided.
Unfortunately for him, the manager in question is the wife of the owner. Sure, he’s the customer. He had taken to social media to complain and had gained the support of a prominent former journalist but at the end of the day, the manager in question is the wife of the owner and between worrying about the potential loss of business which might only be reflected at the end of year accounts and an unpleasant home life, the owner would choose the latter.
Let’s face it, life is about organising relationships and interestingly that is never truer than in the business world.
In business, how you are known is often a crucial part of getting or not getting the job. Like it or not, logic and rational thinking about dollars and cents aren’t always the key factors in the creation of a business decision.
Much as my friends in finance and law may beg to disagree, brand and communications consultants are as important to the business process because intangible things like the chemistry between people can make or break a deal, even if that deal makes perfect sense from the financial and legal perspective.
So, when we look at people, particularly the people who have a say in how things can turn out for us, we need to look at them in their entirety. You have to understand how a person will react in a certain situation and what influences that person will push him or her to react in a certain way. One of the biggest influencers on a person’s decision-making is the spouse.
Let’s take a look at American Presidential Elections. The wife (or husband in the case of Hillary Clinton) of every candidate gives a speech at their respective party conventions. They give media appearances and everyone listens.
Now, here’s the thing – the “First Lady” is not actually a government post. Americans don’t vote for the “First Lady” – they vote for a President. However, the candidate for “First Lady” is placed under the same spotlight as the candidate for President because the voting public wants to know who is the person that will have probably the most direct influence on the president.
Look at the pairings. Ronald Reagan was from Hollywood. His first wife became a bigger star than him and left him in the dust. His second wife, however, knew how to make him shine on the global stage. Both George Bush’s had women who knew how to look pretty without taking too much of the spotlight, thus helping boost credentials as conservatives.
On the other side, there were the “first” First Ladies with professional careers in their own right. Bill Clinton famously asserted that he and Hillary were part of a package back in 1992. Upset a few people (he’s on the ticket, not her) but ended up working well. Hillary, the policy wonk who prepares for everything, supported Bill, who embodies charisma. Eight years later, there were the Obamas, who were two intellectuals supporting each other.
Even Donald Trump’s choice of Melania helped. A section of the voting population liked the fact that this overweight seventy plus year-old man had “delicious arm-candy” and it helped him seem a wee bit more virile.
A spouse can be an asset or a liability. In the case of the Clintons, they worked well because their strengths complemented each other. However, Hillary was also a liability in her ability to get healthcare passed, and her fingers were quite visible in the scandals that were brought up during the Clinton Presidency.
In the case of the Trumps, there were those who respected Donald for having Melania draped on his arm, but there were those who felt that her choice of wardrobe was an expression of his attitude towards certain groups:
While the example of American political spouses is the most visible example of the important role a spouse (or for want of a better term – unofficial influence) on a particularly prominent figure, this, however, isn’t limited to America. Here in Singapore, we have the example of Madam Kwa Geok Choo or Mrs Lee Kuan Yew.
Unlike the American First Ladies, the late Mrs Lee stayed away from the limelight. Unlike her daughter-in-law, the late Mrs Lee never took on a position with the government or any company related to the government. Yet, Mr Lee would admit in his book that he relied on her judgement when dealing with world leaders, and nobody doubts that she played a role in shaping much of what you see in Singapore.
As my favourite Flesh Ball said from her perch in Geylang, “The real boss of Singapore is Mrs Lee. Mr Lee controls us, but Mrs Lee controls Mr Lee.”
Singapore’s Boss watched over by his boss
Many prominent people will claim that they only get influenced by official influences. However, nobody actually believes that.
My mother used to be obsessed with the first wife’s inability to groom herself properly. Her argument was simple – “No point getting you to care for your image if she doesn’t care about hers.”
People were inevitably going to judge me through her. Unfortunately, my parents proved to be wise in this matter. My biggest triumphs in PR came when the first wife ceased to be a wife.
However, while nobody doubts that a person will have unofficial influences, it’s usually best that those unofficial influences remain apart from the business that a person is running.
America’s first ladies are not part of the American government. The lines are clear as to who is the president. Likewise, the first Mrs Lee never held any official post. She was a sharp lawyer and mother, whom the Prime Minister talked to about his day when he went home.
Unless lines are clearly drawn, things can get complicated when the family gets involved. Family politics becomes company politics, or worse – country politics.
When you hire a relative, are you hiring them because they are your relative or because they are the right person for the job? Can you disagree with a relative?
In my personal experience, the relative I worked for could. He made it clear during the interview – “I am not your uncle, and it is unprofessional to call me uncle.” (Something I reminded him of when he asked why I called everyone else uncle except him). My personal case is unusual.
It gets worse when wives and mistresses get involved. Then the business is no longer a business, but a power play between the wife and whatever mistresses are involved.
So, when dealing with a person, always understand that they don’t make decisions in a silo. However, also be on the lookout and see whether there are proper lines drawn between the unofficial influences and the person or organisation that you are dealing with.
