Information Officers
of MCI communicate
government policies
effectively to the public
and the wider global
community in an
increasingly challenging
communications
environment.
Judiciously-planned policies and initiatives form the bedrock of a committed government.
These government policies and initiatives cater to very diverse needs and can appear rather
complex to the man on the street.
To ensure that Singapore’s citizenry is able to comprehend important government policies
and initiatives, information officers from the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI)
examine how the government’s public communications information can be better positioned to
the public through both online and offline mediums. They then deliver clear, understandable and
accurate messages to the public that effectively communicate the government’s complex policies
and initiatives, thereby fostering a more informed society.
Two of these dedicated officers are Benjamin Foo, Senior Manager (Translation) in the Translation
Department in the Media and Research Division, and Teo Jion Chun, Executive in the Content
Development Department in the Public Communications Division.
Facilitating Communication
Important announcements that are communicated to the public have to be done in Singapore’s
four official languages. Benjamin facilitates communication efforts between the government and
the Mandarin-speaking public by translating the government’s messages, ministers' speeches and
other official materials from English to Mandarin. He also helps the government understand the
ground sentiments of the Chinese-speaking public by following mainstream Chinese media and
picking out articles that touch on hot-button issues, so as to use them as tools to prompt discussion
among leaders in the government.
Benjamin tells us, “I do more than just
translate materials. Sometimes, translating a
message too literally from English will make a
message come across as stand-offish. I have
to understand what the Chinese community is
concerned with and how they perceive things,
and tailor my message accordingly without
compromising on the accuracy of the original
message.”
Recent materials that the Translation
Department has translated include publicity
materials and information sheets pertaining
to the Pioneer Generation Package (PGP). He
tells us that the Pioneer Generation Package is
awarded to the pioneer generation in recognition
of their contributions to the nation, and features
benefits such as subsidies for outpatient care
and Medisave top-ups.
Benjamin Foo Zhi Zhong
Designation:
Senior Manager (Translation),
Translation Department,
Media and Research Division
Studied:
Master of Arts in Conference Interpreting, Merit,
University of Westminster, UK
Bachelor of Arts in Translation and Interpretation,
SIM University
Bachelor of Arts in English Language,
National University of Singapore
"It is also important to broaden your perspective and see things through the eyes of the community."
MCI also recognises the need to groom the
next generation of talents with strong language
and translation capabilities, and strengthen the
Government’s communications in our official
languages – in fact, a new undergraduate
Information Service Scholarship (Translation)
has been introduced from 2015 onwards.
Fellow Information Officer Jion Chun is also
involved in the marketing and publicity of the
Pioneer Generation Package. As part of his
work in the Content Development Department,
Jion Chun often collaborates with multiple
agencies to develop content across various
media platforms. For the Pioneer Generation
Package, he worked with the Ministry of Health
and Ministry of Finance to create videos that will
resonate with the target audience.
For instance, he worked with homegrown
artistes Mark Lee and Sebastian Tan to produce
a Mandarin music video that was aired during
primetime TV slots and subsequently uploaded
on YouTube. To maximise reach to different
segments of the population, he met the radio
DJs on the morning programmes to inform
working adults and caregivers of the benefits
associated with the Pioneer Generation
Package.
He explains, “We wanted working adults and
caregivers to be aware of the medical benefits,
so that they can share them with their older
loved-ones. The YouTube video garnered much
attention and has now achieved 250,000 views.
It certainly feels good to be part of the team
that helped to produce such an informative and
entertaining video.”
Growing With The Ministry
Both Benjamin and Jion Chun have been
assured the invaluable support of MCI over
the years. For Benjamin, the opportunity to
participate in a Translation and Interpretation
Programme in Beijing, China for a year was
instrumental in developing him personally and
professionally.
He shares, “It was a good opportunity to step
out of my core work and daily responsibilities.
MCI shows its support to officers who want to
develop their skills and one of the many ways
it does so is by offering the Lifelong Learning
Programme. In fact, under this developmental
programme, I was granted partial subsidy of
the cost of my Master’s degree in Conference
Interpreting at the University of Westminster,
UK.”
Teo Jion Chun
Designation:
Executive (Content Development),
Content Development Department,
Public Communications Division
Studied:
Bachelor of Communication Studies,
Nanyang Technological University
"Aspiring scholars
should be able to think on their feet, possess
great confidence and have the ability to maintain
their composure in the face of challenging
situations."
On Jion Chun’s end, his MCI Information
Service Scholarship exposed him to the diverse
work of an Information Officer even before he
began his career. After completing his National
Service, Jion Chun was given an internship
opportunity at the Communications and Public
Relations division of the Singapore Youth
Olympic Games (YOG) Organising Committee.
He recalls, “There was strong international
interest, given that it was the inaugural YOG. I
worked in the Main Media Centre where all live
screening of games took place for the Singapore
2010. We facilitated the reporting of nearly
2,000 international reporters and broadcasters
from big media agencies because the Games
were held at different venues in Singapore. It
was fulfilling to help the reporters bring the
Games' highlights to people around the world.
The conclusion of this internship certainly
marked a good start to my university education
in communications.”
Furthermore, Jion Chun was given a second
internship opportunity during his second year
of university. This mid-term internship gave him
the chance to work with Prime Minister (PM) Lee Hsien Loong’s group of administrators, who
assist PM Lee in managing content on his social
media accounts such as Facebook and Twitter.
Jion Chun explains that these platforms
create an avenue for netizens to offer their
feedback and gave him the opportunity to better
understand public sentiments. He adds, “I got
to witness first-hand how PM Lee dealt with
social media challenges and learnt a lot from
his content management. Today, I am able to
apply what I have learnt in my internship in the
Content Development Department.”
At The Heart Of The Communications
Sector
Certainly, the work in MCI is only meant to be
undertaken by those with a strong passion for
government communications work. Benjamin
tells us that aspiring scholars should possess
a keen interest in global affairs and strong
language abilities in order to excel in MCI. “It is
also important to broaden your perspective and
see things through the eyes of the community. I
do hope to help shape the development of new
colleagues by exploring their areas of difficulty
and helping them improve from there,” he
shares.
Jion Chun agrees, adding, “Aspiring scholars
should be able to think on their feet, possess
great confidence and have the ability to maintain
their composure in the face of challenging
situations. It is really heartening to see my work
in MCI reach the public, and to know that I play a
part in keeping them educated and entertained.”