JOSEPHIANS | LUMEN
15 sation n Tong
A Josephian education is all round . When I hear people talk about holistic education and the move towards that , I frankly believe that ’ s what I received in SJI .
in embracing them in our society .
When I hear about how people get upset about having a senior citizens centre or home in their estate , I think that ’ s very selfish .
DRS : What are some of the challenges you face as an MP ? ET : The political climate has changed since the last elections and the demands have been more vocal and certainly more urgent . For a majority of these demands , it ’ s for a good reason . It ’ s only when we get feedback from ground sentiment and reaction to policies that we can improve so in that respect , it ’ s fine . But people have jumped on the bandwagon and made demands that are unreasonable such as objecting to senior citizens homes in HDB precincts . Even in my MPS ( Meet People Session ), people have scolded my volunteers because they can ’ t help them with their parking fine or traffic summons . If you have a good enough reason we can actively help you otherwise it ' s wrong to expect us to help to waive the fine when clearly you are in the wrong . That ’ s been challenging ; to reach out to people who are unreasonable .
The level of tolerance has come down in society . We move so quickly now which is a consequence of the pace of life in Singapore . We don ’ t have time to say hello to the aunty who cleared our dishes or uncle who ’ s selling the paper .
DRS : What do you enjoy most about being a lawyer ? ET : It ’ s the challenge of each new case . In litigation , one day I can act for a doctor and another day , an accountant , a businessman or someone in the construction industry . It ’ s the diversity that I like . Invariably when you go to court someone has to win or lose ; I like the challenge in that .
was born with cerebral palsy . When I acted for the doctor , I had to prove it had nothing to do with negligence . I had to expose the flaws of the mother ’ s case but it was not pleasant to do . We were making some headway being able to show that the childbirth was not a problem ; it was unfortunate but not negligent . But when I turned to my team of lawyers who were assisting me , the ladies were crying . They were very upset that despite us doing our job well , they saw a human angle in the entire exchange that perhaps I as a lawyer never saw as I was focused on being the lawyer , getting the admissions from the witness . I was struck by that occasion as here were two persons who were helping my case , knowing what I had to do , yet were upset that I had done it so well .
After a while , I ’ ve learnt to separate my job from my personal life . You can ’ t have all your fights brought back home and into your own personal life .
MO : Would you say that you as a lawyer and as a person are totally different ? ET : I wouldn ’ t say that . It ’ s sort of part of the personality already . I ’ ve learnt to appreciate there are different ways of looking at things . What you may set out to achieve as a lawyer may not accord with how it ’ s perceived from the human angle .
MO : What would be one word to describe you ? ET : That ’ s a hard one . Perhaps carefree . Some people are worriers , some people are go-getters ; I ’ m in between . I don ’ t worry that much as there ’ s no point . In terms of a go-getter , it ’ s important to have an objective but you should not be married to that idea and be closed to everything else .
NL : Any words of wisdom for SJI boys ? ET : You should try everything because today when you grow up you ’ ll be in a more globalised world because everything is connected and you need experiences beyond just your studies . I know nowadays it ’ s very tough as the curriculum is already very heavy but I believe you should take the opportunity to pursue interests . Go outside of school , outside of your academic life . It ’ ll give you a much better standing when you have to enter the work force .
DRS : Any unforgettable experience that took place during a hearing ? ET : There was one case quite early in my career . It was a mother and she had suffered some adverse incident during childbirth and as a result the baby
Before we ended the interview , Mr Tong turned the tables on us and ‘ interviewed ’ us about our dreams . His unassuming ways and disarming smile certainly made us feel at ease throughout the session .