Latest news with #JasminLau
CNA
05-06-2025
- Health
- CNA
Can't stand the different foods on your plate touching each other? There might be a name for that
We don't blame you for feeling slightly vulnerable when you're eating out with people you hardly know. Whether you're a loud chewer, soup slurper or double dipper, your manners and habits are all laid bare on the table for your dining companions to see and hear. Including some that others might think of as unusual – like separating the components of even the simplest dishes. A co-worker once shared how she would painstakingly compartmentalise each ingredient. "Even if the ingredients are cooked together, like prawn aglio olio, I will start by pushing the prawns aside," she said. "I seldom order from places like Stuff'd because the ingredients and sauces are all over each other." And it's a peculiar habit that's not as uncommon as you might think. In a previous interview with CNA, Jasmin Lau, the newly appointed Minister of State with the Ministry of Digital Development and Information, and the Ministry of Education, revealed: 'When I eat, I deconstruct my food." For instance, when having a burger, she would eat the bun, patty and vegetables separately. 'When I buy cai png, I will tell the aunty, do not pile the dishes on top of each other because I need to eat them separately. The worst is sushi. It's actually a crime against sushi chefs when they put the fish on top of the rice and then I deconstruct it. But that's how I eat,' she said. Drenching food with gravy is another no-no. "I hated doing that because I find it gross, even if it doesn't taste bad," said a Reddit user. "I still remember having to chew and swallow rice that was absolutely drenched in a whole bunch of juices and it was so gross.' But where does this dislike of food-touching-other-food come from? Is it just a fussy eating habit as children that some carry into adulthood or something else? IS THIS JUST AN EXAMPLE OF FUSSY EATING HABITS? Turns out, it could be an actual food phobia with a name: Brumotactillophobia. Affected individuals may find it unbearable to have different foods touching each other on their plate. "It is likely that cases are very rare," said Dr Lim Boon Leng, a psychiatrist with Gleneagles Hospital. 'Brumotactillophobia is not officially recognised in diagnostic manuals like the DSM-5, and thus, specific prevalence data in Singapore is lacking. Likely due to its rarity or that sufferers do not seek treatment, I have not seen brumotactillophobia per se,' he said. Dr Lim noted that the cause of brumotactillophobia is unknown. However, 'fussy eaters almost never evolve to have brumotactillophobia', he added. Not all individuals with food separation preferences have an underlying clinical condition. What is known is that affected individuals often display 'heightened sensitivity to sensory stimuli, a preference for routine and discomfort with changes in their environment'. 'These traits are commonly observed in individuals with neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism spectrum disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)'. 'There have been a few cases of patients with OCD that I have seen with similar behaviour,' he said. But Dr Lim emphasised that not all individuals with food separation preferences have an underlying clinical condition. WHY THE NEED TO SEPARATE FOOD? Autistic individuals tend to have a higher prevalence of brumotactillophobia as they can be hypersensitive to stimuli. And when it comes to food, certain tastes, textures or colours can be intensely stimulating for them, according to The ADHD & Autism Clinic in the UK. For instance, they tend to eschew fruits and vegetables such as bananas and mushrooms, and prefer processed and bland carbohydrates. As much as 90 per cent of children with autism show food separating patterns; and the strong preference doesn't diminish with age. In fact, they may grow into adults with deeper-ingrained aversions due to lifelong patterns of selective eating, according to The ADHD & Autism Clinic. As autistic writer Devrupa Rakshit wrote on The Swaddle, keeping her food compartmentalised lets her regulate the flavours in each bite and prevent her senses from being overwhelmed. 'The rationale is the same for textures, too. I'd want to make sure I am the one dipping my momos in chutney because, otherwise, a happy meal can quickly turn into a sensory nightmare for me.' ARE THERE DEGREES OF BRUMOTACTILLOPHOBIA? Yes, it can manifest in varying degrees of severity, said Dr Lim. 'In mild cases, individuals may simply prefer foods to be separated without significant distress. They are still in control and may be able to resist the urge to separate the food.' However, 'in more severe instances, the aversion can lead to anxiety, avoidance of social situations involving food, and interference with daily functioning'. 'When such behaviours are driven by intrusive thoughts and compulsions, they may be indicative of OCD,' said Dr Lim.
Independent Singapore
28-05-2025
- Business
- Independent Singapore
‘Not my MP?' — SingPost investigates after Aljunied residents were mistakenly sent flyers from AMK MP
SINGAPORE: A resident living at Hougang Street 21 mistakenly received a flyer from a Member of Parliament (MP) from Ang Mo Kio GRC, and apparently, he was not the only one, according to a May 27 (Tuesday) report in 8world. The report included a photo of a flyer from newly-minted MP Jasmin Lau welcoming the recipient to the Seletar-Serangoon Division and announcing the schedule for her Meet-the-People Sessions. 'I will be the MP that will be looking after you and your families from now onwards, and my team and I will do our best to support you. I hope to see more of you join our programmes, and I look forward to meeting and interacting with you,' the flyer reads. Screengrab/ 8world 8world added that the incident had been confirmed by the Ang Mo Kio Town Council, which stated that it had immediately informed SingPost about the error. The postal service is now looking into the matter to determine what caused the flyers to be sent to the wrong recipients. Additionally, the 8world reader who had received the flyer also reached out to Ms Lau, messaging her on Instagram. The MP replied via direct message to say that she would reach out to the Town Council regarding the matter. 8world added that action is being taken to resolve the issue and ensure that it does not recur. 'We understand this may have caused inconvenience to the affected residents and appreciate their patience while SingPost dealt with this matter,' 8world quotes the Town Council as saying. Who is Jasmin Lau? Prior to contesting in this year's General Election, Ms Lau was a longtime civil servant. She has taken on several roles since joining the civil service in 2006. Before she tendered her resignation on April 1, she had been a deputy secretary at the Ministry of Health. On May 3, the slate from the ruling People's Action Party (PAP), which was composed of Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Darryl David, Nadia Samdin, Ms Lau, and former Aljunied GRC candidate Victor Lye, won handily, receiving nearly 80 per cent of the vote. Aside from representing Seletar-Serangoon in Parliament, Ms Lau is also Minister of State for Digital Development and Information. A CNA report from last month said that the 42-year-old new MP had first been invited to join the PAP last year, but she had refused multiple times before she finally agreed. It was a conversation with Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, who had once been her boss, that helped her decide to enter politics. /TISG Read also: From rejection to redemption: PAP newcomer who once said 'no' now vows to shoulder the nation's burden
CNA
20-05-2025
- Politics
- CNA
Deep Dive Podcast - PAP's Jasmin Lau on saying 'yes' to politics but staying true to herself
PAP new face Jasmin Lau, who is contesting in Ang Mo Kio GRC, went from government scholar to rising up the ranks in the civil service. She tells Otelli Edwards on this special series of the Deep Dive podcast how she copes with self-doubt and why she said yes to joining politics.
CNA
27-04-2025
- Politics
- CNA
Deep Dive GE2025 Podcast: PAP's Jasmin Lau on saying 'yes' to politics but staying true to herself
PAP new face Jasmin Lau, who is contesting in Ang Mo Kio GRC, went from government scholar to rising up the ranks in the civil service. She tells Otelli Edwards on this special series of the Deep Dive podcast how she copes with self-doubt and why she said yes to joining politics. Here is an excerpt from the conversation: Otelli Edwards, host: So just going back to that big decision to be in the public eye, to potentially be an office holder. Firstly, you said that you are an introvert and that it takes quite a bit out of you, for instance, to meet and greet (people) and to really open yourself up. But you have to in this position. As a matter of fact, you rejected the (PAP) a few times. Jasmin Lau, PAP candidate for Ang Mo Kio GRC: Yeah ... now people know I rejected (them) so many times. Otelli: So what was it that made you say: 'Okay yes, I'm just going to go ahead with it, although I have to make a lot of sacrifices.' Jasmin: This word about sacrifice is used very often by candidates from every party. Everybody says it's some sacrifice. Actually it's not that we as political candidates are making a much bigger sacrifice than other people. There are many others out there who make sacrifices in their life to do (their) jobs. Some do multiple jobs and they sacrifice the time away from the kids too. So I feel bad and guilty using that word because no matter what, we are still fortunate and comfortable. We live in relatively sheltered lives, even though now it's public, but there are many others who have real unseen sacrifices. So while you may frame it as a sacrifice, to me I see as this as a responsibility. If we have been blessed with either (the) skills, experience, intelligence, and you are asked to go and do something, it's responsibility and not so much of a sacrifice.
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CNA
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CNA
Deep Dive - GE2025: PAP's Jasmin Lau on saying 'yes' to politics but staying true to herself
Play PAP new face Jasmin Lau, who is contesting in Ang Mo Kio GRC, went from government scholar to rising up the ranks in the civil service. She tells Otelli Edwards on this special series of the Deep Dive podcast how she copes with self-doubt and why she said yes to entering politics. Deep Dive - GE2025: PAP's Jasmin Lau on saying 'yes' to politics but staying true to herself PAP new face Jasmin Lau, who is contesting in Ang Mo Kio GRC, went from government scholar to rising up the ranks in the civil service. She tells Otelli Edwards on this special series of the Deep Dive podcast how she copes with self-doubt and why she said yes to entering politics. 21 mins Deep Dive - GE2025: WP's Ong Lue Ping on stepping down from senior leadership at work to join the opposition When he decided to be actively involved as a Workers' Party candidate, Dr Ong Lue Ping, a senior principal child psychologist, decided to move out of a director position at the Institute of Mental Health. The WP candidate for Tampines GRC tells Steven Chia why staying could present a conflict of interest and what prompted him to join the opposition party. 20 mins Deep Dive - GE2025: PAP's Dinesh Vasu Dash on how a pivotal turning point in his career led him to politics He took a significant pay cut and declined a private sector job to join the Health Ministry to fight the pandemic. Now Dinesh Vasu Dash is running on the PAP ticket as the new face contesting in East Coast GRC in what he describes as a journey with "too many points of twists and turns". He tells Otelli Edwards on this special series of the Deep Dive podcast what he has learnt from working with seniors and lessons on raising resilient children. 20 mins
