Time Out at 40

Jing Quek | Stefanie Sun | Donna Ong

Stephanie Sun

Stefanie Sun
Better known by her Mandarin name Sun Yan Zi, singer-songwriter Stefanie Sun is one of Singapore’s best-known exports. She has sold more than 10 million copies of her 13 albums to date, and in August she was invited to take part in the closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympics. She sung ‘Light the Passion, Share the Dream’ with a Mandopop collective.

What does it mean to you to be a Time Out hero?
I don’t know. Do I need to don a skin-tight outfit? Some lycra? Change in a phone box? That would be when my manager steps in and tells you it’s unacceptable. I don’t know what I’ve done to be a hero – soother of a few souls maybe? But I’m flattered, I hope someone reads this and agrees with you that I deserve this title.

Who are your personal and professional heroes and why?
I am not ashamed to say [former Prime Minister of Singapore] Lee Kuan Yew! He’s a true-blue hero. Everything he does is for the betterment of Singapore. I know it doesn’t sound very cool, but then I’m not that cool. My personal hero is my dad. He’s cool. Everything he does is for the betterment of the Sng family. I admire people who are selflessly focused. And Jackie Chan, who saved me from the sea of Olympics volunteers, and without whom I would not be answering this email in one piece. Feature continues

What are you most proud of in your career/life?
I am proud of my achievements and my courage to say ‘stop’ when things weren’t going the way they should.

What is your favourite place in Singapore?
Restaurant: Buko Nero (call me you toots, or pick up the bloody phone!). Quiet space: any quiet café, I’m not picky. Shop: White Room at Far East Plaza, Topshop (I can’t believe they closed the Wisma branch!), On Pedder at Takashimaya.

What is your favourite personal Singapore moment?
I like to watch the historical clip of Lee Kuan Yew shedding a few tears when Malaysia rejected us as part of their state. It reminds me that things happen for a reason.

What are your hopes for Singapore? For the future?
I hope that we charge forward fearlessly. And also, to stop reminding ourselves that we are world-class citizens, there are more important things in life than to be labelled a world-class citizen. Singapore has to have a heart.

Time Out means…
…confectionery, a magazine, staring into space.

Singapore is…
…home.
Interview Charlene Fang

www.timeout.com/singapore

Jing Quek | Stefanie Sun | Donna Ong