A more pressing succession question: Who will succeed Zoe Tay as Queen of Caldecott Hill?

2017 did not end with the glorious New Year’s Eve countdown show I had hoped.

Singer Aisyah Aziz covered Symphony by Clean Bandit featuring Zara Larsson, but she was so pitchy that homeviewers probably wished someone covered her with a blanket instead.



Where’s Hady Mirza when you need him?

But 2018 offers a fresh start.

Even though the weather is wet and gloomy, university students are wearing slippers, shorts and T-shirts to class, much to the disapproval of at least one Straits Times forum letter writer.

“We do not see our MPs and ministers wearing slippers, shorts and T-shirts in Parliament,” said the letter writer.



Who knows? Perhaps Mediacorp edited the parliamentary videos with certain bits removed so that we do not see our MPs and ministers wearing slippers, shorts and T-shirts in Parliament.

MP for Tampines GRC Baey Yam Keng could be wearing Crocs to Parliament House, but Channel NewsAsia’s video server did not render the video of his footwear properly.



Still, let us usher in the new year with optimism and sunshine smiles despite an MRT breakdown between the Tanah Merah and Changi Airport stations on the first work day of the new year.

We need to be in good spirits to tackle the pressing and longer term challenges for Singapore besides faulty trains and glitchy video servers.

One urgent challenge I would like to see settled is who our next Queen of Caldecott Hill will be.

The current Queen of Caldecott Hill, Zoe Tay, will be celebrating her 50th birthday (or ZT50 for short) on Wednesday.



Yes, the Mediacorp actress had a birthday party last week at Suntec City (to which I wasn’t invited), but her birthday is actually on Jan 10.

Like SG50, ZT50 is not just a one-day affair. All that’s missing is a new Dick Lee song that everyone hates because it’s not as good as (and can never be as good as) Home.



In five short years, Tay will be eligible to withdraw from CPF. Not that I think she is over the hill — even if that hill is Caldecott.

Tay has been the Queen of Caldecott Hill for so long that there is no Caldecott Hill any more. Actually, Caldecott Hill is still there, but Mediacorp completed its move to Buona Vista last year.



So technically, Tay is now the Queen of Buona Vista, which, admittedly, doesn’t quite have the same ring.

Buona Vista is also home to many other organisations, such as the Ministry of Education and shipping company NOL, which may have their own queens with claims to the Buona Vista crown.

This could be like Game Of Thrones but without the incest (one hopes).

It could be just easier to call Tay the Queen of Mediacorp.

But then the new Mediacorp chief executive officer, Ms Tham Loke Kheng, might have something to say about that.

To avoid such complications (and icky sibling sex scenes), let’s just stick to Queen of Caldecott Hill for now.

So who can succeed Tay as Queen of Caldecott Hill?

What about Fann Wong? After all, isn’t she already like the Deputy Queen (DQ) of Caldecott Hill?

The bad news is that just as Deputy Prime Ministers Teo Chee Hean and Tharman Shanmugaratnam don’t seem to be in the running to be Singapore’s next prime minister, DQ Wong (who will be turning 47 later this month) appears unlikely to be the next Queen.

Maybe someone younger, like bad driver Rui “Do you know who I am?” En or one-time NTUC Income shill Rebecca “I’m retiring, I’m not retiring” Lim?

I know who it won’t be — Sharon Au.

Last week, the TV host-actress-executive announced that she is leaving Mediacorp after 22 years.



Remember when she acted as Mrs Lee Kuan Yew in The LKY Musical in 2015? That was after she played a supporting role to another politician in real life.

During the 2011 presidential election, she spoke at a rally for then-candidate Tony Tan Keng Yam.



And he won.

At this rate, Au is likelier to be the next Prime Minister of Singapore than the next Queen of Caldecott Hill.

There, Mr Goh Chok Tong, problem solved.

So if not Au or Wong or Rui En or Lim, then who will succeed Tay?

Perhaps there can only be one Queen of Caldecott Hill. The title will probably die with Tay since it’s obsolete anyway.

You could almost say the same thing about the old media she represents.

This is my wish for the new year — a Singapore in good hands, a Singapore where cover singers can hit the high notes in a Clean Bandit song.

Happy New Year and Happy ZT50 to Her Royal Highness!

- Published in The New Paper, 8 January 2018

Sharon Au's Instagram reminds us the woman who played Mrs LKY is kind of hot

Sharon Au played Mrs Lee Kuan Yew in The LKY Musical last year.

She is 41 years old and her vacation photos in particular are amazeballs.

@stonehenge_official #party tonight. #stylexstyle #stylexstonehenge

A photo posted by Sharon Au (@sharonau13) on Jul 2, 2016 at 1:43am PDT

A photo posted by Sharon Au (@sharonau13) on Jun 18, 2016 at 8:30pm PDT

A photo posted by Sharon Au (@sharonau13) on Jun 18, 2016 at 7:21am PDT

A photo posted by Sharon Au (@sharonau13) on Jun 17, 2016 at 8:08pm PDT

A photo posted by Sharon Au (@sharonau13) on May 9, 2016 at 9:23pm PDT

A photo posted by Sharon Au (@sharonau13) on May 3, 2016 at 3:00am PDT

A photo posted by Sharon Au (@sharonau13) on May 2, 2016 at 6:36am PDT

A photo posted by Sharon Au (@sharonau13) on Feb 2, 2016 at 7:14am PST

A photo posted by Sharon Au (@sharonau13) on Nov 21, 2015 at 5:47pm PST

A photo posted by Sharon Au (@sharonau13) on Oct 19, 2015 at 7:00am PDT

A photo posted by Sharon Au (@sharonau13) on Oct 19, 2015 at 12:32am PDT

A photo posted by Sharon Au (@sharonau13) on Oct 18, 2015 at 12:32am PDT

A photo posted by Sharon Au (@sharonau13) on Oct 8, 2015 at 8:39am PDT

EARLIER: Nothing will stop Sharon Au from playing Mrs LKY

My SG50 dilemma: Should I watch LKY in The LKY Musical or LKY in 1965 movie?

Last week was election day for me.

I had to elect whether to watch LKY in The LKY Musical or watch LKY in the movie, 1965.





Why?

Because SG50.

A photo posted by SM Ong (@sm_ong) on Apr 21, 2015 at 10:56am PDT

As you all know - and have probably made plans to leave the country next weekend because you do - next Sunday is National Day.

Very soon (at least one hopes), our long national branding exercise that is sticking the promiscuously all-purpose SG50 logo on everything from fish cakes to Hello Kitty will be over.



By the way, I've placed my order for the McDonald’s SG50 Hello Kitty Collector's Set. Have you?



And I’ve already received my SingPost SG50 Hello Kitty Plush Collectible Set. Have you?



I plan to upload my unboxing video to YouTube shortly.

This raises the question: If I’m such a patriot that I can get both the McDonald’s and SingPost SG50 Hello Kitty set, why can’t I see both The LKY Musical and the 1965 movie?

The answer: The LKY Musical and the 1965 movie are no Hello Kitty.

If instead of Adrian Pang and Lim Kay Tong, they had cast the the mouthless Japanese cartoon cat to play Mr Lee Kuan Yew, I would’ve gone online and booked the tickets immediately.

But alas, they cast real people.

Also, watching a musical or a movie requires me to commit at least three hours of my life, commuting to and from the theatre, and actually sitting down to watch the damn thing.

Whereas with my Hello Kitty sets, I just get them and put them on the shelf where they will collect dust until the Earth dies.

So it’s either the musical or the movie. Not both.

To help make my decision, I've read the reviews of both shows and narrowed it to down to four factors:


THE COST FACTOR

Depending on where and what day of the week you want to see the movie, a ticket can cost from $8.50 to $13, maybe cheaper if you’re a Safra member or have the right credit card

But the cheapest ticket for the musical is $50 for a “restricted view” on certain days.

For 50 bucks, I could watch 1965 at least three times with enough change to buy a few SG50 fish cakes. That is, if I were a masochist.

Advantage 1965.



THE STAR FACTOR

The musical stars Pang and Sharon Au.

All the reviews are pretty much universal in their praise of Pang’s portrayal of Singapore’s first Prime Minister. They are also universal in saying that Au pretty much sucks as Mrs LKY.

The Straits Times said that Pang “carries the part with finesse and grace”, but Au is “a shadow of her character, struggling with musical segments and quickly fading into the background”.

Today newspaper said that Pang “carries the show as Lee, capturing the man’s fears, frustrations and unwavering tenacity in pushing for change”.

It added that “Au also proves to be the cast’s weakest link, with brittle delivery and pitiful singing skills”.

By the way, Today is published by MediaCorp where Au also works as an executive in the strategic development department.

“Weakest link”? “Pitiful singing skills”?

Wah lau! How bad do you have to be that even your own company doesn’t give you face?



Two other MediaCorp artists, Joanne Peh and her husband Qi Yuwu, are arguably the biggest stars in the 1965 movie.

But frankly, the only thing involving Peh and Qi I’m interested in seeing is a video of Peh, who is due to give birth soon, delivering the baby shot by Qi.

Unfortunately, Qi has said that although he plans to be in the delivery room with Peh, someone else will be holding the camera. I volunteer.

Advantage The LKY Musical because of Pang. I’m also curious to see just how much Au actually sucks.



THE FOREIGN TALENT FACTOR

The movie is produced, written and directed by Singaporeans.

The musical is directed by a Brit with a book by an American and lyrics by another Brit. That’s not very SG50. (Or is it?)

Advantage 1965.



THE LKY FACTOR

The musical is called The LKY Musical. So you know that it’s all about LKY. And that it’s a musical.

But Mr Daniel Yun, the executive producer and co-director for 1965, has made it a point to clarify that his movie is “not a biopic of Lee Kuan Yew” but “a dramatic thriller based on historical events”, presumably set in 1965.

Why does Mr Yun feel the need to make this clarification?

Because as far back as 2010, it was reported that he was planning “a political thriller based on Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew’s struggle for Singapore’s independence”.

At one point, Hong Kong star Tony Leung Chiu Wai was even cast as LKY.



So now Mr Yun is backtracking? Did Amos Yee get to him?

The Business Times said that as LKY, “Lim Kay Tong steals the show in 1965”, but appears for only a few minutes in the movie.

The review gave 1965 a C+ grade and suggests that “maybe it would have worked better as a biopic of Mr Lee instead”.

So the movie suffers from a case of LKY no enough.

Maybe LKY would have more screen time if Tony Leung were playing him.

Advantage The LKY Musical.


MY DECISION

To celebrate SG50, I elected to see the show that best represents how Singapore achieved the impossible after being forced out of Malaysia in 1965 to be its own nation led by LKY. At least in the title.

That’s right. I went to see Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation.

Cue Lalo Schifrin’s theme song.

To SM Ong

I'm glad to know that I'm not alone - feeling this way - overwhelmed by the string of events planned for Singapore's Jubilee Celebration

Long story short

For the past few years, I've spent a considerable sum of money to support local productions, be it Musicals, Dramas etc. I would buy the best tickets, which is usually the most costly since some of these productions are at the Esplanade or Marina Bay Sands and invite my family or friends to watch these productions with me. It was my way of showing support to the local Arts, theater practitioners and even local singers eg Dick Lee, Kit Chan and Xinyao

Yet, this year, 2015, I find it hard to continue or should I say, I'm just put off by some of these productions

And you said it best in your article

Coincidentally, I've also given up trying to choose or decide which production to catch

I went and saw Mission Impossible - Rogue Nation on Friday. It was a simple movie but it gave me what I badly needed - a break from work and all that's on-going

For your info - I'm a primary school teacher and I suppose all the celebration and possible up-coming election talk was really getting to me since I'm also the teacher in-charge of our school's celebration program this week

Living in little red dot is stressful enough with increasing cost of living and other challenges

Sometimes, what we really need is some quiet moments to give thanks for what we have

Best regards
Stone



Hello :)

In your column yesterday, you wrote that you have both the Singpost and MCD Hello Kitties, but you forgot that Singtel has them too.

Just a quick thank you for all the laughter your column has given me throughout the years. I do hope you continue writing columns with your unique sense of humour.

Don't worry for making it to the 50th year mark so your couldn't enjoy all the perks or going AWOL in your camp, and outside the reporting area, you are still a Singapore icon. Very much so like the trishaw uncle and samsui woman hello kitties you see at MCD. Just that you have a further reach since your are in print.

Sincerely
Nicole

EARLIER: Twisted ankle? Racist incident? Nothing will stop Sharon Au from playing Mrs LKY

Rounding up The LKY Musical reviews: Adrian Pang good, Sharon Au sucks

Since The LKY Musical opened on Friday (after three nights of previews), all the reviews pretty much say same four things:

• Adrian Pang can practically do no wrong
• Sharon Au kinda sucks (but we all know that already)
• Benjamin Chow is surprisingly good (surprising because no one has heard of him before)
• Dick Lee's music is forgettable

The Straits Times

This character of Singapore's first Prime Minister rests squarely on the shoulders of an excellent Adrian Pang - and he carries the part with finesse and grace, and a deep, moving pathos that supporters will cherish and detractors will be quick to critique.

...the musical's designated anti-hero, Lim Chin Siong, is thankfully not relegated to the ranks of villainy and one-note declarations. Recent Lasalle College of the Arts graduate Benjamin Chow does an incredible job in portraying the charismatic left-wing leader, with his compelling oratory and rapport with the common man.

He and Pang share a chemistry sadly not shared by Pang and onstage wife Sharon Au, playing a mild, entreating Madam Kwa Geok Choo.

The thick dialogue, so lithe and easy in the mouths of Chow and Pang, feels clumsy and unwieldy in hers. She is a shadow of her character, struggling with musical segments and quickly fading into the background.

The musical score by Dick Lee was charming but largely vanilla, with no particularly memorable tunes that might, as Madam Kwa tells Mr Lee about their war-time glue-making efforts, "stick fast".

Today

Adrian Pang carries the show as Lee, capturing the man’s fears, frustrations and unwavering tenacity in pushing for change. While Pang catches Lee’s distinctive inflections and gait, there is a sense that he is dutifully performing a role rather than truly inhabiting it; this is a good performance but perhaps not a great one.

It is a shame that Lee’s wife, the formidable Kwa Geok Choo (Sharon Au), is but a footnote in the narrative instead of being central to the story; she is mostly huddled by a table listening to the radio. Au also proves to be the cast’s weakest link, with brittle delivery and pitiful singing skills.

There are standout performances by newcomer Benjamin Chow as charismatic trade unionist Lim Chin Siong...

Dick Lee disappoints with a score that is vast and varied but ultimately vapid; one would be hard pressed to recall a single distinctive refrain. The melodies in the second half almost blur into a mix.

inSing

Ever the consummate performer, like Lee, Pang cuts a commanding presence on stage, and yet also evincing love, fear, frustation and other qualities we don’t normally associate with him.

Sadly, Au does not impress. Although she tries to act the hell out of the role, she falls flat when it comes to singing and delivery.

What was impressive though, were the other male leads, namely Benjamin Chow playing antogonist Lim Chin Siong. It takes chutzpah to step into those shoes, and Chow has it to spare. The recent Lasalle College of the Arts graduate nails the role of the the charismatic politician and orator...

Dick Lee's music is so forgettable that this review forgot to mention it.


The Online Citizen

Adrian Pang flawlessly performs each scene involving Lee, but there’s simply too little time to get immersed in the place and time or examine events and choices with any depth.

Sharon Au, who plays Mrs Lee (affectionately referred to as “Choo” throughout the show), is somewhat miscast: her singing is often drowned out by the orchestra or other characters, her dialogue clunky.

Benjamin Chow’s portrayal of Lim is so charged with passion and zeal that Lim often becomes the most interesting character onstage...

The LKY Musical provides an entertaining night with a solid cast, beautiful production design and pleasant-although-forgettable music.

Six-Six News

If we didn’t have the original to compare with, Pang’s would have been a strong performance. And well matched by newcomer Benjamin Chow’s interpretation of Lim Chin Siong. As not much is known about the latter, Chow had free rein to project the part with fervour.

The music, while effective at following the plot and adding mood to the drama unfolding onstage, didn’t quite stick around after its work was done. It evaporated as soon as you left the hall, which is a bit unfortunate.

Something else that will be remembered would be Sharon Au’s performance as the girl who won over Lee Kuan Yew. While trying to bravely keep up with the pace of the play on her strapped ankle (injured after a fall), she was always limping to keep up. As the only woman of significance in the cast, and someone who influenced the pivotal decision making of the LKY character, it was a role that required passion, confidence and the ability to convince the audience that she had what was needed to quietly change the course of history. None of that surfaced during the play, and begged the question: Are we that lacking in female talent?

EARLIER: Twisted ankle? Racist incident? Nothing will stop Sharon Au from playing Mrs LKY

Twisted ankle? Racist incident? Nothing will stop Sharon Au from playing Mrs LKY

What is Au?

That’s the name of the actress starring as Mrs Lee Kuan Yew in The LKY Musical.

It was also probably what she said when she twisted her ankle backstage during the musical’s first preview performance on Tuesday night.

“Au! I twisted my ankle!”

That’s so convenient, to have a name you can shout out whenever you’re in pain. Jeanette Aw can do the same too.



But Aw isn’t in The LKY Musical. It’s Au, as in Sharon Au.

She told The New Paper what happened:

“A technical glitch caused a delay so we were all rushing backstage to change our clothes, which we only had three or four minutes to do.

