Kenneth Tiong, Workersโ Party MP for Serangoon in Aljunied GRC, on why Singapore's opportunity ladders have narrowed since the 1990s, how government grants trap entrepreneurs in bureaucratic hoops & what NS could teach servicemen but doesn't.
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00:00) We're Hiring!
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00:50) Intro
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01:47) One year in Parliament reflections
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03:01) Wanting to be an essayist before politics
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04:33) Brown University and Ivy League experience
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05:28) From philosophy to computer science
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08:02) Consulting, finance, and entrepreneurship before politics
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10:43) Why opposition politics over PAP
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13:20) The narrowing ladder of Singapore opportunity
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16:32) Capital access challenges for R&D startups
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18:12) Why the Workers Party aligned with his ideas
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19:58) Job precariousness and Singapore's hyper-specialised economy
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23:36) The "stupid question" Parliament incident
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26:33) Passion versus calibrated messaging in Parliament
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28:31) The TikTok era of political communication
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31:25) Public reaction to his speaking style
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32:33) Mandarin oranges and IP protection metaphor
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33:59) Long-term greedy versus short-term ROI
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35:48) Strategic bets: Johor SEZ, energy, and infrastructure
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38:32) TikTok, Shein and the foreign HQ model
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40:35) What is an Exim Bank
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42:48) Mindset shift needed across the civil service
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45:43) Protecting Singaporean F&B brands
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46:46) Carousell, Shopback and unicorn success stories
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50:08) US capital availability versus Singapore grants
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52:33) Mindset change for entrepreneurs and government
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54:19) Why CCAs and the psychomotor test are broken
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57:19) Football for every student and CCA access
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58:29) Boys' Brigade, Scouts and elite athlete perspectives
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01:00:19) Sports talent identification and parental anxiety
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01:01:40) A richer multi-sport ecosystem and the Norwegian model
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01:02:47) Media, arts, and the failure of imagination
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01:04:19) What gives him hope for Singapore's future
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01:05:37) Long-term thinking, TFR, and parenting pressures
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01:07:17) National Service pay and minimum wage debate
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01:09:36) Israel as a model for skills-based NS
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01:11:34) Are servicemen owed fair compensation
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01:12:34) Useful skills learned in the army
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01:14:27) What's coming up next from Kenneth in Parliament
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01:15:09) One Shiok Thing
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01:24:46) Post-Interview Reflection
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