Chew maintained his composure, so there are no viral videos of him losing it. At times Chew’s politeness seemed too deferential, however. When interrupted, he would respectfully yield. With a bit more assertiveness, he could have attempted to quickly complete his points and avoid being led into carefully set traps. “DANCING WITH WORDS” On rare occasions those testifying to Congress win some praise. Dr Anthony Fauci did during COVID-19 hearings. Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman did during former president Donald Trump’s impeachment. Their testimony shares common features: It gets described as direct and candid.
Such grilling is somewhat to be expected. Generally, witnesses are called to Congress to be held accountable - in this case for a multibillion-dollar corporation with ties to an American adversary. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and other Facebook and Instagram executives have faced hours on the ropes over concerns including child safety.
Over and over again, American legislators asked for a yes or no answer. When Chew tried instead to elaborate, they demanded “Yes or no?”, cutting him off. It’s a tried and true rhetorical technique for creating the impression that the witness is evasive, and that’s how congresswoman Debbie Lesko described Chew.
LIKE A SCHOOLBOY CALLED TO THE PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE The hearing felt as if the schoolboy was called to the principal’s office to get lectured - and not allowed to talk back. At times Chew asked the committee chair for time to respond but the chair refused, giving the floor to the next congressperson instead.
Commentary: How did the Singaporean CEO of TikTok do in Washington?
SINGAPORE: Singaporeans love to see how one of their own performs on the world stage, I’ve observed in two decades of teaching here. For five hours on Thursday (Mar 23), all eyes were on TikTok CEO Chew Shou Zi , who was born in Singapore and is based here, as he testified in the United States House of Representatives. This fresh-faced 40-year old surely aced some difficult tests before. After graduating from the Hwa Chong Institution, he became an army officer. He studied economics at University College London before earning his MBA from Harvard Business School. He ascended to the top spot at TikTok in 2021. “I am responsible for all the strategic decisions at TikTok,” Chew told the New York Times last year.
I was staring at the halal cold cuts section without any intention of buying something from it (as you do when you’re browsing and listening to a podcast at the same time) when a woman spoke over my shoulder. “This brand is not so good,” she said. Yet, she picked up a few packets of the beef bacon anyway and put them in her basket. I was intrigued. “The brand I like is always out of stock,” she continued. “So I have to get whatever is available. I fry these up for my husband’s breakfast every Sunday.” Then she pushed a packet into my hand and said: “You can still buy this one! Just add pepper when you’re cooking because this one is not spicy enough. “Next time you can buy the correct brand.”
few weeks ago, I decided to do the week’s grocery shopping at a supermarket in Eastpoint Mall. I happened to be in the area and this particular outlet was expansive and, I figured, well-stocked. It was also “aunty” central.
There is one in all of us’: Could the Singaporean Aunty be our national treasure?
In the first of a light-hearted CNA Women series on the Singaporean Aunty, correspondent Hidayah Salamat finds out how an enduring stereotype has become an endearing archetype – and a national symbol.