Homes across Singapore light up in pink as annual Pink Dot rally goes online
LGBTQ rally Pink Dot went digital-only for the first time in its 12-year history on Saturday (27 June), as the COVID-19 pandemic prevented its annual physical gathering at Hong Lim Park. Organisers livestreamed a one-and-a-half hour video programme hosted by actress Pam Oei and Pink Dot’s organising committee member Harris Zaidi. The show featured musical performances from queer artists and allies, and films that shared the stories of queer Singaporeans. Performers included 35 local drag queens as well as singers Chris Hong, Leon Markcus, Qyo, Mathilda D’Silva, Charlie Lim, Joanna Dong and the band The Apex Project. read more Annual Pink Dot event goes online; organisers to rally LGBTQ community with virtual events
Pink Dot SG's organisers have arranged a series of online events on June 27, 2020. PHOTO: PINKDOTSG/FACEBOOK To adapt to the new realities of a global pandemic, this year's Pink Dot SG rally is going online, say the annual event's organisers. This year's theme, Love Lives Here, aims to celebrate and foster a spirit of inclusion and love by uniting the LGBTQ, or lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer, community and its allies digitally as the event celebrates its 12th edition. As they are not able to arrange for people to gather physically, Pink Dot SG's organisers have arranged a series of online events, including a livestream that will be held on the event's website from 8pm to 9.30pm on June 27. read more 3 ways to support pinkdot12 this year
Pink Dot SG, Singapore’s landmark LGBTQ-affirming event will go digital to adapt to the new realities of a global pandemic. While we cannot physically be together, Pink Dot 12 aims to unite the community and its allies through digital activations that foster a spirit of inclusion and love. Like our queer counterparts around the world, LGBTQ Singaporeans have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. A majority (63.8%) of those surveyed by local LBTQ organisation Sayoni reported faced challenges with mental health, while almost half (47.3%) said they struggled with social isolation and inability to access support systems. Many (21%) expressed concerns about their identity being disclosed to families or said they (20.1%) were living in hostile family environments. This year’s theme, Love Lives Here, was chosen with these challenges in mind. We invite all Singaporeans and allies to:
Light Up by decorating your homes or businesses with pink lights during the month of June to show support to those who might not be able to do so. Watch our campaign video here to learn more.
Sign Up online now to leave messages of love and support, and form our first ever digital pink dot at https://loveliveshere.pinkdot.sg/.
Show Up on June 27 for our livestream and join in the celebrations on https://pinkdot.sg/.
read more Pink Dot SG latest local event to be called off
The annual Pink Dot event at Hong Lim Park has been called off, but organisers said supporters can tune in to their special livestream programme on June 27.PHOTO: ST FILE
The annual Pink Dot SG event, slated for June 27 at Hong Lim Park, is the latest event to be called off due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In a Facebook post on Monday (March 16), Pink Dot SG said people can still mark the occasion by lighting up their homes and workplaces pink, and spend time with their friends and family. It is the first cancellation in 12 years. read more No Pink Dot rally at Hong Lim Park due to coronavirus
FILE PHOTO: Pink Dot announced on Monday (Mar 16) that they will not be holding their annual rally in Hong Lim Park this year. (Photo: Lianne Chia) Pink Dot organisers said on Monday (Mar 16) that due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the event will not take place at Hong Lim Park this year. Instead, there will be a livestream event online on Jun 27. In a Facebook post, the organisers said: "The health and safety of our community and all Singaporeans are our foremost priority. As such, for the first time in our 12-year history, Pink Dot will not take place physically at Hong Lim Park. read more Singapore's Pink Dot rally to be replaced by livestream programme
This is the first time in its 12-year history that the annual rally will not take place at Hong Lim Park
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) rally Pink Dot, which usually attracts thousands of attendees, has been cancelled this year amid the Covid-19 pandemic. In a post on Facebook on Monday (March 16), the event's organisers said that they would instead hold a special livestream programme at 6.30pm on June 27. “One can expect a meaningful line-up of performances and interactive discussions that will keep you and your loved ones entertained and engaged,” said the organisers, adding that details of the programme will be released at a later date. read more
Pink Dot SG
Aerial photograph of the inaugural Pink Dot event held on Saturday, 16 May 2009 at Hong Lim Park.
Pink Dot SG, (more commonly referred to simply as Pink Dot) was held on Saturday, 16 May 2009.
It was Singapore's historic, first open air LGBT-supportive event. It established a record for the greatest number of participants to turn up for any congregation at Speakers' Corner, Hong Lim Park since the latter's inception.
The landmark gathering was accorded extensive coverage in the international and local media. In the years to come, similar eponymous events based on the original concept, values and messaging of Pink Dot would be held in cities all around the world.
