60 for 60 Project

My relationship with Australia started some 63 years ago when I studied at Coburg High and graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Architecture in 1969.

I remain a Council Member of the Australian Alumni Association and Honorary Member for the University of Melbourne Alumni Association Singapore. I was also part of the pioneer team to spearhead the raising of funds to build The Singapore Theatre – a Lecture Theatre at the University of Melbourne School of Design. My company continues to provide internship opportunities for my alma mater.

I have very fond memories of my time in Australia. Melbourne is where I married my childhood sweetheart Soo Khim at the Fitzroy Gardens in 1969. Each of my four children studied at various universities in Melbourne. Australia will always hold a special place in my heart.

I am an Orthopaedic and Hand Surgeon and I retired in 2022 after 56 years in medical practice.

I had always wanted to be a doctor since the age of 10.

I graduated in 1966 from the National University of Singapore with a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) with Honours at the top of my class. I then did my training in the Singapore General Hospital and passed the examination to become a Fellow of the Australasian Royal College of Surgeons in 1970. That is how my relationship with Australia started. In 1971, I was awarded a Colombo Plan Fellowship to train in Hand Surgery in Melbourne.

I later became Singapore’s first female Nominated Member of Parliament (1992-96), following my work in civil society and advocating for social and women’s issues. In 2014 I delivered the prestigious Syme Oration for the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

I was the first principal of the Australian International School (AIS) in Singapore, which opened in 1993. Initially serving 30 students in rented premises, our Australian curriculum made it easier for Australian families to transition abroad.

AIS maintained an international mix, with Australians comprising half the student body. Mandarin was taught from Years 2-8, and assemblies included the Singapore and Australian anthems. AIS participated in events like ANZAC Day and fostered social connections for families. Its extensive program included trekking in Nepal, annual camps to regional countries, and a sister school exchange with Shanghai! The school now occupies purpose-built premises at Lorong Chuan.

In 1993, Australia-Singapore relations were already solid in the areas of business, trade, diplomacy and tourism. The school made Singapore a home for families, and the island state was not only held in high regard, but also with affection, by expat Australians, parents, teachers, and children.

I am the Chef-Owner of Singapore-based, Burnt Ends Hospitality Group, which includes the one-Michelin-starred restaurant Burnt Ends. My culinary style is deeply influenced by my training, which began at TAFE in Perth.

Cooking with various woods in bespoke ovens with crafted grills, using degrees of flame to tease flavour out of each flavour-packed bite, I create fun, interactive dining experiences where guests can observe the cooking process, emulating the family BBQ’s of my childhood. This philosophy, combined with my commitment to high-quality ingredients and innovative techniques, has established Burnt Ends as a leader in modern barbecue cuisine.

The restaurant currently sits at #15 on 2024 San Pellegrino Asia's 50 Best Restaurants List and #68 on the World’s List. My book Burnt Ends was launched in October 2024, celebrating not just the restaurant but the food, fire and the power of the community that brings it all together.

In March 1982, I was posted to the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF)’s Sembawang base on a secondment. There I taught students to fly helicopters and built the RSAF’s knowledge and capability in using helicopters in a Search and Rescue capacity.

On Saturday 29 January 1983 at around 6pm, the derrick of the Eniwetok, a Panamanian registered oil rig, accidentally struck the Singapore Cable Car system cables. Two cabins plunged 55 meters into the sea, killing seven people. My squadron was tasked to rescue 13 people trapped in four other cabins hanging precariously over the water.

After briefing then Colonel Lee Hsien Loong, we flew two rescue helicopters to the site of the accident and undertook rescue operations over three hours in a windy, wet, dark and hazardous environment.

Thankfully, the rescue mission was successful. I was extremely proud to have been part of the team.

While living in Australia from 2018-23, I encountered “Singapore noodles” for the first time. I’d never heard of it! I also came across dishes labelled “laksa”, but bore little resemblance to what I grew up eating. Observing how poorly understood Singaporean food was on a global level, I became passionate about diving deep into my heritage and sharing our food with others.

I launched a cheekily named weekly newsletter called “Singapore Noodles”. Sometimes, I would explore the technicalities of a dish such as kueh salat. Other times, I shared my take on Singaporean flavours with Aussie influences, such as beef smore pie. I also taught cooking classes centered around Singaporean food. The most fulfilling part of it all was to be able to help fellow homesick Singaporeans recreate their favourite dishes and give Australians who had little prior knowledge of the cuisine a taste of what they’ve been missing!

At 16, I won a government scholarship to attend United World College of South East Asia in Singapore before studying medicine. I started out doing visits to remote Aboriginal health clinics in Darwin. I was in the leadership team managing the Bali bombing victims’ evacuation at the Royal Darwin Hospital in 2002.

I’ve worked on multiple infectious disease emergency preparedness and response efforts for the World Health Organisation, e.g. in its mission to China, including Wuhan, in February 2020.

After moving to Singapore in 2003-04, I worked at the National University Hospital before becoming a Professor of Medicine at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine at the National University of Singapore. I’m also the Group Chief of Medicine at the National University Health System.

The Australia-Singapore relationship should be about more than the two countries. Our collaboration in a variety of efforts can benefit the whole region.

Australia and Singapore have built up good people-to-people links over the years, enhanced by student exchanges that have promoted mutual understanding and goodwill and nurtured lasting friendships.

A Colombo Plan Scholar, I graduated from the University of Newcastle as a University Gold Medallist with a first-class honours degree in Architecture. I was further conferred an honorary doctorate and the University’s Convocation Medal for Professional Excellence.

As a prominent leader on urban development, I served as CEO of the Urban Redevelopment Authority, Housing and Development Board, and the Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of National Development in Singapore. I’ve received multiple international awards for my contribution to urban development.

I continue to participate in the University’s Alumni events, delivering keynote presentations at Australian conferences and contribute to discussions on the development of Newcastle City. In 2022, I was bestowed the Key to the City of Newcastle by Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes.