Securing masks for the Singapore Government

Calculations for managing stockpile of masks

Modern-day mask piracy even on the tarmac

"Wild Wild West-styled" mask-buying frenzy

How Singapore made plans to manufacture masks

Gareth Tang on overseeing the operation

Made-in-Singapore mask industry

Synopsis: This podcast series is based on selected chapters from a book, detailing Singapore’s experience battling the Covid-19 pandemic. The book - written by journalists of The Straits Times and edited by ST’s executive editor Sumiko Tan - is titled In This Together: Singapore's Covid-19 Story and is available in major bookstores now. Details online: https://www.stbooks.sg/

In this second episode of six instalments, ST's health correspondent Timothy Goh tells the story of how Singapore secretly and quickly despatched individuals and teams overseas from late January 2020, to procure masks and other essential items in the early days of the pandemic.

He reveals how Singapore managed to bring home full-scaled mask-production capabilities on the quiet.

Highlights (click/tap above): (Headphones recommended)

01:25 Mr Jayakumar Manickam: Managing logistics for ST Logistics in Singapore one day, flying to India secretly the next day to secure a large shipment of masks in India for the Singapore Government

06:20 Mr Chan Chun Sing, who was Minister for Trade and Industry till May 2021, on the calculations for managing Singapore's existing stockpile of masks

07:15 Panic-buying; modern-day mask piracy even on the tarmac in various countries

08:25 Mr Gabriel Lim, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, on the "Wild Wild West-styled" global mask-buying frenzy

08:55 How Singapore quietly made plans to manufacture its own surgical masks with ST Engineering bringing back its machines, stuck in Taiwan, after an export ban on masks there

10:00 ST Engineering’s Gareth Tang on overseeing the operation

15:15 Catching up with ST Logistics’ Lian Yong De in 2022, on the made-in-Singapore mask industry, and Mr Gabriel Lim, on Singapore's capabilities in the face of the possible next big virus variant

In This Together: Singapore's Covid-19 Story retails for $28 (with GST) at major bookstores. It is also available on the Straits Times Press website: https://www.stbooks.sg/

Episode 3 will be out next on April 18, and you can find out the inner workings of Singapore’s Covid-19 War Room.

Listen to Ep 1 on how 24 people saved one life: https://str.sg/wuJa

Produced by: Timothy Goh (timgoh@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis and Hadyu Rahim

Edited by: Hadyu Rahim

Follow Singapore's War On Covid podcast series here:

Channel: https://str.sg/wuJa

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wu3n

Spotify: https://str.sg/wuJy

SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/

Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

Read Timothy Goh's stories: https://str.sg/wnaH

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Discover more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u

In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt

COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE

Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7

Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN

Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf

Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m

Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE

#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad

Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX

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ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa

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Special edition series:

True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2

Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn

Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB

Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa

---

Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:

