Sixteen years ago, Nepalese conjoined twins Ganga and Jamuna Shrestha were brought to Singapore for surgery in the hope that they might lead normal lives.

Now, moved by reading about their plight, Singapore permanent resident Sunita Lad Bhamray, a full-time author, is penning a novel loosely based on their lives.

Part of the proceeds from its sale will go towards funding the medical treatment that Jamuna, the surviving twin, still needs.

Ms Sunita, 48, a former early childhood teacher, stressed that even though her novel draws inspiration from reality, it is first and foremost a work of fiction.

“The family has already been written about in the newspapers,” she said. “I’m exploring the things that are unsaid; the things that mothers of special children might feel.”

The twins, who were born joined at the head, first arrived in Singapore in late 2000 and were operated on the next year. The surgery was a five-day effort that involved separating the girls’ brains and major blood vessels.

Singaporeans raised $660,000 for the operation and medical care.

In 2005, the girls returned to East Shore Hospital for additional treatment. Three years later, Ganga died in a Kathmandu hospital after contracting meningitis.

Dr Keith Goh, a lead surgeon in the original operation, is helping Ms Sunita channel funds to the family. He said Jamuna – who will turn 16 in May – still requires skull reconstruction surgery, as well as multiple bouts of physiotherapy to help her walk properly, especially on her weak right side.

“This is something that (the family) can’t afford and it’s difficult for them to get therapy,” Dr Goh said.

The Nepalese consulate in Singapore also sent Ms Sunita a letter of appreciation for her work. Honorary consul Madhusudan Muljibhai Patel said the novel is a continuation of all the efforts put in over the years to help the twins. “Awareness is very important, and we will do whatever we can to try and help.”

The book, called Ganga Jamuna, will have a first print run of about 1,000 copies and will go on sale this month. It is being published by Kitaab International and will be sold in local bookstores for $18.

This article was first published on April 4, 2016.
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BURIED deep in the Singapore government’s Budget 2016 – past the Corporate Income Tax Rebates section, beyond the Enhancement to Revitalisation of Shops Scheme, and the assistance for small and medium enterprises – lies a scheme that I think will do more to boost the success rate of Singa-pore’s entrepreneurs and startups than any tax break could.

The SG-Innovate scheme promises to “match budding entrepreneurs with mentors, introduce them to venture capital firms, help them to access talent in research institutes, and open up new markets”.

As the co-founder of a fintech (financial technology) firm myself, I know exactly how challenging this process can be, and how useful good advice and mentorship are.

Many of the challenges that new startups face are well known, but some are less obvious. Most entrepreneurs are confident that, based on the strength of the business plan, they will secure funding – the idea is simply too good to turn down!

In reality, the level of detail a venture fund (or any other smart investor) requires can be jaw-dropping, resulting in investment proposals that can run into hundreds of pages of financial forecasts and micro-detail.

Success can bring its own unforeseen challenges. The holy grail for many startups – especially those in technology – is scale, and the ability to expand quickly and sustainably is central to their long-term survival. But this in itself is devilishly difficult; how do you expand a popular product without sacrificing quality? How do you hire the right people to drive this expansion? What kind of debt should you take on?

Wealth management

For startups which have developed an as-yet-unknown product or service, the challenge is even more daunting, as our own experience demonstrates. We developed an online platform linking wealth managers to investors. Think of the wealth management industry, and technological innovation is probably the last thing that comes to mind. The industry remains highly conservative and traditional, with a close-knit coterie of wealth managers referred to high net worth individuals through word-of-mouth – usually following a whisky at the polo club.

We wanted to open up the wealth management industry to a wider range of income levels, more transparently and efficiently, through the power of the mobile phone and Internet. We were the first company to attempt to do this, and so in addition to the usual startup challenges, we also had to contend with a highly technology-averse mindset that existed within the industry, and no forerunner that we could point to in order to establish credibility – we had a typical first-mover disadvantage.