“Let me tell you the irony: As I have a big fear of heights, (co-star) Adrian (Pang) has always carried me down those three flights of stairs that lead to our backstage changing rooms.

“Last night, adrenaline took over and I just ran ahead of him. He was shocked when I missed my step... and I twisted my right ankle.”

And that was how she ended up in a wheelchair after the show being pushed by Pang.

A photo posted by Sharon Au (@negitateno13) on Jul 21, 2015 at 8:22am PDT

By all accounts, a prince among men, Pang plays the late former Prime Minister whose name is in the title of the musical, Mr Lee Kuan Yew.

This, of course, is not the first time Pang has acted as a great ruler. In 2004, he was the title character in the TV sitcom, Durian King.



So in 11 years, Pang has gone from playing the king of the king of fruit to playing a leader whose death was cheered by a teenager who went to court eating a banana.

What a fruitful career.

Now at the Sands Theatre in Marina Bay Sands until Aug 16, The LKY Musical is the second musical in three months about “the tumultuous times of pre-independence Singapore”.

Actually, it’s more like “the tumultuous times of pre-Singapore getting kicked out of Malaysia”, but hey, you say tomato, I say ang mo kio.



The first musical was Singapura: The Musical, which was reportedly shut down “abruptly” earlier this month after announcing that it would extend its run.

Cast and crew members told The Straits Times that attendance was dismal with the actors performing at times to an almost-empty Capitol Theatre.

I suspect there was some resistance to a musical about Singapore directed by an American and written by a Filipino.



But The LKY Musical should do better because it’s a musical about Singapore directed by a Brit with a book by an American and lyrics by another Brit.

Wait, what? You mean even The LKY Musical must rely on foreign talent too?

Relak lah. It's not all FT. The music is by a Singaporean, Dick Lee. He composed the “This is home, truly” song that everyone loves so much that any new National Day song he writes after that sucks in comparison.



And the actors in The LKY Musical are Singaporean, so there should be no danger of “Singaporeans” speaking with a Filipino accent.

Although there could be a danger of Au lapsing into an Indian accent.

Last month, she co-hosted the SEA Games opening ceremony and someone complained on Facebook that Au spoke to an Indian girl in the stands and put on an Indian accent. The post went viral and Au was accused of being racist.

Before that, she was accused of just being an annoying host with a shrieking voice that made your ears vomit.

Sharon Au... SHUT THE F**K UP! You're shrieking is annoying! #SEAGames2015

— Ernie Teng (@ernest71) June 5, 2015

Sharon Au needs to stop. My ears are vomiting.

— Kyle (@kyleriiiil) June 5, 2015

Au quickly apologised on Facebook, but not for making people’s ears vomit.

She wrote:

“Some of you may have watched the pre-show and heard my attempt at mimicking an Indian accent. It was intended to be comic, but in hindsight, I realise how insensitive it was. I sincerely apologise to those whom I’ve inadvertently offended.”

Which was all well and good until she revealed to The Business Times later the real reason she apologised:

“It was a painful incident, an unintended joke, and I was very, very concerned about what impact it might have on The LKY Musical. I didn’t want anything to tarnish this because it is such a special project, and it was foremost on my mind when I made that online apology.”

So it seems she cared less about whether she was being racist than about protecting her precious musical.

Hence it was little surprise that after twisting her ankle last week, Au insisted on carrying on with the show.

If she won’t let a racist incident stop her, what’s a minor ankle injury?

She’s such a trooper.

After all, the show must go on.

Just nobody say, “Break a leg.”

- Published in The New Paper, 26 July 2015




UPDATE: Should I watch LKY in The LKY Musical or LKY in 1965 movie?

Why is Sharon Au's mock accent 'racist' but Dim Sum Dollies' is not?

So I went to see The History Of Singapore Part 1 by the Dim Sum Dollies a couple of nights ago.

In the show, the Dollies - Selena Tan, Pam Oei and Denise Tan - and Hossan Leong (whom I believe are all Chinese) play characters of different races - Malay, Indian, Ang Mo and... uh... Chinese.



Leong played an Indian character at least twice.

His first Indian character reminded me of the Indian character in this controversial New York Times cartoon drawn by a Singaporean last year.



Later, Leong put on a bald cap and an Indian accent to play Mahatma Gandhi. It was just one can of shoe polish short of black face.



Judging by the laughter I heard, the Chinese-dominated multi-racial audience thought it was hilarious.

But I was a bit discomforted by the Indian impersonations because days before, Sharon Au was just called "racist" for putting on an Indian accent at the SEA Games opening ceremony.

