The Usual Place Podcast
At The Usual Place with Sun Xueling
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In this episode of The Usual Place, host Natasha Ann Zachariah chats with Minister of State Sun Xueling (right).
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Synopsis: 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 efforts to combat family violence and scams and why the community should work together 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.
Minister of State for Home Affairs and Social and Family Development Sun Xueling (right) chats with host Natasha Ann Zachariah of The Usual Place Podcast.
ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI
Highlights (click/tap above):
1:31 The numbers on domestic violence here are “concerning”, says Ms Sun
5:36 The need to raise the alarm with the authorities
10:53 How Ms Sun embraces her two roles in the ministries, given her finance background
12:01 Why do Singaporeans keep getting scammed?
13:53 Harder for authorities to do their jobs now
16:08 Is it good to have a comeback line? Ms Sun’s tips when encountering a scammer
22:03 Why she started volunteering at Meet-The-People sessions 25 years ago
25:01 Lessons from recent fracas between volunteers of PSP and PAP
27:44 “I just feel like I’m just an ordinary person.”
28:50 Will Ms Sun become a writer for young adult literature?
31:40 How she finds time for her endeavours
34:10 Her advice for those who want to pursue a passion on the side
Host: Natasha Zachariah ( natashaz@sph.com.sg
Read Natasha’s articles: https://str.sg/iSXm
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Filmed by: Studio+65
Edited by ST Podcast producers: Teo Tong Kai and Eden Soh
Executive producers: Ernest Luis
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