For every adult putting in the hours at work and slogging through the night, every hour spent working is an hour closer to retirement. Pop the poppers! Retirement is a desirable destination, but it can also be a pin drop you might well dread, especially if you’re not ready. 

So many things can derail your retirement plans – suffering job loss, declining health, acquiring a disability, making poor investments or being scammed of your life savings. What if you fail to retire?

We address this on The Leong Form takeover, recorded at The Price of Tomorrow - a financial wellness festival presented by OCBC. We confront the quiet anxiety many Singaporeans face in their 50s — the fear of not having “enough,” and the uncertainty of what retirement looks like in today’s volatile world.

From CPF realities and misunderstood benchmarks of adequacy, to rethinking investment strategies and insurance coverage, Stanley Leong’s guests unpack what it truly means to plan and re-plan for retirement amid longer lifespans and rising costs.

Stanley picks the minds of Peh Er Yan (Group Director of CPF Board’s Communications & Engagement Group), independent actuarial consultant Alex Lee, and Timothy Liew (Head of Investments at OCBC). 

There’s no better time than now to get retirement-ready!

The Leong Form is available on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts! 

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With the exception of the OCBC representative, the views and opinions expressed belong to the guest speakers and do not represent the views of OCBC Bank.

What makes someone step out of the “policy bubble” and into the political arena? And how does that decision reshape everything from leadership to family life?

 Minister of State for the Ministry of Digital Development and Information, and the Ministry of Education, JasminLau (@jasminlaujm), opens up about the turning points that changed her career, her convictions, and how she shows up as a mother, policymaker, and MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC.

 From confronting AI (what Jasmin refers to as “digital opium”), to mum guilt and what team sports have taught her, Jasmin reveals the unexpected ways her worlds collide.

 Also hear her musings on what it really takes to prepare every Singaporean to thrive in a hyper-digital age.

 Click on the links in bio to watch/hear Jasmin’s candid conversation with Hossan and Stanley Leong on The Leong Form!

 The Leong Form is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and on the YouTube channel.

From a metalhead to becoming Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth, and for Manpower - this is the story of Dinesh Vasu Dash (@dineshvasudash).

Dinesh has gone from leading troops in Afghanistan, to overseeing security at the Trump-Kim Summit in Singapore, to carrying the late Mr. Lee Kuan Yew’s casket.

Hear how his experiences have forged his beliefs about leadership, sacrifice, and empathy.

Dinesh also shares his reflections on mental health, supporting the vulnerable in society, and what it really means to include every Singaporean in our shared story.

And of course, we had to quiz him about being a Metallica fan! 

From metal to the work he does at two ministries, Hossan and Stanley Leong are locked and loaded with questions on this brand new episode of The Leong Form.

Watch and listen on Spotify, YouTube and Apple Podcasts. Go to links in bio or search ‘The Leong Form’ on your favourite platform now!

Our guest on this special episode is Dr Syed Harun Alhabsyi (@drsyedharun), Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of National Development.

The former psychiatrist in private practice discloses how his experiences in medicine, community work, and education converge to shape his approach to national issues like supporting families living in public rental flats and students with special needs.
 
The conversation also turns to what binds us as a nation, and how ordinary Singaporeans can play a part in strengthening the social fabric.

From Forbes director to self-taught chef, Shen Tan’s journey is anything but ordinary. Shen (@chefshentan & @ownselfmakechef) carved her own path through Singapore’s brutal F&B scene - from running hawker stalls and restaurants to private dining.

In this episode, Shen shares:

• Why she traded in her power suit for an apron
• How being self-taught shaped her philosophy (and her battles with imposter syndrome)
• Her unfiltered take on Singapore’s merciless F&B industry
• Her advice for aspiring café owners and home cooks

This episode packs a punch with a generous serving of sambal!

Follow Shen’s work in and out of the kitchen at ownselfmakechef.com 

Enjoy more episodes of The Leong Form on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube!

Grief is universal, inevitable and unavoidable. Yet, it’s often misunderstood.

In this episode of The Leong Form, brothers Hossan and Stanley dive into a deeply human conversation with George Chan - Counsellor, Grief Educator, and Breathwork Coach at This Is How We Heal (@this.is.how.we.heal).

George spent three decades in the arts and entertainment industry before a personal turning point led him from theatre to therapy. His own healing journey in 2018 sparked a new calling to help others navigate grief, loss and the messy, non-linear road toward healing.

