SINGAPORE - The Straits Times looks at what politicians, and the politically related, are up to in this weekly series.
From As to Ds for A levels
Results for the national A-level exams were released on Tuesday (Feb 22), which saw some politicians posting messages to students to share in their accomplishments and soothe any disappointment.
One post that stood out was by Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Transport Baey Yam Keng.
Accompanying an image of A-level results that boasted four As and a B3 grade for General Paper, he initially uploaded the caption: "No one is perfect. I also wished I obtained better results for my A levels."
Netizens had mixed reactions to this, with some expressing confusion at how much better he could have done and if this was a "humble-brag".
Mr Baey updated his post shortly after to clarify that even though they were considered good results, he was "aiming for better or perfection".
"Looking back today after many years, my grades did help me get a scholarship. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to do my degree overseas. Other than that, I don't think they mattered much in my life," he said in the second version of his caption.
Minister of State for Trade and Industry, and Culture, Community and Youth Alvin Tan also shared his A-level experience from his junior college years, which were longer than most as he had to repeat his first year.
Mr Tan had D, D and C grades, as well as an A for General Paper.
He revealed how he had struggled to juggle studies and sports, while coming to terms with his own identity "as an awkward teen".
But everyone has a different learning style and he said that for him, he realised that he was an experiential and curious learner who struggled with rote learning.
"Life is a meandering journey, and our grades don't define us, even if we feel they do, especially as a teen. If you tanked your A levels like I did, don't despair. Life is a journey and you will find your way," said Mr Tan.
Education Minister getting schooled on Stem
Some netizens were tickled by an exchange that Education Minister Chan Chun Sing had with a pupil from what appeared to be a recent visit to a primary school.
Mr Chan posted last Saturday that he had misunderstood the answer the pupil gave when asked about his co-curricular activity (CCA) - mistaking Stem (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) for the stamp club.
"Oh, that's nice. I collected stamps too! Must be hard to collect stamps nowadays? You write letters? You have pen pals?" he asked the pupil, to "awkward silence".
But there was a lesson to be learnt from this, noted the minister. Times have changed and children likely learn about technology from a younger age than ever.
The minister's anecdote and reflections seemed to have struck a chord, as many commenters on his Facebook post echoed his views.
Healthcare worker and social media personality Jade Rasif said her three-year-old told her that he "learns python" in class, and she corrected his grammar before realising that he was learning the Python programming language.
User Cecil Goh said: "Wonder what CCA clubs there will be in another 20 to 30 years' time... But one of the greatest benefits of CCAs is inculcation of values... Technology and times can change but values must last forever."
Time check on the Budget
The annual Budget statement is known to be one of the longest speeches to be made in Parliament every year.
Finance Minister Lawrence Wong gave his first one last Friday, clocking in at just shy of a respectable two hours.
Many people were closely watching this speech, including the meme maestros at local social media outfit SGAG.
As Mr Wong was giving his Budget speech, SGAG very promptly uploaded a meme of Manpower Minister Tan See Leng checking the time, suggesting that he wanted the speech to end soon.
"Today Friday leh, I want to go out!" they imagined Dr Tan thinking.
Dr Tan responded to the image in good spirit, and said he was only checking his heart rhythm on his watch "after hearing the exciting support for employers and workers".
His rejoinder drew more than 1,300 reactions and thumbs-up signs from netizens, with one commending him for his good "mouth skills".
Netizens did not stop there when it came to Budget-related humour, as some took note of how many times Mr Wong topped up and drank from his cup before continuing.
Local outlet MustShareNews even stitched together a compilation of those moments, which were enough to make a 97-second video.
Coping with loss
Workers' Party MP Jamus Lim paid tribute to his parents earlier this week, when he posted on Wednesday that his dad had died 23 years ago.
Associate Professor Lim is 46 this year, which means he has spent half of his life now without his dad.
The sudden death then of his father, who was 49, was difficult for Prof Lim and his sister, as they felt unprepared to face life without him.
"It was also especially difficult for mum, for whom dad was her first boyfriend (yes, virtually unimaginable these days), and who now had to shoulder the financial and emotional burden of taking care of two children," he said.
"Thankfully, dad had insured against such an eventuality, and so the struggle - hard as it was - was nevertheless eased somewhat."
The Sengkang GRC MP added that over the course of his work in the constituency, he has met residents who have experienced such unexpected grief, and said that he does his "level best" to do what he can to help.
"It is my job to do so, of course, but I also see it as an enormous privilege to be able to be there for others during their time of need," he said.