Was Leong's act racist?

By that measure, was the Dollies impersonating other races racist too?

Or is it because the context is different, the mock accents are acceptable?

What are the rationalistions?

You can say it's just part of the show.

You can say the Dollies are not racist because they're just trying to entertain and not offend. But you can say the same thing about Au.

Well, Au was also talking to an Indian girl when she did her Indian act.

More importantly, Au's interaction with the girl was witnessed by an AFP journalist named Bhavan Jaipragas who was offended enough to demand on Facebook that Au and the SEA Games organisers apologise. And Au has.

'Insensitive remark' at SEA Games pre-opening ceremony activity: EDIT: Sharon Au has apologised for what she described...
Posted by Bhavan Jaipragas on Friday, June 5, 2015

Hi everyone, it was truly a magnificent SEA Games Opening Ceremony and I was really honoured to be part of it. Some of...
Posted by Sharon Au on Friday, June 5, 2015

So is it another case of if no one had complained online and the complaint hadn't gone viral, then it wouldn't have been racist?

After all, entertainers impersonating other races for laughs has been going for a long time in Singapore and elsewhere. We have Gurmit Singh playing Phua Chu Kang, Michelle Chong playing Leticia Bongnino and so on.

I know! It's not racist because it's satire.

So far, I haven't read about anyone accusing the Dim Sum Dollies of being racist. Yet.

But the show runs until June 21. So there's still time.

Mr Bhavan Jaipragas should go.

SEA Games opener: Even before racist Indian accent, Sharon Au was 'annoying'

So Sharon Au has apologised for having a little fun with an Indian girl at the SEA Games opening ceremony last night.

According to an audience member:

In an audience interaction segment before the start of the SEA Games opening ceremony at the National Stadium, emcee Sharon Au approached an Indian girl seated in the stands. The girl did not properly perform the act -- saying aloud a line welcoming foreign contingents (others before her didn't get it right too). Au, speaking into a mike and with the cameras trained on her, shockingly put on a strong Indian accent, and while shaking her head from right to left asked the girl: "What (Vat) happened? What happened?". Earlier, she made fun of the girl's name, Kavya, referencing " caviar".

'Insensitive remark' at SEA Games pre-opening ceremony activity: EDIT: Sharon Au has apologised for what she described...
Posted by Bhavan Jaipragas on Friday, June 5, 2015

Hi everyone, it was truly a magnificent SEA Games Opening Ceremony and I was really honoured to be part of it. Some of...
Posted by Sharon Au on Friday, June 5, 2015

But the accusations of racism have overshadowed earlier complaints on Twitter that as a co-host, Au was "screaming" and "shrieking" and just plain "sucks".

The criticisms about her voice is ironic considering that she's set to play Mrs Lee Kuan Yew in a musical.

Read the tweets:

Sharon au like siao char bo.. Screaming n shouting

— 名前のない怪物 (@faded_seasons) June 5, 2015

Sharon Au is the reason why people think Singapore is in China

— aye niall (@nialltellahoe) June 5, 2015

Seriously. Sharon au sucks.

— nellie (@nellieang__) June 5, 2015

I kind of hate Sharon Au's voice :/

— Jerometry (@Jerometry) June 5, 2015

Sharon Au you need to calm down girl

— Roxana (@RoxanaaaXx) June 5, 2015

OMG ,If This Sharon Au can host the Sea Games Opening Ceremony .Anything's possible.

— Shahaff (@M_Shahaff) June 5, 2015

Sharon Au needs to stop. My ears are vomiting.

— Kyle (@kyleriiiil) June 5, 2015

Why is Sharon Au screaming unstylishly

— ☆◇☆ M ☆◇☆ (@clippednails) June 5, 2015

Sharon Au... SHUT THE F**K UP! You're shrieking is annoying! #SEAGames2015

— Ernie Teng (@ernest71) June 5, 2015

sharon au your voice very the loud and distracting

— dunadan (@untestsubject) June 5, 2015

Someone put a gimp suit on Sharon Au.... Just to stop her screaming and shrieking! #SEAGames2015

— Ernie Teng (@ernest71) June 5, 2015

sharon au's voice is the reason why there is global warming she needs to fucking chill i s2g

— elysa (@deadpooljpg) June 5, 2015

I feel that we could have better emcee for the SEA Games opening, Sharon Au was quite painful to watch to be honest. If only we had gurmit.

