Daily Lesson from Life 26 July 2008

"Sat, Jul 26, 2008 The New Paper His life now revolves around cartooning

ONCE a teacher in Raffles Institution (RI), he now wants to become a world-class cartoonist.
The life-changing move was a consequence of one decision that Mr Otto Fong made - to reveal that he is gay.

As a teacher, Mr Fong had done cartoons in his spare time and even won awards for his work.
But the outing incident that caused a mini-storm proved to be an awakening of sorts for him.
'I had always asked my students to chase their passion,' he told The New Paper, in his first interview since the controversy.

'I loved teaching, but my real passion was cartooning. I realised that if I didn't leave, I would not be true to what I said to my students.' So he packed up and left.

At the end of last year, Mr Fong left teaching. It was his choice, he said. 'The school never once asked me to quit. They are very supportive of teachers if they see we have our hearts in the right place,' he said.

Nowadays, he invites his ex-colleagues to his house regularly. 'They are now part of my life. I feel like, finally, I have shown them how much I treasure their friendship,' he said."

This is a brave story told by a brave man. When the story first broke, my only reservation is that the gay teacher is able to tell everyone that he is a 'straight gay'. That he has no intend to 'guide' the students of the top institution in Singapore that produced folks like MM Lee, SM Lee, etc to the way of the gay.

It is a difficult story for the parents of the students to accept I believe. As least for some of them. This is understandable and reasonable. I am glad to learn that Mr. Fong left teaching out of his own choice as the school was supportive.

Lessons for me:

1. it is hard for me to understand the why of gay. Why they behave the way they do. This one stumped MM Lee as well. I really wish there is a scientific explanation or some established standard of we can talk about gay without emotion!;

2. Mr. Fong is true to his words. He pursued his passion of cartooning after he realized he is not true to himself and his students if he does not personified what he preaches! It shows he is a man of passion. A man of honour too. How many politicians and other folks in established positions have such rare courage and honesty? Mr. Fong is a gay man who is a model for many other people with different sexual orientation!;

3. the school being supportive is great to learn. RI being an institution associated with many prominent people in Singapore is an icon of 'the establishment'! If it is true that there is indeed no pressure whatsoever put on Mr. Fong to pursue his first passion of cartooning, it is wonderful. The truth is there will be resistance and inability to understand. It is normal too as it is too different.

I hope Mr. Durai, who had the good luck of not being charged for a second fraud case during his days as the CEO of NKF, learned from Mr. Fong - be courageous and be honest.

Mr. Durai should not be ashamed of the mistakes you have made unless you still believed that the people of Singapore and ex-NKF had being ungrateful to you. That some of the powerful people who felt the same way about how you were treated can also learn from Mr. Fong.

All the best to all mankind.