That is why the guidance of a team of mentors – many of whom helmed other first-mover startups – was (and still is) absolutely vital to the success we enjoy today. Advice given via a quick phone call or WhatsApp message has saved us hours in wasted time, strategy guidance has helped us save money, and we continue to pick their brains for our forthcoming expansion into Asia and beyond. It is for this reason that Budget 2016’s mentorship schemes will provide disproportionate benefits to the next class of entrepreneurs.

Room for improvement

However, while SG-Innovate and other government schemes like this are a great start, there are still ways in which we can improve. One of the main differences between the United States and Singapore – beyond the obvious – is the acceptance of “new”. By this, I mean a willingness among corporations large and small to embrace new products and services much more eagerly than their counterparts in Singapore.

This attitude ensures that there is a market for goods and services provided by relatively unknown startups and entrepreneurs. The open-mindedness of decision-makers within these larger firms and government makes it easier for the startup owner to get a foot in the door, and make that all-important first sale which then leads on to bigger things.

In Singapore, “new” is seen more as a risk than an opportunity. Mindsets, especially among larger firms, are quite conservative with decision-makers erring on the safe side, preferring to keep the status quo rather than adopt an unknown product. This limits the market for firms which have developed something that may create benefits for consumers, firms and government, but is too innovative and “different” for established firms to feel comfortable adopting.

So while the current support programmes that Singapore has are excellent, looking ahead, I think we need to develop incentives for companies in Singapore to adopt products and services from local startups that they perhaps would not otherwise. This could come in the form of tax breaks or risk-sharing programmes, and of course we would have to define which startup would qualify for this in a way that maintains healthy competition. If this could be done efficiently, we could see the next evolution of Singapore’s startup ecosystem.

• The writer is co-founder and CEO of findaWEALTHMANAGER.com, an online services that matches investors to wealth managers

This article was first published on April 4, 2016.
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It will be their first long-distance trek, but Mr Gerrard Lin and Mr Ng Junwei hope that for each of the 1,000km they complete, one person will sign up with the Bone Marrow Donor Programme.

The two 33-year-old men plan to take on the Bibbulmun Track from Albany on the south coast of Western Australia to Kalamunda in the Perth Hills. They aim to complete the route – which can take up to 12 weeks to finish – in just 20 days.

They also hope to raise $50,000 for the programme through donations.

It will not be the first time that Mr Lin, a fitness instructor dubbed “Ah Siao” for his “crazy” antics, will have gone the extra mile to rally support for the donor programme, which he has volunteered with for around eight years.

In 2012, he ran the Standard Chartered Marathon while pulling a 14kg tyre.

Two years later, he ran 31 marathons in 31 days in his March Marathon Madness campaign. That resulted in about 200 sign-ups – almost double the average number.

There are around 57,000 people on the registry, which is connected to an international database, yet there is only a one in 20,000 chance of a patient finding a match.

“This is a trip that is parallel to what a patient might go through,” said Mr Lin, referring to the difficulties and unexpected challenges that might come their way. “After 20 days, even if we’ve suffered, we can go back to our lives. But what about that person waiting for a transplant?”

On average, the pair will trek 14 to 18 hours each day on a trail that will take them across beaches, swamps and forested areas. They have been training since January, when Mr Ng, a track-and-field coach, mooted the idea.

They meet three times a week for two to five hours each time – with a 10kg backpack on their shoulders – to run or climb staircases at places such as MacRitchie Reservoir and Mount Faber.

When Mr Lin first started 30km runs with the training pack, he said, his shoulders had a “stinging, needle-like pain.”

But that has not stopped him from pressing on in his spare time.

He will take on the persona of “Ah Siao” on the walk, wearing a wizard’s hat and a signboard explaining to strangers what the challenge is about.

“It’s really not about the physical toughness or technical difficulty of it,” said Mr Lin. “When you undergo a journey that is way beyond what you have done in your life, it is more about doing it from the heart.”

Ms Jane Prior, chief executive of the Bone Marrow Donor Programme: “The value of ‘Ah Siao’ is that he’s a challenging voice. When you meet the character out at an event, he’s always berating people for not stepping up.

“If we can power him by getting a thousand new donors to sign up, that’s a giant leap for the register – and that’s another 1,000 chances to save a life.”

To find out more about the Bone Marrow Donor Programme, go to http://bmdp.org/be-a-donor

This article was first published on April 4, 2016.
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Three months ago, two cousins became the first Singaporeans to run seven marathons in seven continents over seven consecutive days.

Now they plan to run yet another marathon, in the North Pole.

Mr Ong Tze Boon, 47, and Mr Ong Yu-Phing, 46 – the son and nephew of the late former President Ong Teng Cheong – will join Ms Gloria Lau, 64, as Singaporeans running in the North Pole Marathon on Saturday.

In January, the Ong cousins took part in the World Marathon Challenge (WMC), running 295km in seven continents in seven days.

Through the WMC and the North Pole race, they hope to raise funds for five charities that support mental health: Alzheimer’s Disease Association, Caregivers Alliance Limited, Samaritans of Singapore, Singapore Association for Mental Health and We Care Community Services.

“Mental health is very under-appreciated as a social cause,” said Mr Ong Yu-Phing, an IT director at an environmental design solutions firm Ong & Ong.

The cousins have already raised around $200,000, including $25,000 from the firm’s philanthropic arm, Ong Foundation. All funds raised will go to charity.

Having run in the Sahara desert, which has similar terrain to that in the North Pole, Mr Ong said he was more concerned about the cold.

He said: “If you don’t run, you’ll get very cold. If you run and sweat too much, you also get very cold.”

It could be a challenge to strike that balance, he said. The temperature is expected to be about minus 45 deg C.

For Mr Ong Tze Boon, group executive chairman at Ong & Ong, he will take four goggles to the North Pole. When he ran in Antarctica, his only pair of goggles fogged up, so he ran 10km without goggles.

“I started getting snow blindness. I couldn’t see the terrain. Everything was white to me. The only orientation I had was Yu-Phing because he was wearing black.”

But he is excited to take part in the North Pole race. Completing it would allow them to join 73 members of the Marathon Grand Slam Club – for those who complete a marathon on each of the seven continents and the Arctic Ocean – and boost their fund-raising drive.

To donate, go to runwithyourheart.ongfoundation.org

This article was first published on April 4, 2016.
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He had to give up his bid to become the first athlete with a prosthetic leg to conquer the gruelling Tenzing-Hillary Everest Marathon last year when the Nepal earthquake struck in April last year.

But para-athlete Shariff Abdullah – Singapore’s “Blade Runner” – is taking another stab at the race this year, with another goal to boot.

Together with a group of young people, he hopes to raise $15,000 for Club Rainbow, a charity that helps chronically ill children. His 17-year-old daughter, the youngest of three girls and a Club Rainbow beneficiary, suffers from liver cirrhosis, which leads to the hardening or scarring of the liver.

Flanked by about 90 volunteers, Mr Shariff, 48, led a run for the charity effort at the Tampines Eco Green park yesterday morning, with Tampines GRC MP Baey Yam Keng also joining in.

As part of the Miles for Good movement, participants ran 5km, pledging to donate $1 for every kilometre run, and in turn getting friends or family members to match the amount raised.

Having raised $1,500 so far since the drive started last month, organisers hope to meet the $15,000 target by the end of next month. They will hold two more runs, in the Botanic Gardens and the Central Business District this month and the next.

“Shariff had always wanted to give back to the community, but did not have the capacity to do so. We wanted to do something for children, and we thought we could collaborate,” said Mr Elson Leong, 26, an entrepreneur who led the project with 15 others who had gone for an Outward Bound Singapore (OBS) course last year.

Mr Baey said their efforts show how experiences like OBS can strengthen teamwork and a sense of social responsibility among youth.

