It is difficult enough starting a new job, facing new colleagues and trying to fit in a new environment.
Now imagine braving that on top of moving your family 9,000 kilometres to a strange new country. Now imagine doing all of that at the start of 2020 with a global pandemic looming.
That was what Deputy High Commissioner of New Zealand Peter Kemp had to take on when he landed in Changi Airport in January with his wife and two young children in tow. As a delegate of New Zealand, Peter likens his job to being a dating “match-maker”. The role requires the utmost sensitivity and diplomacy in matching relationships for a number of areas. These could range from cyber security, trade, defense, and more. Peter is kept busy making sure the right officials in Singapore and New Zealand come together to make the right conversations, he explained.
As one can expect, a job like that requires a lot of meetings and getting around to make new connections. “I had about four weeks of what you could describe as the ‘old normal’ before COVID-19—being able to freely go out and meet people. To go from that to suddenly not being to do that, having to do a lot of virtual diplomacy, it has been quite a learning curve,” Peter shared.
Peter Kemp and family visits Gardens by the Bay - enjoying the sights of Singapore following the end of the circuit breaker period.
Look on the bright side
[ALUMNI-INFO TEXT="The eternal optimist Peter said the situation has thrown up some “pluses” in terms of work. The new normal has changed the way people worked. That includes setting up offices at home and putting up meetings online. However, it has also provided new ways to catch up with stakeholders who may not have been available otherwise—either due to a full schedule or if they were travelling. Peter relished the opportunity to utilise new digital tools such as Zoom to engage with people.
Another advantage Peter had, which he felt was a big help, was attending the Senior Fellows for Public Service (SFPS) programme. It gave him an inside understanding of the dynamics and drivers of Singapore government and society, he shared. That includes the Singapore thinking behind its development plans as well as the way the city-state looks at future challenges.
“Having done the course and spending six weeks on campus, my understanding of how things worked was probably a bit more advanced. It was a big help when I met with ministers or officials. The programme gave me a slightly deeper intelligence into some of the drivers of Singaporean policy. That was quite useful for me, in terms of knowledge gained during the course,” said Peter.
“Having a network that has knowledge about Singapore as a government and society certainly gave me a head start,” Peter added. He had enjoyed Prof Quah’s lectures on the economic gravity point of the world during his time at SFPS and has enjoyed further conversations on policy issues during the course of this year.”"][/ALUMNI-INFO]
Friendly relations
Building a network of high-ranking leaders in government and corporations in Asia was also a benefit to Peter. While his mandate is strictly to cultivate relationships for New Zealand with Singapore, it helps to be kept abreast of what is happening in the region. “What affects the region has an impact on Singapore, obviously,” he noted. “We do have an ongoing chat group where we continue to ping each other updates and stay up-to-date with each other. I think when travel opens back up, I will be calling on some of the people from the programme.”
Peter is most thankful to be able to work and learn alongside classmates from a range of different countries. "As societies and economies become more high-tech, there is more value placed on people who know how to engage with other cultures, people who have interpersonal skills," deliberated Peter.
Lunchtime catch up with fellow Senior Fellow, Deputy Chief Prosecutor Leong Wing Tuck from SFPS – always great to bond over a bowl of bakchor mee.
[ALUMNI-QUOTES TEXT="One thing he learned on the programme was about the long-term planning Singapore leaders have. “The leaders tried to look beyond where you are today to the next 10 to 20 years. With that in mind, you try to work out what you need to do now to be prepared for that future,” shared Peter. “That is a very hard thing to do—gazing over the future—but there is obviously a lot of focus here to make sure that Singapore stays economically and politically relevant, and envisions millions of ways to give the nation its cutting edge.”
Peter also recognises Singapore as a gateway to the region. Southeast Asia is an economic powerhouse that will be growing exponentially in the coming years, helped along by its cultural diversity. “It is a lively place—there is a lot happening here. A lot of innovation. Things like the digital economy, this part of the world is the place to be in terms of where the future is going to,” he acknowledged."][/ALUMNI-QUOTES]
Live to eat
Peter and Louis Ng, Member of Parliament, Parliament of Singapore
Another reason for being in Asia is the food, Peter announced. Knowing his love for food, his team designed the #ComeeatwithPete hashtag to help him mingle with locals, immerse in the culture and, of course, get his fill of regional delicacies. Through the initiative, Peter has met local Member of Parliament Louis Ng over a vegetarian meal, had a friendly competition of who could slurp down a bowl of chicken curry noodles without soiling their shirts, and even got to gulp down some durians. Verdict: He liked the thorny fruit.
When we welcomed him to our food nation, Peter said happily: “I’m in the right place.”
#ComeEatwithPete: Today's tribute, the king of fruits—durian.