CCS: Speaking in English

RE: Pay not a primary factor for PAP team: Chan Chun Sing

Before flaming him, you must watch the video of Ag Minister Chan Chun Sing addressing questions from residents and students in Jurong.


He makes mostly clear points.
Except I don't think he is in any position to speak for all his comrades in the Government.

Since Day 1, his biggest problem is his tone.
He never fails to sound lao lan when he speaks in English.
Like he still has the HDB boy's chip on the shoulder, when he has outgrown his flat and bettered his humble background decades ago.

I've watched and listened to Minister Chan speak in Mandarin on TV once. He sounded very decent. Almost like a different person. A caring person.

So, I'm guessing that English is a language which he has learnt via formal schooling and uses it in formal situations such as in school, at work, for go-getting etc. Hence, his brain associates speaking in English with the need to project an air of self-confidence. And when he thinks he needs to 'connect' with his audience, he adds a generous dose of Singlish and Singlish accent.

While Mandarin is an everyday language for him, which he has initially learnt informally and uses it in social situations where he is generally more relaxed.

Now as a politician and minister, he needs to be able to speak in English (not Singlish), and in a relaxed manner. It's not an easy switch. This takes practice. Years and years of practice.

Minister Chan needs to fix this Achilles' heel of his quickly. If not, people will be easily swayed by the better looks and softer tones from competition such as Tan Chuan Jin, who, though takes a lot of front-page heartstrings-tugging pictures such as posing with stray animals and tombstones, doesn't necessarily make points which are as clear/good as Chan's.

Form over function.
Regardless, form is important when one is dealing with the masses.
See public reaction to Minister Chan's comments on $10 vs $1.50 Chye Tao Kuey.

If you don't get your form right, anything you say is crap.
But if you pose for a pic with a stray puppy/tombstone, it doesn't matter at all that you are not making any policy changes. They will still adore you.

This is our future leader in training. Watch him develop himself into our future PM... Maybe not the next PM... But one in the future.