If I were King of Singapore

by Adrian Tan

This is a collection of Adrian Tan’s essays on what he cared for and felt was important to raise about Singapore, Singaporeans and the world around him. Like The Teenage Textbook and The Teenage Workbook, If I were King of Singapore is quintessentially Adrian, hallmarked by his wit and wisdom, matured by decades of legal practice and observing society. Here, he shares candidly about his life, the impact of social media, necessary work skills, law and society, including the repeal of Section 377A of the Penal Code. He writes passionately, connecting buildings with heritage and identity. He makes a case for treating migrant workers with respect and decency. He brings to mind what we experienced during the height of the Covid pandemic and how the lessons we learnt are still relevant today. He speaks again to Singapore, and all who

256 pages, Paperback

About the author

Adrian Tan Gim Hai was a Singaporean lawyer and author.

Reviews

[Caleb Loh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Collection of blogposts and LinkedIn writings

[Ziting Wang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book I've read in 2024. Bought 3 more copies to share the genius of a man gone too soon.

[Elizabeth Chew · Rating 3 out of 5]

A posthumous collection of author and lawyer Adrian Tan's Linkedin posts. His posts on hot topics feature his trademark wit, often ending with his POV "If I were King of Singapore".

On the incongruity of our law requiring car passengers to wear seat belts and our migrant (foreign) workers riding in the back of lorries with no seatbelts or seats:

"If I were King of Singapore, I'd pass a law forbidding anyone from riding in cargo beds. Anyone who wants to debate this will have to do so from the back of a lorry, while it is speeding down the PIE (expressway), at night, in a rainstorm... Migrant workers are human. They've come here to build Singapore. We have a duty to return them to their families, safe and sound."

But what I enjoyed the most was Tan's #My Life collection - rare and candid snippets of his personal life.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious! Need I say more?

[Francine Chu · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mixed bag of rants and commentaries of events around the Covid times, nothing very interesting. However I am still sad that one of my favourite local authors is no more now, may he RIP.

[Kutanabe Sazaki · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the book probably felt more current if you read it in the midst of Covid. Reading it in 2024, it didn’t feel as refreshing as I thought it would be.