— 沙石屁亚 (@WoShiAhQ) June 5, 2015

Sometimes you wonder how one world contains this much unbridled stupidity without imploding. Stay classy, Sharon Au. http://t.co/1cEvjcueGG

— Samantha De Silva (@mysterybunny) June 5, 2015

how is Sharon Au still relevant? fugly monkey!

— Larry Lime (@xWAR07x) June 5, 2015

Say no to racism. #sharonau

— Abraham Lee (@theAbrahamLee) June 5, 2015

@seagames2015 opening ceremony was great. But i think Sharon Au is very, very annoying and doesnt make a good host.

— taufikq (@taufikq) June 5, 2015

A great start destroyed by a single racist act from host Sharon Au. Will we ever learn? #SEAGames2015 https://t.co/xZcHlbes3k

— Yeoh Wee Teck (@weeteck) June 5, 2015

I don't think Sharon Au was being very racist la. Nothing wrong with imitating an accent imo

— ZYJDLING (@grubbypea) June 5, 2015

Congratulations Sharon Au for proving that racism is still well and alive in Singapore. Keep your stereotype to yourself. #SEAGames2015

— ♍ (@beautiphoolx) June 6, 2015

disgrace #sharonau , being an emcee, u were really disgracing singapore by being such a racist.

— Peggy Love (@peggyloves) June 6, 2015

If you think Sharon Au is racist, just remember the Aloha producers made Emma Stone play a half-Asian. Lol.

— F (@fabianwriteonly) June 6, 2015

To put it into perspective,Jade Seah was made a pariah for accidentally uttering an F-word, Sharon Au goes full-blown racist,not a big deal

— Bhas Kunju (@BhasKunju) June 6, 2015

Sharon Au isn't Russell Peters. No delivery, wrong platform, altogether no skill. This isn't being comical, this is ingrained racism.

— Areya (@naraenil) June 6, 2015

@DrShafbonculous Indians have lived here as long as anyone else, didn't stop Sharon Au from casual racism last night at the opening ceremony

— raja baeratheon (@flyinpotatoes) June 6, 2015

Sharon Au, apology not accepted. Bye

— Divya (@divyaaaa_) June 6, 2015

Sharon Au is an exec at that place I cannot mention. just shows you how being in that kind of position puts you out of touch with the world.

— your dreams (@jakachuuu) June 6, 2015

so hear someone called Sharon Au was trying to mimic Indian accent at the SEA Games. Gurl if you ain't Chindian don't even try.

— Richmond (@Richmond_Sir) June 6, 2015

Oh. Fuck you Sharon Au. Fuck you until the world runs out of fucks. For all you know, Indians are better English speakers than the Chinese.

— Kae Briones (@KaeOfficial) June 6, 2015

Actually Sharon Au's accent not such a big deal right? I mean comedian often do it. Look at Lulu and Leticia

— Jason (@J_ppoh) June 6, 2015

Sharon Au have to learn the differences between mocking and joking. Hopefully they don't pick her as the host for the closing ceremony.

— Sharan Dev (@DevOberoy) June 6, 2015

did sharon au just mock that small indian girl wow i mean its nice that you apologized in a one-liner but you're still fuckin racist :) #SEA

— ne//ho (@senoresparza) June 6, 2015

People need to give Sharon Au some slack. She was just practising her routine for this year's KKK Annual Gala.

— Samuel See (@MrSamSee) June 6, 2015

Sharon Au made an Auful gaffe @the SEA Games Opening Ceremony. Get rid of her & her contrived 'sense of humour'. Au by name awful by nature!

— mh (@my_osaurus) June 6, 2015

Someone in my FB timeline trying to defend Sharon Au. He said that he finds her actions is kinda friendly gestures. -_-" *slap forehead*

— Zuhairi Idris (@Zuhairi_Idris) June 6, 2015

Singaporeans flaming Sharon Au for her slight insensitive remarks as if they had never made one before

— shaun (@shaunniboy) June 6, 2015

The media is going to brush off Sharon Au's comments as "merely an attempt on humour"? SHE MADE FUN OF AN INDIAN GIRL ON INTERNATIONAL TV.

