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As a teenager, Zainal SAPARI told a bursary interviewer that he aspired to be a politician without knowing what that entailed. Nearly 30 years later, he became a Member of Parliament with the People’s Action Party, after a long career in education. He believes that those who can serve should do so when asked.
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Felix CHEONG wanted to be a doctor when he was young but his A-level results were not good enough to get him into medical school. He could have settled for his second choice — pharmacy — which would have led to a stable job. But he took the curve ball life threw at him and decided to follow his passion — to be a writer.
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After various false starts, LEONG Chun Yu fulfilled his childhood dream to become a fighter pilot. From the F-5 to the F-16, he flew them all, relishing the intoxicating adrenaline rush of flying. He left the Republic of Singapore Air Force after close to 20 years and is now a military aviation consultant and certified life coach.
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Azman JAAFAR was an avid reader when he was young and carried his love for words into adulthood. He has built a flourishing career as a lawyer and is now the Managing Partner of RHTLaw Asia and chairman of ASEAN Plus Group, an alliance of leading law firms. While his background and interests may mark him as a potential political candidate, he believes that he can contribute more by remaining in the private sector. Calling himself a ‘red and white’ Singaporean, he says he is “one of those who is ready to die for his country”.
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Betty LEE Siu Ping knew from a very young age that she shares the same birthday as Singapore. During her school days, she was on stage every August 9, singing or dancing to celebrate National Day. Despite feeling ambivalent and sometimes irritated, she would never turn down any opportunity to attend a National Day Parade. Now semi-retired, she just wants to live her life to the fullest and be happy.
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Self-styled Katong Boy Mohan VELOO spent more than a decade studying, working and partying in the US. He moved back to Singapore in 2002 with his Swedish wife and is now the Asia Pacific Chief Technology Officer at a global IT company. When he’s not busy with work or family, he can be found curating world class sound experiences at his high-end audio equipment business, a venture founded on passion.
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Terence ANG suffered a stroke at 55, at the prime of his career, when he was handling multi-million dollar advertising budgets. Stubborn and ignorant of the seriousness of his condition, he assumed he would recover fully within weeks. Five years on, his memory of pre-stroke days is still fuzzy, his speech is often slurred and he needs someone to accompany him when going outdoors. But he has found his voice sharing his journey to recovery, and has written five books and counting.
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Academic THANG Leng Leng harboured a teenage infatuation with all-things Japanese and spent most of her professional career researching Japanese society. Her interests in Japan are diverse and she is acknowledged globally as an authority on ageing, its challenges, and its impact on society.
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Mohamad Maliki OSMAN, better known as Dr Maliki, grew up poor in a squatter kampong. Eighth in a family of nine children, he is the only one among his siblings to go to university, capping his extraordinary academic journey with a PhD in social work. Recently retired after 25 years in politics, he has taken on new roles which allow him to continue contributing to Singapore, while spending more time with his loved ones.
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Sylvia LIM knew from a young age that her career choice must have something to do with helping people, especially the less fortunate. Distressed that only 1/3 of the seats were contested in the 2001 Singapore General Election, she decided to join the Workers’ Party, becoming the party chair in 2003. Now in her fourth term as MP of Aljunied GRC, the ‘mama bear’ to younger WP members is far from done when it comes to what she wants to do for the opposition and the country.
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