Why Diverse Voices Matter in Singapore’s Business Conversations

I’m turning 40 this year, and something still amuses me.

Even now, I often hear people my age introducing themselves by their alma mater.

It slips into conversations almost naturally.

“So-and-so from Raffles.”

“ACS boy.”

“RI batch.”

I suppose it signals networks, familiarity, maybe even credibility.

I never quite had that privilege.

Every now and then someone asks me, “Hey Khai, are you an XX boy? You sound just like them.”

If reading widely, paying attention, and absorbing ideas like a sponge is what makes me sound like them, then so be it.

But the question still lingers.

How exactly am I supposed to respond?

Should I say, “I’m from Yuhua Secondary School. Yes, that neighbourhood school. The one people used to call the most notorious school in Jurong back in the 90s.”

That’s where I came from.

A Seat at the Table

Recently, I had the opportunity to moderate part of a pre-Budget business dialogue.

Technically, I stepped in as a substitute moderator — and I’m grateful to the Singapore Malay Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SMCCI), Nadiah Hassan, and Dr Abdul Malik Hassan for trusting me with the role.

The room was filled with discussions about macroeconomic trends, business competitiveness, and policy considerations.

Important conversations, no doubt.

But within the short window I had, I felt compelled to raise something that often feels closer to the ground.

I spoke about the commercial rent pressures faced by businesses in Kampong Glam, and the broader need to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) explore cross-border opportunities, particularly in emerging markets such as the Gulf region.

Why This Matters

To some, this might sound like a small issue compared to larger national economic strategies.

But our local businesses sit at the frontline of everyday livelihoods.

They employ our neighbours.

They anchor culture and community.

They absorb the first shocks of rising costs, policy shifts, and economic uncertainty.

When they struggle, the consequences appear quickly.

A closed café.

A shuttered boutique.

A family business that quietly disappears after years of service.

It also means fewer pathways for the next generation of entrepreneurs to begin.

The ongoing conversation around commercial rent pressures has stayed in the news cycle for weeks for a reason.

It reflects a pressure point that many business owners have been feeling quietly for far too long.

Being Heard

I appreciate Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong and Acting Minister Jeffrey Siow for listening and engaging thoughtfully with the points raised.

Moments like this matter.

Not simply because they influence policy outcomes, but because they demonstrate that national conversations are widening.

They are beginning to include voices from different industries, backgrounds, and lived experiences.

Even those who did not begin their journey in elite corridors.

Looking Ahead

For someone who grew up in a neighbourhood school in Jurong, moments like this carry quiet meaning.

Not because of titles or positions.

But because they show that Singapore’s conversations about business and policy can — and should — include people who started from very different places.

If we want a resilient economy and an inclusive society, we need more perspectives at the table.

Not just the familiar ones.

Here’s hoping 2026 brings more conversations that reflect the full diversity of our business community and society.

Because the people holding our communities together rarely come from the same path.

And that, perhaps, is precisely why their voices matter.