The LGBT community converging at Hong Lim Park in Singapore for Pink Dot SG in 2014
Pink Dot SG, known exonymously as Pink Dot, is an event that has occurred annually since 2009 in support of the LGBT community in Singapore. Attendees of Pink Dot events gather to form a "pink dot" to show support for inclusiveness, diversity and the freedom to love in the country. Pink Dot events typically include concert performances and booths sponsored by organizations that support the LGBT community and cause in addition to the event's name-brand formation.
The success of Pink Dot in Singapore has inspired similar events in several other countries, leading to the event to become known as Pink Dot SG — SG being an initialism for Singapore. It has been held each year in Singapore from 2009 to 2019 at the Speakers' Corner in Hong Lim Park on a Saturday in the months of May, June or July. The 2020 and 2021 editions were held as online livestreams, in view of the global COVID-19 pandemic. The 2022 edition was held in-person once again in June.
In September 2008, the rules governing activities conducted at Singapore's Speakers' Corner at Hong Lim Park were relaxed, allowing demonstrations organised by Singaporeans to be held at the park, providing that all participants are either citizens or permanent residents. This allowed the first Pink Dot SG event to take place at the Speakers' Corner on 16 May 2009. A total of nine Pink Dot events have been held in Singapore, occurring annually on Saturdays in May, June or July. Many organisations around the world modeled LGBT events after the Pink Dot concept, often borrowing the "Pink Dot" prefix. For distinction, the Singapore events became known as Pink Dot SG. The design of the Pink Dot SG mascot "Pinkie", a personification of the pink dot, was provided by graphic designer Soh Ee Shaun.
Pink Dot SG is a non-profit movement started by a group of disparate individuals. Dr Roy Tan, a medical practitioner with a passionate interest in archiving the history of Singapore's LGBT community, wanted to take advantage of the liberalisation, with effect from 1 September 2008, of rules governing activities that could be conducted at Speakers’ Corner, Hong Lim Park. He initially registered with the National Parks Board to stage a traditional pride parade on Saturday, 15 November 2008. The LGBT community's immediate response to the idea of a pride parade held in Singapore was less than encouraging. Tan’s promotion of the event on SiGNeL, a local LGBT mailing list, largely drew a blank. Slightly frustrated, he resolved to conduct a one-man pride parade with himself as the only person marching if it boiled down to that as he was determined to set a precedent that would facilitate the organisation of such events in the future. There was a real fear amongst closeted individuals that participating in a parade would be indirectly outing themselves to the world, especially with the intense media coverage that such a groundbreaking development in the conservative republic was expected to attract. Moreover, a pride parade was traditionally a form of protest and Singaporeans had become conditioned to being averse to protest marches after decades of authoritarian rule. As such, other community activists were concerned that the event might not gain the larger mainstream public acceptance that was its aim. Pink Dot SG evolved in the ensuing months out of brainstorming discussions by key stakeholders, rustled up by Tan with the help of his friend Dominic Chua.
The novel concept of forming a giant pink dot itself, never before employed in any LGBT-supportive event in the world, was the brainchild of Pink Dot organising committee member and Fridae's Chinese section editor Choo Lip Sin. However, it must be mentioned that the first activist-inspired public gathering of people dressed in pink was organised by Miak Siew and took place 1 year earlier, in 2007, during the Pink Picnic held at the Botanic Gardens during the third year of IndigNation, Singapore's LGBT pride month. Also, Bian Tan was the first person to suggest on SiGNeL that a gathering of people togged out in pink would have more broad-based appeal than a gay pride parade. The rationale was that a mixed crowd of both straight and LGBT participants dressed the same way to support a cause would circumvent the problem of outing oneself as it would mean that just because one was seen at the event, this would not necessarily signify that one was gay. The design of the Pink Dot mascot, affectionately named "Pinkie", was later provided pro bono by straight graphic designer Soh Ee Shaun. Soh's help was solicited by Dominic Chua, a personal friend of his. The crafting of the PR-friendly slogan "Support the Freedom to Love", which was a concerted attempt to move away from using the word "rights" and which later gained widespread currency both locally and internationally, was the work of Ash Lim. Dr Stuart Koe, CEO of Fridae.com, generously agreed to making his immensely popular and socially responsible LGBT portal Pink Dot's first corporate sponsor. Koe provided website information technology, creative, marketing and logistics support, the use of the Fridae office for meetings, and at least $2,000 to get the inaugural event off the ground.