“After spending 21 days together, they formed a special bond, have common interests and faced setbacks together. We hope that this will be something that all young people going through OBS in the future will experience,” said Mr Baey, who is Parliamentary Secretary for Culture, Community and Youth.

Last week, the ministry announced that the capacity of OBS will triple by 2020, giving all Singaporean youth a chance to attend an OBS camp while in school.

Meanwhile, Mr Shariff looks forward to planting the flags of Singapore and Club Rainbow at the end point of the Nepal marathon in May.

“It’s going to be a tough run because of the altitude and the difficult terrain. I need to train twice as hard as the able-bodied, but I believe that, with the right mindset, I can do it,” he said.

To donate to Miles for Good, go to https://give.asia/movement/milesforgood2016

This article was first published on April 4, 2016.
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Parliament has begun its debate on the 2016 Budget statement delivered by Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat on March 24.

The Budget debate will last for nine days from Monday (Apr 4), and MPs will express their opinions and raise concerns on the proposals and initiatives that were announced.

According to The Straits Times, Mr Heng will respond to MPs’ points on Wednesday (Apr 6), before Parliament votes on the Budget for the financial year starting in April.

Ministers will then present the budgets of their individual ministries in the subsequent Committee of Supply debate.

Follow AsiaOne’s updates of the debate:

seanyap@sph.com.sg

While most people her age are slowing down, 64-year-old Gloria Lau is speeding up.

Since her first marathon in 2007, she has run in about 20 marathons in over a dozen countries across all seven continents.

Come April 9, the mother of two will take part in the North Pole Marathon. When she first attempted this last year, she did not complete the full distance of 42.195km.

She managed to cover 28km, and qualified for the Half Marathon Grand Slam Club – for those who complete a marathon on each of the seven continents and half a marathon on the Arctic Ocean.

She has been running to raise funds for charity – she said people can tell her which charity they want to donate to, and she will match the amount dollar for dollar. Through various marathons, she has matched about $150,000.

She told The Straits Times: “I feel it’s unfair to contribute only to the causes I support. Any cause is a good cause.”

When she took part in the North Pole Marathon last year, she was the oldest runner to attempt it. This year, besides Ms Lau, two other Singaporeans will be taking part in the race.

For Ms Lau, despite having run in Antarctica, she sees running in the North Pole as a different challenge.

She doesn’t have cold feet for bold feat

Click on thumbnail to view photos. Source: 

The Straits Times, Gloria Lau

“In Antarctica, the snow is more dense. But the snow in the North Pole is like icing powder. The moment you put your foot in, you just sink. Snow got into my shoes, and after a while, they became totally drenched,” she said.

Her goggles also fogged up last year, and when she switched to sunglasses, her face was exposed and she developed frostbite. The wind chill also meant that temperatures fell further to about minus 55 deg C.

Given the low visibility and the slight hypothermia she developed, she decided not to stretch her run out to a full marathon.

Now equipped with a more suitable pair of shoes, she is determined to complete the full distance.

“I’ve only done full marathons overseas. It wasn’t my plan to do a half-marathon,” she said.

She was not always a sports enthusiast. She started exercising regularly when she was 56, after her doctor told her to do weight- bearing exercises as she had low bone density. She took long walks, but that got boring, so she started jogging and eventually ran in her first marathon in Perth in 2007, completing it in 4hr 50min.

Ms Lau, who runs a property development business, enjoys running overseas and sees it as a way of taking in the sights in ways not possible if one were to travel by car.

She has been running a marathon a month since last November.

“That also means I don’t really have to train any more!” she said.

She hopes to motivate others in her age group to stay active. “In my daily life, I can deal with anything now after putting myself through all these challenges.”

To support Ms Lau’s fund-raising efforts, e-mail her at gloria235id@yahoo.com

OTHER STORIES:

– Blade Runner takes another stab at Everest race

– Heading to the North Pole for a good cause

– ‘Crazy antics’ to support bone marrow donor effort

This article was first published on April 4, 2016.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.