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The man who makes Singapore laugh

Singapore’s most loved comedian Hossan Leong on speaking proper Singlish and how he kept making the country smile while recovering from a life threatening illness.

Sharanjit Leyl is taking Outlook on a tour of her city – Singapore – through the extraordinary stories of people who live there.

Comedian and performer Hossan Leong was one of the first to use Singlish, the English-based patois spoken in Singapore, on stage. He also tells Sharanjit how he kept making the country smile, even while he was recovering from a life threatening illness.

When the HIV/Aids epidemic hit Singapore in the 1980s, Iris Verghese was one of the few health care workers on the frontline. She has recently been celebrated for her bravery and empathy in helping patients at the time. Avin Tan is the second Singaporean to go public with his HIV status and a prominent advocate.

Amanda Chong is a lawyer, poet and social activist. She has always been passionate about reading and she says writing is her way to understand the country she lives in. That’s why she co-founded a charity, ReadAble, to help children living in Jalan Kukoh - Singapore’s poorest neighbourhood – with literacy.

Photo: Comedian and performer Hossan Leong. Credit: Alice Gioia/ ´óÏó´«Ã½)

Available now

44 minutes

Last on

Fri 29 Nov 2019 04:06GMT

Broadcasts

  • Thu 28 Nov 2019 12:06GMT
  • Thu 28 Nov 2019 16:06GMT
  • Thu 28 Nov 2019 18:06GMT
  • Thu 28 Nov 2019 21:06GMT
  • Thu 28 Nov 2019 23:06GMT
  • Fri 29 Nov 2019 03:06GMT
  • Fri 29 Nov 2019 04:06GMT

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Podcast: Lives Less Ordinary

Podcast: Lives Less Ordinary

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