Prior to September 2008, Pink Dot would have been an illegal event, with the police regarding it as a form of demonstration in violation of the rules governing the use of the Speakers' Corner. For 8 years since its inception in 2000, users of Speakers' Corner were required to register themselves at the police post and were prohibited from employing any audio amplification equipment or conducting themselves in a manner which may be deemed a public protest or demonstration. The status quo changed on 1 September 2008 when the Government decided to relax the rules to allow for protests, demonstrations and self-powered sound systems, all made permissible by just a simple online registration with the National Parks Board (NParks). However, this newfound right was secured through years of effort by activists to open up political space and to persuade Singaporeans to accept the idea of peaceful protests. It took arrests, fines and prison sentences suffered by activists, in particular Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) leader Dr Chee Soon Juan. Chee made a decision in 1999 to risk imprisonment by embarking on a long-drawn campaign of civil disobedience to bring the government to bear for its refusal to honour its citizens' rights to free speech and assembly.
Ultimately, the greatest confidence we get in our future as Singaporeans comes from our social compact.
I spoke about how we are strengthening our society, in this 5th Ministerial Broadcast that was aired on TV tonight - youtube links below.
My talk included some important issues – including the national effort we are making to support middle-aged and mature Singaporean workers with jobs; how we are uplifting incomes and security for our lowest paid workers; and investing more to help children from lower income families, starting with their earliest years.
read more Singaporeans have no reason to not be ready for a non-Chinese PM
A good time to look back at a comment by then Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat at NTU forum in March last year
With elections around the corner, perhaps it is a good time to look back at a comment by then Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat in March last year.
During a forum at the Nanyang Technological University on March 28 last year, this question was posed to Mr Heng: “Is it Singapore who is not ready for a non-Chinese Prime Minister, or is it the PAP who is not ready for a non-Chinese Prime Minister?”
Mr Heng replied that he felt that the older generation was not ready for a non-Chinese leader, even though young Singaporeans at the forum were satisfied to have a non-Chinese PM. A report on the forum in todayonline.com on March 29 last year stirred quite a bit of controversy.
Older generation of S'poreans not ready for non-Chinese PM: Heng Swee Keat
A segment of Singapore’s population is happy to have an individual from a minority race as their prime minister, but the older generation is not ready for that
Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat, who is expected to succeed Prime Minister (PM) Lee Hsien Loong, said this during a forum at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) on Thursday (March 28). He was replying a question posed by a member of the audience, who noted that Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam was a popular choice to take on the top job.
In asking the question, Assistant Professor Walid Jumblatt Abdullah of NTU's School of Social Sciences’ public policy and global affairs programme, also pointed out that Mr Tharman’s popularity was evident in his constituency’s elections results. A survey conducted by market research consultancy Blackbox in 2016 found that Mr Tharman was the top choice among Singaporeans to succeed Mr Lee, with 69 per cent of almost 900 respondents indicating that they would support him to be the candidate for prime minister.
“Is it Singapore who is not ready for a non-Chinese prime minister, or is it the PAP (the ruling People’s Action Party) who is not ready for a non-Chinese prime minister?” Asst Prof Walid asked. read more Minority PM inevitable, but Tharman rules himself out
'... BUT I'M NOT THE STRIKER': Using a sports analogy to explain why the prime ministership was not his cup of tea, Mr Tharman said he enjoyed playing half-back, but was not the striker - unless he was forced to, and he didn't think he would be forced to, because Singapore had choices. PHOTO: INSTITUTE OF POLICY STUDIES
IT is only a matter of time before Singapore has its first minority-race prime minister, said Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam on Friday - but it won't be him because he isn't interested in the job.
He said: "Let me put it this way. We all have our preferences, and I was always, in sports, playing centre-half rather than centre-forward. I enjoy playing half-back and making the long passes, but I am not the striker. Unless I'm forced to be, and I don't think I'll be forced to it, because I think we've got choices.
"We won't always get it the way we expect it to be, but we think very hard about succession in Singapore."
Singapore's Deputy PM rules himself out from becoming PM
Singapore's Indian-origin Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam today "categorically" ruled himself out from becoming the Prime Minister of the city-state.
"Just to be absolutely clear, because I know there's this talk going around...I'm not the man for PM, I say that categorically. It's not me," the 59-year-old leader was quoted as saying by the local media.
"I know myself, I know what I can do and it's not me. I'm good at policy-making, good at advising my younger colleagues and supporting the PM, not being the PM. That's not my ambition and that's not me," he said.
DPM Tharman rules himself out as next prime minister: 'I am not the man for PM'
Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam attends the Economic Society of Singapore Annual Dinner 2016 event held at Mandarin Orchard Hotel. ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam yesterday (Sept 28) ruled out the possibility that he might be PM, saying Singapore has a distinctive political culture where each minister contributes to the team in a way that matches his strengths.
This culture has been built up over time and the next PM - who will be “first among equals” - will be decided from among the fourth generation of leaders, he added.
