Students help PM tackle questions at launch of Chinese-learning website
SHE was picked to help Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong with a Chinese quiz yesterday.
But Miss Mandaraz Lim, 19, a polytechnic student, almost ended up giving PMLee the wrong answer.
Fortunately, one of her friends in the 300-strong audience signalled the correct answer to her in time, and she gave it to PMLee.
PM Lee was launching CLing, a Chinese-learning media platform jointly presented by Business China and Singapore Press Holdings’ Chinese portal, omy.sg, at Dragonfly in St James Power Station yesterday.
Business China was set up by the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry to interest young Singaporeans in Chinese culture and in learning and speaking Mandarin.
Sharing experiences
PM Lee shared his experience in learning Mandarin and his travels in China during the launch.
Speaking in Mandarin, PM Lee recalled how he did not have enough time and opportunities to use the language.
He said: “Because of that, I made it a point to read Lianhe Zaobao (a Chinese morning daily) every day. When I have the chance, I also read My Paper (a bilingual freesheet).”
To laughter from the audience, PM Lee revealed that he had browsed CLing before arriving for the launch.
He said: “CLing is colourful and young people will love it.”
PM Lee also told the audience about how much progress China had made, judging from his recent travels to Zhejiang province, Ningpo, Hangzhou and Shanghai.
China is changing
He said: “It wasn’t my first trip to Zhejiang but I hadn’t been there in many years. People there have changed. They are more updated on current affairs and entrepreneurs there are daring in innovating and risk-taking.
“Give them five, 10 years, and some of these entrepreneurs will do well in the Chinese business scene. I think businesses in Singapore should also take advantage of the resulting opportunities.”
Before the launch, PM Lee took part in a quiz about Chinese vocabulary, the Chinese entertainment scene as well as tourism in China.
Three youths, including Miss Lim, were randomly picked from the audience. Their task was to help PM Lee with any questions they knew the answers to.
The quiz was in a multiple-choice answer format and the questions were projected onto a screen.
PM Lee was first asked for the meaning of “luo kao”, which literally means “nude examination”.
The term refers to exam results that are based on just the exam alone and no other factors. PM Lee got the right answer.
PM Lee was then asked which Singaporean singer had not performed in China Central Television’s Chinese New Year Eve gala.
Miss Lim told PM Lee that it was Jocie Guo.
But seconds later, a friend sitting below the stage signalled to Miss Lim that the correct answer was Stefanie Sun.
The other choices were A-Do and JJ Lin.
But PM Lee already had an inkling of the correct answer without the girls’ help.
Before giving his answer, he said: “I don’t have much confidence in getting the answer right as I don’t watch the CCTV gala every year.
“But I’ve watched it occasionally and I’ve heard that Stefanie Sun has not performed in the show although she would very much like to.”
Miss Lim later told The New Paper on Sunday that she was nervous at being chosen to help PM Lee in the quiz.
The Chinese Studies student from Ngee Ann Polytechnic said: “I think I was chosen as I sat in front. I felt bad because I was supposed to help PM Lee but I gave him the wrong answer instead.
“Luckily, I corrected myself in time.”
Miss Lim had volunteered to attend CLing’s launch after learning about it from her lecturer.
She said: “I’m interested in Chinese literature as well as China’s history and society. I think it’s important to understand these to know more about China.”
Miss Lim hopes to further her studies at Fudan University in Shanghai and pursue a career in either mass media or academia.
Access CLing at http://cling.omy.sg
Courtesy of The New Paper, 19 July, 2009