S1E24: At The Usual Place with Sun Xueling

Jan 31, 2025

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The MP for Punggol West SMC first joined the People's Action Party as a member 25 years ago after becoming a volunteer to help with Meet-The-People sessions.

Synopsis: On Thursdays, The Usual Place host Natasha Ann Zachariah hunts for new perspectives on issues that matter to young people.

Also, in the lead-up to the expected general election that must be held by November 2025, Natasha looks at how MPs, and others involved, are preparing themselves.

In this episode, Ms Sun Xueling, Minister of State for Home Affairs, and Social and Family Development, chats with Natasha about her experiences from 25 years of Meet-The-People sessions since she first got involved on the ground at the age of 20.

They talk about Ms Sun’s latest efforts to combat family violence and scams and why we should work together as a community to halt any family violence and child abuse in Singapore. She also highlights the challenges of tackling scams, which exploit human emotions like trust and greed, making it harder for authorities to do their jobs.

Besides juggling her roles in two ministries and as the MP for Punggol West SMC, Ms Sun is also an author who has written books for children. The mother of two girls shares her thoughts on balancing work and passion, along with advice for anyone looking to pursue a side hustle.

Highlights (click/tap above):

5:41 The need to raise the alarm with the authorities

12:06 Why do Singaporeans keep getting scammed?

22:08 Why Ms Sun started volunteering at Meet-The-People sessions 25 years ago

27:49 “I just feel like I'm just an ordinary person...”

34:15 Her advice for those who want to pursue a passion on the side

Host: Natasha Zachariah (natashaz@sph.com.sg)

Follow Natasha on her IG account and DM her your thoughts on this topic: https://str.sg/8Wav

Follow Natasha on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/v6DN

Read Natasha's articles: https://str.sg/iSXm

Filmed by: Studio+65

Edited by ST Podcast producers: Teo Tong Kai & Eden Soh

Executive producers: Ernest Luis & Lynda Hong

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