“There’s no urgency to see succession in this term of government. That’s why we’re focused on the fourth generation of leaders, building them up and enabling them to take over during the next term of government,” he said.
DPM Tharman on Yahoo survey: I’m not the man for Prime Minister
DPM Tharman at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January this year. Photo: Associated Press
Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam ruled himself out as a candidate to become Singapore’s prime minister on Wednesday (28 September), saying that a few of the fourth-generation leaders have the potential to be “first among equals”.
Tharman was responding to a question from the media on the results of a survey commissioned by Yahoo Singapore, which showed that 69 per cent of 897 Singaporean respondents would support him as a candidate to be prime minister. The survey, released on Monday (26 September), was conducted by market research consultancy Blackbox.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event, Tharman said, “Just to be absolutely clear, I am not the man for PM. It’s not me.” “I have expressed myself quite clearly and categorically: I know who I am and I know how I want to serve.”
read more “Why doesn’t the PAP allow Tharman to be PM?” Netizens speculate
MAS Chairman, Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam (Photo: AFP)
Wake Up, Singapore, a political website run by a “community of young activists” asked on its Facebook page on June 18 why the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) “doesn’t allow” Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam to be the Prime Minister.
Mr Tharman, the Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for Social Policies, also served as the country’s Deputy Prime Minister from 2011 to 2019, until he was replaced by Heng Swee Keat. He’s a well-beloved and highly respected political leader.
In a 2019 poll on social media which had nearly 20,000 respondents, an overwhelming 92 percent of voters said they would choose Mr Tharman over Mr Heng to succeed Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and become the nation’s next head of Government. A survey from this publication, as well as a Blackbox survey commissioned by Yahoo Singapore, had similar results.
Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam is the clear favourite of Singaporeans to succeed Lee Hsien Loong as Singapore’s next Prime Minister, a survey conducted by market research consultancy Blackbox shows.
According to the poll commissioned by Yahoo Singapore, 69 per cent of all 897 respondents said they would support Tharman as a candidate to be prime minister.
The 59-year-old led three other men who emerged as possible contenders: fellow DPM Teo Chee Hean (34 per cent), Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat (25 per cent) and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Chan Chun Sing (24 per cent).
While serving as Director of the Economics Department of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) in 1993, Tharman was one of five persons charged under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) in a case involving the publication of Singapore's 1992 second-quarter flash projections in the Business Times newspaper. The others were a research director, Raymond Foo, and economist Manu Bhaskaran, of Crosby Securities, journalist Kenneth James and editor Patrick Daniel of the Business Times.
The OSA case, which stretched over more than a year, was reported extensively in the Singapore press. Tharman contested and was eventually acquitted of the charge of communicating the GDP growth flash projections. Senior District Judge Richard Magnus then introduced a lesser charge of negligence, because the prosecution's case was that the figures were seen on a document that he had with him in a meeting room during his meeting with the private sector economists together with one of his colleagues. Tharman also contested this lesser charge of negligence, and defended himself on the witness stand for a few days.
The Court nevertheless convicted him together with all the others in the case, including the editor of Business Times newspaper which published the figures. Tharman was fined S$1,500, and the others S$2,000. As there was no finding that he communicated any classified information, the case did not pose any hurdle to his subsequent appointment as the Managing Director of the MAS, or to his subsequent larger national responsibilities.
Happy Zongzi 粽子 Festival, 5th day of 5th Lunar month
The 5th day of the 5th month in the Chinese calendar has been set as Duānwǔ jié 端午節 (Dragon Boat Festival). Although there were many versions of legends and stories that indicate Duānwǔ jié has existed way before the legendary Qu Yuan's death, the tradition still carries on. The rice dumplings (Zòngzi 粽子) are glutinous rice or sticky rice wrapped in bamboo leaves, or other large leaves like the Pandan leaves or Lotus leaves. You can find all sorts of different fillings in the rice - pork, roast pork, chestnut, egg, salted egg, mushroom, red bean, or just simply without filling. They could be just white rice dumpling (not pre-fried), or brown (pre-fried with soya sauce). Nowadays, you can buy Zòngzi almost everyday of the year, in restaurants or hawker stores in most oriental countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, and other Asian countries (Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos) where large amount of Chinese reside.
It’s natural to want to be successful in life. We all want to do better for ourselves and achieve in our respective careers and businesses. We understand that because at Her World, we are all about championing those little wins in your life.
While the definition of success differs from person to person, there are some fundamental key habits that can help you achieve your goals and make you a better, happier person overall.
Believe it or not, you have the power within you to make things happen. So if you want to be truly happy and successful, adopt these 10 timeless good habits into your daily life:
