Three Days in Pattaya
The earliest flight in and the latest flight out. That is how I maximise my weekend in Pattaya at the first ever IDEA Asia Youth Forum. I’ll be exhausted and sleep-deprived, yes, but…
Democratic Transitions: Not just about waiting for change
This is an essay I wrote at the end of 2011 and submitted to CIPE’s Youth Essay Competition 2011. It placed second in the Democratic Transitions category. In 2006 John Mayer sang, “Now…
The Unstoppable Little Granddad
Middle-of-the-night phone calls are very rarely good. This one comes at about five in the morning. It’s my granddad. He needs help to go to the hospital. He almost never asks for help…
The Mandatory Death Penalty: A Blinkered Policy
The following was first published on Huffington Post. Singapore has often been identified as “one of the most prominent defenders of capital punishment.” But what many people — including Singaporeans — may not…
Young with nowhere to go.
Drive past certain parts of Sandakan and you see rows of newly-built shophouses: polished glass panes and freshly painted walls, clearly labelled with numbers and letters. But all empty – there aren’t any…
From Singapore to Sabah: Vesak Day
The following is part 3 of a series written from Sandakan, Yong Vui Kong’s hometown in Sabah, East Malaysia, by Second Chances co-founder Kirsten Han: The temple’s crowded. So crowded that we have…
From Singapore to Sabah: The Plantation House
The following is part 2 of a series written from Sandakan, Yong Vui Kong’s hometown in Sabah, East Malaysia, by Second Chances co-founder Kirsten Han: The 4WD lurches and jolts as Vui Kong’s…
From Singapore to Sabah: “They can only accept.”
The following is part 1 of a series written from Sandakan, Yong Vui Kong’s hometown in Sabah, East Malaysia, first published on Second Chances‘ website: How many times have I told Vui Kong’s story?…