A man posted on Reddit about his dilemma on how he was “devastated” to learn that his wife of ten years has a “terminal disease” and will only live “at most 9 months”. To make matters worst, the wife also sat him down and coached him to understand that her last dying wish was to have sex with her ex-partner one last time.
“I don’t remember life without her, and I don’t know what I’m going to do when she’s gone. I have been doing my best to make the last days of her life good and grant whatever wish I can,” he said in the post. “Recently, she sat me down and told me that one of the last things she wanted to do was have sex with a previous partner of hers,” he added.
“I of course was shocked and when I asked why the f**k she wants that,” The response is pretty brutal.
He went on a rant, telling of his confusion and anger.
“So basically she thinks that her most physically compatible, satisfying lover was him. She gave a whole monologue about how sex sometimes is just physical and how emotionally fulfilling sex is with me, but it was bullshit to get to that point.”
So now I’m left with this, deny my dying wife a wish for my own ego, or let her go f**k another man who she feels was better. Honestly, I’m so p***ed off and betrayed that she asked this of me. I feel like I’m put in a position where I have to say yes because she’s dying.
I know what I want to say, but I don’t know if that’s right. I’m so hurt that sex with an ex was apparently so good that she needs to do it once before she dies. I just hate everything about this.
“I’m really not sure what to do,” he concluded.
According to the man, he posted on Reddit because he has “no one I can tell.” And his post drew a lot of attention. It was also shared on Twitter, where users appear to be split on what response they would want him to give.
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On the matter of food delivery, I read customers feel entitled to cancel an order after the rider picks up, or ask the rider to cancel it.
I seriously think, and I know any sane person would agree, that this is a damn stupid ruling and entitlement. I don’t know which damn foolish fella or bloody delivery company came up with this stupid idea.
Any cancellation should be done by the customer themselves (meaning that if these customers cancel after pickup) then the rider must still get the trip fare (the rider can then eat or dispose of the order). But the customer still has to pay for all the trip fare and costs incurred with no refund, with the rider still getting his due money.
There… all fools, just know that this is the correct, justified and sane method.
din7691
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of The Independent Singapore.
Singaporean reality TV star Kane Lim has become the newest face of global beauty brand Fenty. Lim, who stars in Netflix’s Bling Empire, will be part of the billion-dollar brand that is owned by superstar singer Rihanna.
The announcement appeared on social media on May 10 when Fenty Beauty’s official Instagram account shared a picture of Lim from the campaign. The TV star looked dapper while flaunting his makeup in the pictures that were captioned, “BLING BLING! Introducing our newest #FentyFacePartner — Kane Lim @kanelk_k! Stay tuned for the Fenty Beauty and @fentyskin serves. Welcome to the Fenty Fam! (sic)”
Kane Lim, 31 will be the first Southeast Asian brand ambassador for Fenty Beauty. The campaign that Lim is a part of will debut in Sephora’s flagship store in Singapore, in May.
During an interview with People, Lim said, “I think a lot of times Asian men don’t feel comfortable discussing skincare and beauty and for me to be able to say, ‘Hey, I’m using foundation’ and wearing it proudly is very powerful. It’s breaking barriers.”
He also spoke about how this partnership came into existence and his friendship with Rihanna. The TV star said, “When season one of Bling dropped, She was like, ‘So, when is season two coming out?’ From there, we’d DM emojis and fun stuff. She’s the sweetest person and when this came about I said, ‘You helped me a lot.’ This just means so much to me.”
Lim also said that the whole experience has been extremely humbling for him and this campaign has helped him discover new confidence in himself.
Bling Empire is Lim’s first television appearance. Born in 1989, he is one of the youngest and richest Asian personalities in real estate and investment, according to the Netflix series. Lim was born in Singapore but is currently a US citizen.
Fans of Lim, who watched season 1 of Bling Empire, would have enjoyed Lim’s flashy and over-the-top style, not to mention his upbeat personality. Living in Beverly Hills, the practising Buddhist said in an interview with the Hong Kong Tatler, “Friendship also means being able to support each other during the toughest times.”
In the beginning, viewers may have felt that they would not understand the cast’s lifestyles, but Lim has gone on to prove that kindness and friendship transcend time and money.
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Dear Editor,
1) I am wheelchair bound. I experience many times that the bus ramp is too steep to onboard and alight.
2) I noticed many times when the buses turn into the bus lane, the boarding step is so near to the platform but the exit door is so far from the platform. There is a big gap and these poor elderly folks have a hard time alighting from the bus because of the gap. Their feet sometimes barely reach the platform, so they have to step down and then step up and worse of all their hands are still holding on to the door bar which is not allowed to.
Can the SBS management educate the bus drivers to show more love and concern to the elderly? It is too dangerous!! They might fall when alighting. Do you want something to happen first, and then SBS will start looking into this issue? It will be too late!
Thank you.
Regards,
Doreen
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of The Independent Singapore.
Following a claim from a witness to an accident that the 995 operator was “incompetent” and hung up on her call after expressing displeasure with her tone, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) clarified on Saturday (May 14) on the matter.
