Singapore's War On Covid Podcast: The global hunt for masks

Mr Jayakumar Manickam (pictured right) flew to India to secure a large shipment of masks in India for the Singapore Government.

PHOTO: ST LOGISTICS

Timothy Goh

Synopsis: This podcast series is based on selected chapters from a book, detailing Singapore’s experience battling the Covid-19 pandemic. The book - written by journalists of The Straits Times and edited by ST’s executive editor Sumiko Tan - is titled In This Together: Singapore's Covid-19 Story and is available in major bookstores now. Details online: https://www.stbooks.sg/

In this second episode of six instalments, ST's health correspondent Timothy Goh tells the story of how Singapore secretly and quickly despatched individuals and teams overseas from late January 2020, to procure masks and other essential items in the early days of the pandemic.

He reveals how Singapore managed to bring home full-scaled mask-production capabilities on the quiet.

Highlights (click/tap above): (Headphones recommended)

01:25 Mr Jayakumar Manickam: Managing logistics for ST Logistics in Singapore one day, flying to India secretly the next day to secure a large shipment of masks in India for the Singapore Government

06:20 Mr Chan Chun Sing, who was Minister for Trade and Industry till May 2021, on the calculations for managing Singapore's existing stockpile of masks

07:15 Panic-buying; modern-day mask piracy even on the tarmac in various countries

08:25 Mr Gabriel Lim, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, on the "Wild Wild West-styled" global mask-buying frenzy

08:55 How Singapore quietly made plans to manufacture its own surgical masks with ST Engineering bringing back its machines, stuck in Taiwan, after an export ban on masks there

10:00 ST Engineering’s Gareth Tang on overseeing the operation

15:15 Catching up with ST Logistics’ Lian Yong De in 2022, on the made-in-Singapore mask industry, and Mr Gabriel Lim, on Singapore's capabilities in the face of the possible next big virus variant

In This Together: Singapore's Covid-19 Story retails for $28 (with GST) at major bookstores. It is also available on the Straits Times Press website: https://www.stbooks.sg/

Episode 3 will be out next on April 18, and you can find out the inner workings of Singapore’s Covid-19 War Room.

Listen to Ep 1 on how 24 people saved one life: https://str.sg/wuJa

Produced by: Timothy Goh (timgoh@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis and Hadyu Rahim

Edited by: Hadyu Rahim

Follow Singapore's War On Covid podcast series here:

Channel: https://str.sg/wuJa

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wu3n

Spotify: https://str.sg/wuJy

SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/

Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

Read Timothy Goh's stories: https://str.sg/wnaH