DistantNews
Support us
Rambutan Seller to Comedian: Singapore Stars Reveal Humble Beginnings in Part-Time Jobs
🇸🇬 Singapore /Culture & Society

Rambutan Seller to Comedian: Singapore Stars Reveal Humble Beginnings in Part-Time Jobs

From CNA · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Sources not specified Context piece
  • Singaporean comedians Mark Lee, Gurmit Singh, Koh Chieng Mun, and Suhaimi Yusof shared their early part-time jobs on a YouTube series.
  • Koh Chieng Mun taught piano at 14 for S$30 a month, while Suhaimi Yusof worked at a nasi padang stall and later sold vacuum cleaners.
  • Mark Lee recalled selling rambutans with his father from a young age and later worked at a chee cheong fun stall after national service.

Before becoming household names in Singapore's comedy scene, familiar faces like Gurmit Singh, Koh Chieng Mun, Mark Lee, and Suhaimi Yusof held surprisingly ordinary part-time jobs. In a recent episode of the YouTube series "Comedian VS," the four comedians engaged in a candid conversation, sharing humorous anecdotes about their early gigs during their school days.

At 14 you taught people piano? You scammer ah!

— Mark LeeReacting to Koh Chieng Mun's early career as a piano teacher.

Koh Chieng Mun, 65, revealed that her first part-time and full-time job were the same: teaching piano. She began teaching at the young age of 14, earning S$30 per month for four lessons. "At 14 you taught people piano? You scammer ah!" quipped Mark Lee, 57, in jest, impressed by her early qualifications, as Koh had achieved Grade 8 piano by the same age.

Suhaimi Yusof, 56, shared his experiences working at his granduncle's nasi padang stall on Arab Street, earning S$17 daily for a morning shift. After a period of applying to Mediacorp without success, he took on a role selling vacuum cleaners at Thomson Yaohan. He humorously recounted how he would focus on commission, even persuading a customer who didn't want a vacuum cleaner to buy 15 bottles of shampoo instead.

An auntie came, she didn’t want to buy the [vacuum] machine, so I told her to buy shampoo and I made her buy 15 bottles of shampoo.

— Suhaimi YusofRecounting a humorous sales tactic from his time selling vacuum cleaners.

Mark Lee, known for his role in "Police & Thief," surprised his fellow comedians by stating his first "part-time job" began around age five or six. He helped his father sell rambutans along the corridors of their HDB estate, shouting out to potential customers. "Got no pay, because father take mah," he explained matter-of-factly, a common experience for many who helped with family businesses. After his national service, Lee, who did not pass his O-Levels, worked at a chee cheong fun stall in Taman Jurong.

Got no pay, because father take mah.

— Mark LeeExplaining his lack of earnings from helping his father sell rambutans as a child.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by CNA in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog