Joint Press Release by Ministry of Communications and Information and Mediacorp

1. Riding on the success of the popular dialect drama Ho Seh Bo 2《好世谋 2》in 2020, “I Want To Be A Towkay”《亲家,冤家做头家》will premiere on 18 Feb 2022, every Friday from 11.30am to 12.30pm on Channel 8’s dialect belt.

2. The 20-episode drama will feature veteran actors Chen Shu Cheng, Li Nanxing, Hong Hui Fang and Aileen Tan in the lead roles, together with the popular young cast of Romeo Tan, Denise Camillia Tan and Herman Keh. There will also be appearances by Henry Thia and Noah Yap in supporting roles.

3. The drama tells the story of four like-minded seniors who get together to start a café business. As they stumble along their first business venture, overcoming various challenges and learning new skills, they gradually realise this journey is a test of their kinship, friendship, and more. 

Keeping seniors entertained and well-informed

4. A collaboration between the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) and Mediacorp, “I Want To Be A Towkay”《亲家,冤家做头家》is part of the ministry’s continuous efforts to keep seniors updated on the latest government initiatives through  entertaining content in dialects they are familiar with. The main characters will be speaking in Mandarin, as well as Hokkien, Teochew or Cantonese. There will also be some scenes where Hainanese and Hakka can be heard. 

5. “Dialect programmes have been helpful for the Government to inform seniors and help them to understand relevant Government schemes and policies that benefit our seniors, such as reducing the cost of living and healthcare costs, support for older workers, and helping seniors meet retirement needs. Such programmes are also entertaining and produced in a language that our seniors are comfortable with. We hope that our seniors will enjoy watching ‘I Want To be A Towkay’." says Aaron Lye, Director, Campaigns and Production Department, Ministry of Communications and Information.

6. Veteran actor Zheng Ge Ping, who is the Executive Producer of the show, says, “We are happy to collaborate with MCI once again to deliver a high quality dialect drama that explores the theme of active aging and other issues relevant for seniors. We believe our viewers can gain valuable insights and useful knowledge from the show, and we hope everyone enjoys it!”

Developing Singapore into an Open and Trusted Global AI Hub Press Releases Cyber Security, Digital Readiness 31 May 23
Speech by Mr Tan Kiat How, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Communications and Information at the “Overcoming the Financial Sector’s AIDA Talent Shortage: Roadmap for 2023 and Beyond” event on 22 May 2023 Speeches Digital Defence, Cyber Security, Digital Readiness 22 May 23
Speech by Mrs Josephine Teo, Minister for Communications and Information, at the launch of "Stewardship of the Singapore Media Staying on Course" on 16 May 2023 Speeches Others, Infocomm Media 16 May 23
MCI Response to PQ on Steps to Protect Consumers and Businesses from Losses due to Disruption of Digital Services by Service Providers Parliament QAs Digital Readiness, Digital Defence 09 May 23
MCI Response to PQ on Ensuring Development and Maintenance of Ethical Artificial Intelligence Standards Parliament QAs Cyber Security, Digital Readiness 09 May 23
MCI Response to PQ on Regulatory Framework for Artificial Intelligence Governance in Singapore Parliament QAs Cyber Security, Government Technology 21 Apr 23