The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB

Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX

#stcovidbook

Synopsis: This podcast series is based on selected chapters from a book, detailing Singapore’s experience battling the Covid-19 pandemic. The book - written by journalists of The Straits Times and edited by ST’s executive editor Sumiko Tan - is titled In This Together: Singapore's Covid-19 Story and is available in major bookstores now. Details online: <a href="https://www.stbooks.sg/">https://www.stbooks.sg/</a>
In this second episode of six instalments, ST's health correspondent Timothy Goh tells the story of how Singapore secretly and quickly despatched individuals and teams overseas from late January 2020, to procure masks and other essential items in the early days of the pandemic.
He reveals how Singapore managed to bring home full-scaled mask-production capabilities on the quiet.
Highlights (click/tap above): (Headphones recommended)
01:25 Mr Jayakumar Manickam: Managing logistics for ST Logistics in Singapore one day, flying to India secretly the next day to secure a large shipment of masks in India for the Singapore Government
06:20 Mr Chan Chun Sing, who was Minister for Trade and Industry till May 2021, on the calculations for managing Singapore's existing stockpile of masks
07:15 Panic-buying; modern-day mask piracy even on the tarmac in various countries
08:25 Mr Gabriel Lim, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, on the "Wild Wild West-styled" global mask-buying frenzy
08:55 How Singapore quietly made plans to manufacture its own surgical masks with ST Engineering bringing back its machines, stuck in Taiwan, after an export ban on masks there
10:00 ST Engineering’s Gareth Tang on overseeing the operation
15:15 Catching up with ST Logistics’ Lian Yong De in 2022, on the made-in-Singapore mask industry, and Mr Gabriel Lim, on Singapore's capabilities in the face of the possible next big virus variant
In This Together: Singapore's Covid-19 Story retails for $28 (with GST) at major bookstores. It is also available on the Straits Times Press website: <a href="https://www.stbooks.sg/">https://www.stbooks.sg/</a>
Episode 3 will be out next on April 18, and you can find out the inner workings of Singapore’s Covid-19 War Room.
Listen to Ep 1 on how 24 people saved one life: <a href="https://str.sg/wuJa">https://str.sg/wuJa</a>
Produced by: Timothy Goh (<a href="mailto:timgoh@sph.com.sg">timgoh@sph.com.sg</a>), Ernest Luis and Hadyu Rahim
Edited by: Hadyu Rahim
Follow Singapore's War On Covid podcast series here:
Channel: <a href="https://str.sg/wuJa">https://str.sg/wuJa</a>
Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://str.sg/wu3n">https://str.sg/wu3n</a>
Spotify: <a href="https://str.sg/wuJy">https://str.sg/wuJy</a>
SPH Awedio app: <a href="https://www.awedio.sg/">https://www.awedio.sg/</a>
Website: <a href="http://str.sg/stpodcasts" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://str.sg/stpodcasts&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1604121592032000&amp;usg=AFQjCNF423GUSRs-f8wdi3ldSNpY72885g">http://str.sg/stpodcasts</a>
Feedback to: <a href="mailto:podcast@sph.com.sg">podcast@sph.com.sg</a> 
Read Timothy Goh's stories: <a href="https://str.sg/wnaH" data-cke-saved-href="https://str.sg/wnaH">https://str.sg/wnaH</a>
---
Discover more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: <a href="https://str.sg/wvz7">https://str.sg/wvz7</a> 
The Usual Place: <a href="https://str.sg/wEr7u">https://str.sg/wEr7u</a> 
In Your Opinion: <a href="https://str.sg/w7Qt">https://str.sg/w7Qt</a> 
COE Watch: <a href="https://str.sg/iTtE">https://str.sg/iTtE</a> 
Asian Insider: <a href="https://str.sg/JWa7">https://str.sg/JWa7</a> 
Health Check: <a href="https://str.sg/JWaN">https://str.sg/JWaN</a> 
Green Pulse: <a href="https://str.sg/JWaf">https://str.sg/JWaf</a> 
Your Money &amp; Career: <a href="https://str.sg/wB2m">https://str.sg/wB2m</a> 
Hard Tackle: <a href="https://str.sg/JWRE">https://str.sg/JWRE</a> 
#PopVultures: <a href="https://str.sg/JWad">https://str.sg/JWad</a> 
Music Lab: <a href="https://str.sg/w9TX">https://str.sg/w9TX</a> 
---
ST Podcast website: <a href="http://str.sg/stpodcasts">http://str.sg/stpodcasts</a> 
ST Podcasts YouTube: <a href="https://str.sg/4Vwsa">https://str.sg/4Vwsa</a> 
---
Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): <a href="https://str.sg/i44T">https://str.sg/i44T</a>
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): <a href="https://str.sg/wuZ2">https://str.sg/wuZ2</a> 
Invisible Asia (9 eps): <a href="https://str.sg/wuZn">https://str.sg/wuZn</a> 
Stop Scams (10 eps): <a href="https://str.sg/wuZB">https://str.sg/wuZB</a> 
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): <a href="https://str.sg/wuJa">https://str.sg/wuJa</a> 
---
Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store: <a href="https://str.sg/icyB">https://str.sg/icyB</a> 
Google Play: <a href="https://str.sg/icyX">https://str.sg/icyX</a> 
#stcovidbook

Synopsis: Singapore’s War On Covid is a new podcast series by The Straits Times. This podcast series is based on selected chapters from a book, detailing Singapore’s experience battling the Covid-19 pandemic. The book - written by journalists of The Straits Times and edited by ST’s executive editor Sumiko Tan - is titled.. In This Together: Singapore's Covid-19 Story and is available in major bookstores now. Details online at stbooks.sg

Podcasters: Sumiko Tan (centre), Joyce Teo (left), Timothy Goh (right)

Produced by podcast editor Ernest Luis and producer Hadyu Rahim, The Straits Times, SPH Media Trust.

Synopsis: Singapore’s War On Covid is a new podcast series by The Straits Times. This podcast series is based on selected chapters from a book, detailing Singapore’s experience battling the Covid-19 pandemic. The book - written by journalists of The Straits Times and edited by ST’s executive editor Sumiko Tan - is titled.. In This Together: Singapore's Covid-19 Story and is available in major bookstores now. Details online at <a href="https://www.stbooks.sg/">stbooks.sg</a>
Podcasters: Sumiko Tan (centre), Joyce Teo (left), Timothy Goh (right)
Produced by podcast editor Ernest Luis and producer Hadyu Rahim, The Straits Times, SPH Media Trust.

Singapore's War On Covid

Synopsis: Singapore&rsquo;s War On Covid is a new podcast series by The Straits Times. This podcast series is based on selected chapters from a book, detailing Singapore&rsquo;s experience battling the Covid-19 pandemic. The book - written by journalists of The Straits Times and edited by ST&rsquo;s executive editor Sumiko Tan - is titled.. In This Together: Singapore's Covid-19 Story and is available in major bookstores now. Details online at <a href="https://www.stbooks.sg/">stbooks.sg</a>
Podcasters: Sumiko Tan (centre), Joyce Teo (left), Timothy Goh (right)
Produced by podcast editor Ernest Luis and producer Hadyu Rahim, The Straits Times, SPH Media Trust.

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