Mandarin skills land him job in China
PM Lee highlights Singaporean who overcame initial struggles with language
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Mr Ng Chia Yong, a deputy regional general manager for CapitaLand's commercial management arm in China, is among eight young bilingual professionals recognised by the Promote Mandarin Council and Business China.
ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE
Tee Zhuo
Growing up in a family that spoke only Teochew, Mr Ng Chia Yong struggled with Mandarin when he started school.
Both his parents did not go beyond primary school as they had to work from a young age, said the 43-year-old, who is a deputy regional general manager for CapitaLand's commercial management arm in China. "So, learning Mandarin as well as English was a big struggle initially," he told The Straits Times.