• About Us
    • Fact Checking Policy
    • Ownership & funding information
    • Volunteer
  • Subscribe
  • Letter submission
    • Submissions Policy
  • Contact Us
The Online Citizen Asia
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Politics
    • Civil Society
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Letters
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Singapore
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
    • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Politics
    • Civil Society
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
No Result
View All Result
The Online Citizen Asia
No Result
View All Result

PSP’s candidate: Gigene Wong, the $30 CEO and CFO of multinational corporations

by kathleen
18/06/2020
in Current Affairs
Reading Time: 4 mins read
9

On Thursday (18 June), the Progress Singapore Party (PSP) announced six of its candidates who will be participating in the upcoming General Election. They were introduced by PSP Secretary General Dr Tan Cheng Bock via an online press conference.

One of these candidates is 54-year-old Gigene Wong who has held various senior management roles in China multinational corporations over the last two decades, including as former CEO of Gulf oil China and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Foshan Electrical & Lighting Co which is listed on the China Shenzhen Stock Exchange.

Dr Tan described Ms Wong as a “down-to-earth person” with “fierce determination”. Coming from a poor family, Ms Wong worked three part-time jobs at the age of 17 to put herself through school, finally completing a master’s degree through distance learning.

Party founder Dr Tan also noted Ms Wong’s extensive experience in turning loss-making companies around into profit-making businesses. Ms Wong has over 20 years of experience working in China and is able to speak in Hokkien, Teo Chew, and Cantonese as well as Mandarin.

During the press conference, Ms Wong shared her struggles growing up. The three part-time jobs she took up to fund her part-time tertiary education, were as a production worker, tuition teacher, and as an illegal hawker selling products at bus interchanges and market.

She recounted, “And when the environment officer comes, I got to carry my stuff and run away and that’s how I earn a living to support myself through part time study.”

She went on to recall how she had managed to earn about S$80, which she thought was a lot of money at the time. Back in the 80s, technology was the next big thing and therefore, her dream was to take a course on computers. However, she said when she arrived at the computer centre intending to sign up for a course, she found out that it would cost S$300.

Not having enough money to enrol, she left. However, she then saw a signboard on the opposite side of the building advertising an accounting course for S$30 and a typing course for S$3.

“At a time at the age of 17, I don’t know what is accounting,” said Ms Wong. Still, she signed up anyway after learning that it was basically book-keeping.

She said, “So I was very happy again. Oh I can sign up for accounting course for $30 and a typing course for $3. And that starts my journey later on from accountants to finance manager to financial controller and later on to a list Company CFO.”

“So I can call myself a $30 listed company CFO which I’m very proud of it… because I got no money to study and I make it all my way to the listed Company CFO and a CEO of MNC company in China. And that is my success story,” enthused Ms Wong.

She went on to emphasise her determination and tenacity by recalling how it took her three and a half years to get her motorcycle license despite being discouraged by her instructor.

She went on to thank Dr Tan for selecting her as a PSP candidate for the upcoming general election, stressing that she is doing this in order to speak up for all Singaporeans.

Ms Wong said, “I would love to speak up for all the Singaporeans, for you. If you have something worrying you that you dare not to speak up, count on us. Count on PSP. We will speak up for you, be it high cost of living, employment, housing, children’s education, whatever that you dare not say. Let us do the job.”

Left career in China to voice out for those who dare not

When asked about her reason for returning to Singapore to partake in politics despite her successful career in China, Ms Wong said that while she has enough for her family to comfortably retire after twenty years of toiling in China, she saw how people around her were unhappy, stressful and have to deal with the high cost of living.

Ms Wong recounted how a seventy year old auntie said that she cannot stop work, because once she stops, her source of income stops and it is also hard to find a job now.

She said, “Our country is prosperous and rich but its citizens are poor”. She shares how she admires Dr Tan who could have retired to look after his grandchildren but yet persisted ahead to found PSP, hoping to do something for the country.

“As a Singapore daughter, I still care for the country even when I am physically overseas.”, said Ms Wong.

She shared that she resigned from her semi-retirement work in China to return to Singapore after she was contacted by Dr Tan at the end of March this year, hoping that she can represent the people to voice the things that they do not dare to say.

For just US$7.50 a month, sign up as a subscriber on The Online Citizen Asia (and enjoy ads-free experience on our site) to support our mission to transform TOC into an alternative mainstream press.
Tags: GE2020Gigene WongPSP

Related Posts

Dr Tan Cheng Bock announces launch of PSP’s photobook which details party’s early journey into politics
Current Affairs

Dr Tan Cheng Bock announces launch of PSP’s photobook which details party’s early journey into politics

25/08/2021
过去五年  四成上班族曾遭性骚扰!仅30%受害者举报
Current Affairs

PSP’s Leong Mun Wai says interplay of Foreign Talent Policy and FTAs have provided “loose arrangement” for foreign PMETs to get job in S’pore

20/08/2021
PSP’s new chief criticises lack of contingency planning in PAP’s leadership transition process
Current Affairs

PSP calls for equal opportunities for citizens, decent livelihoods for all in its National Day message

09/08/2021
Minister Tan See Leng only reveals 500 intra-corporate transferees from India for last year – a Covid year
Current Affairs

Proportion of citizens hired under Jobs Growth Incentive between Sept 2020 and Feb 2021 is similar to proportion in resident labour force: MOM

04/08/2021
PSP NCMP Leong Mun Wai questions the PA’s huge budget of S$796 million; asks if its role can be redefined
Current Affairs

NCMP Leong Mun Wai: No credibility to a narrative without comprehensive data to support it

21/07/2021
No sign of investigations by PAP into allegations of Ivan Lim, 1 year since PM Lee’s promise to do so
Politics

No sign of investigations by PAP into allegations of Ivan Lim, 1 year since PM Lee’s promise to do so

28/06/2021
Subscribe
Connect withD
Login
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
Notify of
Connect withD
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
9 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Latest posts

Commemorative coin, exhibitions and various activities to mark 100th anniversary of Lee Kuan Yew’s birth

Commemorative coin, exhibitions and various activities to mark 100th anniversary of Lee Kuan Yew’s birth

07/02/2023
国会内庆妇女节 女议员获赠鲜花

15 companies barred from hiring new foreign employees after serious safety lapse found at worksite

07/02/2023
Why is Gautam Adani’s Indian empire in turmoil?

India’s Adani Enterprises shares rocket 20%, trading suspended

07/02/2023
China’s Baidu says developing AI chatbot

China’s Baidu says developing AI chatbot

07/02/2023
Thai rescuers dig to free baby trapped down well

Thai rescuers dig to free baby trapped down well

07/02/2023
Desmond Lee says 70% of BTO flats affordable for median household with income of S$8,400 but what about the 10th to 40th percentile?

Desmond Lee says 70% of BTO flats affordable for median household with income of S$8,400 but what about the 10th to 40th percentile?

07/02/2023
Returning Officer to issue corrective directions, overseas Singaporeans allowed to vote by post, among changes to laws tabled to Parliament

Returning Officer to issue corrective directions, overseas Singaporeans allowed to vote by post, among changes to laws tabled to Parliament

07/02/2023
Can Malaysia review its current practices on foreign worker management?

Can Malaysia review its current practices on foreign worker management?

07/02/2023

Trending posts

Cognizant India transfers staff to work in Singapore as recently as this year

Local IT grads can’t find jobs while engineers constantly transferred from India to work in SG under CECA

by Correspondent
05/02/2023
105

...

They have done a fine job of confusing us about the jobs situation

They have done a fine job of confusing us about the jobs situation

by Augustine Low
01/02/2023
47

...

Adani’s brother runs SG company and registers as director with local ID

Adani’s brother runs SG company and registers as director with local ID

by Correspondent
03/02/2023
26

...

No response from Josephine Teo on whether Mediacorp has been instructed to stop coverage of SMT circulation scandal

No response from Josephine Teo over alleged blackout of coverage by Mediacorp over SMT circulation scandal

by Terry Xu
06/02/2023
12

...

Former Singaporean shares change of life in Australia with annual pay of S$80,000 as a plumber

Former Singaporean shares change of life in Australia with annual pay of S$80,000 as a plumber

by Yee Loon
30/01/2023
25

...

Japanese-Canadian junior high school girl breaks national record with 3km in 9:02 mins

“I want my normal life back,” Sherry Drury withdraws from National Junior High School Tournament due to overheated public attention

by Yee Loon
06/02/2023
3

...

June 2020
M T W T F S S
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
2930  
« May   Jul »

The Online Citizen is a regional online publication based in Taiwan and formerly Singapore’s longest-running independent online media platform.

Navigation

  • Editorial
  • Commentaries
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Community

Support

  • Contact Us
  • Letter submission
  • Membership subscription

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Fact Checking Policy
  • Privacy Policy

© 2022 - 2023 The Online Citizen Asia

No Result
View All Result
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Commentaries
    • Comments
  • Current Affairs
    • Malaysia
    • Indonesia
    • China
    • ASEAN
    • Asia
    • International
  • Finance
    • Economics
    • Labour
    • Property
    • Business
  • Community
    • Civil Society
    • Arts & Culture
    • Consumer Watch
    • NGO
  • Politics
    • Parliament
    • Transport
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
  • Law & Order
    • Legislation
    • Court Cases
  • Lifestyle
    • Travel
  • Subscribers login

© 2022 - 2023 The Online Citizen Asia

wpDiscuz