Netizen Pam Kaur posted details of the accident on the Facebook page Singapore Roads accident.com on May 8, expressing dismay at how SCDF called a second time to confirm the accident location. The follow-up call clarifying the nearest lamppost number frustrated Kaur, who noted the “incompetence, lack of urgency and stupidity” on the SCDF officer’s part.
She wrote in her original post, which has since been removed,
“The AUDACITY of this bonehead to say ‘I don’t like your tone. I don’t like the way you are speaking to me. And she hung up. You read that right. SHE. HUNG. UP. Why the hell do you think your pathetic ego and feelings would be more important than the man who needs IMMEDIATE medical attention? Yes, okay I snapped at you. BUT aren’t you trained to deal with frantic calls which may sometimes involve people losing patience with you? And how many times do I have to repeat my location man?! I didn’t take her name down. But I want to know who she is so that this never happens again…”
“This was infuriating. It stinks of incompetence, lack of urgency and stupidity. I said by the time the ambulance arrives at the scene because you have a listening problem DESPITE MY CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS, the motorcyclist would have died,” she added.
SCDF conducted an investigation on the incident and based on the call recordings, Kaur initially said the accident between the motorcycle and car happened along the Pan-Island Expressway towards Changi before Exit 8B.
The operator asked for further details, such as the nature of the injuries sustained by the motorcyclist and the number of the lamppost nearest the accident, to which the caller said, “370F,” explained SCDF.
However, the ambulance that was dispatched could not locate an accident based on Kaur’s directions.
“This prompted the paramedic in the ambulance to contact the caller to verify the exit and lamppost number, as these were essential reference points,” said SCDF.
The follow-up call appeared to have frustrated Kaur, who then made the snide comments.
“The paramedic then replied to the caller that she was uncomfortable with the tone of the caller, and subsequently disengaged from the call to focus the crew’s attention on locating the accident,” said SCDF.
SCDF later confirmed the accident location was along the Central Expressway (CTE) towards Seletar Expressway (SLE), before the PIE exit, after receiving a subsequent report from another caller on the same accident.
Based on the audio footage from the in-vehicle camera of the ambulance, the paramedic who conducted the follow-up call also remained calm and polite even during the point when she highlighted being uncomfortable with the caller’s tone.
SCDF commended the public-spiritedness of the callers and explained that it was a sound procedure for call centre operators to ask for information such as key landmarks, road names, and lamppost numbers near the accident scene, especially when there is no specific address.
At times, we may also need to further clarify the information, particularly when our responders are unable to locate the reported incident. We seek the public’s understanding and patience about this. Our responders work round the clock to save lives, and we will continue to make every effort to reach those in need of emergency aid,” SCDF added. /TISG
We are so often defined and labelled by what we do. In fact, many of us who have lost our jobs no longer feel validated, as for the longest time, we have identified ourselves with what we do, not who we are.
Many of us have conscious bias. Do you notice how often one meets someone new and after asking their names, the next step is often to ascertain what is it they do for a living, and then pigeonhole them accordingly in your mind based on their profession? Very often it is also based on one’s ethnic background.
A case in point is Enrique Camacho who was a colonel in the US Army, which really is a big deal kind of job if you think about it. He worked for the most recognized names in defence and served at national agencies.
“Then I started Model Citizen Coffee Company and realized I need more Money! So between writing business plans and developing product lines, I drove an Uber and managed a 4.99999999 star rating – thank you Mr. 3 Star, blew-up my 5-star rating.”
Camacho spoke about his life-changing experience as someone who is used to having people look up to him and literally salute him everywhere he goes. It was a huge change. Driving an Uber was a whole different ballgame.
“Here’s what I learned in the experience. Nobody cared that I was “Kind of a Big Deal”. I asked my Uber riders a lot of questions and empathized with: the guy who just caught his fiancé cheating on him; the single mom dealing with teens while going to her second job; the Women’s National Figure Skating champ working on her program for Worlds; and the PhD candidate returning to Haiti to improve his country.”
What he found was, strangely enough, as much as he knew their stories, nobody cared to ask him about his.
“Funny thing is, only 3 out of 453 passengers I delivered ever asked about my story. Perhaps the 450 thought, Enrique Camacho, was a middle-aged immigrant supporting his family the best way he could, with a limited skill set and future.
Truth bomb hit me, we’re only as good as our last race. People don’t care what we’ve done. They’re interested in what we can do for them today and tomorrow. It’s not a bad thing. It’s a realization that we must continuously learn and grow, so we don’t stagnate.”
Camacho said his experience really made him sit up and take notice of people around him and how we often treat people based on what they can do for us.
“My hope is that when we encounter Enrique Camacho the Uber driver, waiter, clerk, truck driver, cable guy or hammer wielder, we’ll engage them with the same curiosity we engage those we deem important. Be brave and enjoy our fellow man/woman’s story. It helps us develop new perspectives and appreciate others, which ultimately makes us all better.”