— ♍ (@beautiphoolx) June 6, 2015

The Sharon Au incident reminds me when WahBanana painted themselves brown to be foreign workers but whatever right?! pic.twitter.com/wnOLwWRl4I

— ♍ (@beautiphoolx) June 6, 2015

Someone in my FB timeline trying to defend Sharon Au. He said that he finds her actions is kinda friendly gestures. -_-" *slap forehead*

— Zuhairi Idris (@Zuhairi_Idris) June 6, 2015

Singaporeans flaming Sharon Au for her slight insensitive remarks as if they had never made one before

— shaun (@shaunniboy) June 6, 2015

Alfian Sa'at surprisingly rises to Sharon Au's defense on her alleged racist remarks http://t.co/yqCHJU3gkD

— Cowboy Caleb (@cowboycaleb) June 7, 2015

People's responses to Sharon Au's micro-aggression are helping me win this bingo game pic.twitter.com/PUJguOmm2I

— Shobha Vadrevu (@shobhav) June 8, 2015

EARLIER: Sharon Au talks about herself (a lot) at Tony Tan's rally

The president of Singapore is not a Super MP (wink, wink)

So Dr Tony Tan will be our new president.

Are we done? This is it, right? Can we get on with our lives now?

No more elections for at least the next four years, right?

No more Nomination Days. No more rallies. No more Cooling Off Days. And yes, no more recounts. (Oh god, please no more recounts!)

And don't let me catch anyone sneaking in any by-elections. I’m all election-ed out.

I’ve already “unliked” all the candidates on Facebook and “unfollowed” them on Twitter. As I look back on Singapore’s second election in four months, this is what I’ve learned:

Mr Yam Ah Mee is everywhere.



The returning officer keeps returning! As the 2011 general and presidential elections pass into history, I would be relieved never to hear the word "persuant" in his monotone voice again.



Another thing I learned during the presidential election is that Sharon Au had been away from Singapore for six years. She went to Japan, France and Spain to pursue her degree.

She studied international politics and international law. She did several modules of liberal arts and even learned three new languages — Japanese, French and Spanish, of course.

It was the first time she had been away on her own. She immersed herself “totally and deeply” in the academic world and she never felt happier.

But at the end of her university journey, she realised it wasn’t her accomplishments in school that she was most proud of. It was the experience of living in foreign lands and watching how people in other countries live that moved her the most.

The self-proclaimed “former” TV actress-host shared all this about herself at Dr Tony Tan’s lunchtime rally at Boat Quay on Wednesday.



What does it have to do with Dr Tan or the presidential election?

I have no idea.

Self-involved much, Ms Au?

Maybe she was just practising for her own presidential run in 2023.

Dr Tan did mention afterwards he was confident that there would be female presidential candidates in the future.



Also at the same rally, I learned from Dr Tan that the president is not a “Super MP”.

At first, I was disappointed by this. I mean, how cool would it be to have a president with super powers?

Orchard Road flooded? He could suck all the water with his super lungs, teleport himself to drought-hit Somalia and irrigate the fields there instantly. Imagine what that would do for our international relations. (Ask Sharon Au.)

The Istana could be sitting over a Batcave with an underground hangar housing an Invisible Plane that they trot out once a year for the National Day Parade, but you can’t see it because ... well, it’s invisible.



Then I realised, of course the president would deny that he is a Super MP — he has to keep his super identity a secret!

Like Superman, Batman and Spider-Man. (Not so much Iron Man, Captain America and the Fantastic Four in the movies.)

But superhero or not, the president isn’t without certain special powers.

And you know what they say, with great power comes great responsibility.



I bet Sharon Au can say it in five languages.

- Published in The New Paper, 28 August 2011


EARLIER: I’m qualified to choose curtains, not presidents

Sharon Au talks about herself (a lot) at Tony Tan's rally

There's nothing like some female star power to spice up a presidential election with four greying Chinese men.

So Mr Tan Jee Say had Nicole Seah at his rally. Mr Tan Kin Lian had... uh... Ivy Singh-Lim?

But presidential candidate Tony Tan had an actual TV star, Sharon Au.

Her opening remarks yesterday included: "Mom, if you're here, can you wave?"



And then referring to herself in the third person, Au said: "Many of you out there might be scratching your head, wondering, who is she? Who does she think she is?"

The Tiramisu actress subsequently spent two thirds of her six-minute rally speech justifying why she was speaking at the rally.

"I studied international politics, international law. I did several modules of liberal arts. And I even learned three new languages."

Hmmm ... did she wear glasses because that's Tony Tan's symbol or to get people to take her more seriously?

Later, Dr Tan said he was confident that there would be female presidential candidates in the future.

Did he have Au in mind?



Sharon Au for president in 2023!

UPDATE: Back in 2011, Dr Tony Tan won the presidential election.

COLUMN: The president of Singapore is not a Super MP (wink, wink)