In this conversation, we explore:

• What grief really is
• How George’s theatre background informs his counselling practice
• The different types and stages of grief
• Coping mechanisms and when to seek extra support
• How we can walk alongside someone who is grieving
• The personal strategies George uses to stay grounded while helping others through pain

Grief may be heavy, but this episode is full of hope as healing is possible.

Follow George’s work at thisishowweheal.com.sg 

Listen to other episodes of The Leong Form on Apple Podcasts and watch them on Spotify and YouTube!

Don’t forget to like, share and subscribe for more real conversations with Hossan and Stanley and their guests!

From breaking records on the track to shaping young minds in the classroom, this week’s guest knows all about life’s turning points.

Siblings Hossan and Stanley Leong sit down with U.K. Shyam (@u.k.shyam1037), Singapore’s former national sprinter who held the 100m national record of 10.37s for an incredible 22 years! Shyam famously broke C. Kunalan’s long-standing record at the 2001 World University Games in Beijing.

But what happens after the cheers fade and the spikes come off? Today, Shyam is an educator with a passion for youth development, and his story is a powerful lesson in resilience, purpose and transformation.

In this conversation, we explore:

• How Shyam first got on the track and what inspired him to compete
• The pressures, challenges, and darkest moments of elite sport
• What sprinting taught him about joy and discipline
• Why he chose to join the education sector after retiring in 2005

Subscribe, like and add The Leong Form to your playlist so you’ll be the first off the blocks when the next episode drops!

What does it mean to live with courage, optimism and unstoppable grit? Our guest this week, Lim Lee Lee (@nicetheguidedog), embodies all of it and more.

Born premature with congenital cataracts, Lee Lee lost her sight early in life, but she’s never let blindness define her. Today, she moves through life with the help of her guide dog, Hesta, and an unshakable belief in possibilities.

Lee Lee wears many hats as an Accessibility & Arts Advocate, Theatre & Film Producer, Writer & Disability Arts Trainer, Entrepreneur & Co-Founder of Collective Perspectives (@collective.perspectives) - a social enterprise empowering Persons with Disabilities (PwDs). She’s also a 2022 Recipient of the Goh Chok Tong Enable Award.

In this heartfelt and eye-opening episode, we talk about:

• Misconceptions and stereotypes about disability
• The joys and challenges of living with a guide dog in Singapore
• Why independence is important to her
• What Singapore can do to become a more inclusive society

Don’t forget to like, share and subscribe for more inspiring stories on The Leong Form that challenge perspectives and celebrate resilience.

Our guest this episode is Kai Minejima-Lee (@kaiflysg), World Cup Freestyle Indoor Skydiving Champion and Singapore’s 2025 Sports Boy of the Year with more than a dozen medals to his name from international competitions in 2024!

At just 16 years old, Kai’s journey is already packed with twists, turns and tumbles, and not just in the air. 

He opens up about:

• The turning point that set him on the path of competitive indoor skydiving
• Overcoming his darkest challenges as a young athlete
• The exhilaration of competing (and winning!) on the world stage
• His short- and long-term goals in sport

Joining Kai on the episode is his mum, Naomi, who shares a parent’s perspective on raising a world champion and how she and fellow parents of Team Singapore athletes come together to support their children as they fly high!

Watch The Leong Form podcast on YouTube and Spotify, or listen on Apple Podcasts for more inspiring conversations and behind-the-scenes stories with changemakers, champions and everyday heroes.

In this thought-provoking episode, Hossan and Stanley dive into the world of accents with international speaker and communication coach Heather Hansen (@heather.hansen) — TEDx speaker, author of Unmuted, PhD candidate in linguistics, and founder of Global Speech Academy.

Inspired by Singapore’s national pledge, what if we added just one word — accent — to that iconic line: “Regardless of race, language, accent or religion…”
Wouldn’t that be a more inclusive promise?

In this conversation, we explore:

• Why accents are more than just sounds — and how they carry deep social, cultural and emotional weight
• What it was like for Heather adjusting to life (and lah) in Singapore, and the hilarious catch-no-ball moments she faced
• Why we form biases around certain accents — and how these snap judgments can hold people back
• How even positive bias can be damaging, and where imitation crosses the line into mockery
• What TV shows like Mind Your Language got wrong (and right) about accent representation
• The global implications of accent bias in hiring, leadership, and cross-cultural communication
• And what YOU can do to check your own linguistic assumptions — and help build a world that listens better

Don’t forget to subscribe, like and add The Leong Form to your playlist to get notified of new episodes that spark real conversations about life, language and all its hues and accents.