Latest news with #JasonChan
CNA
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- CNA
'Every boy wants to be a superhero': The ex-GP who became a Power Ranger and is now in Singapore pursuing his latest adventure
More than two decades after Jason Chan first donned the iconic Power Ranger suit, the 54-year-old still gets stopped in the street by fans who recognise him from the hit American live-action television series. Just last month, Mr Chan was spotted while riding a private bus during a site recce for a work project. "One of the guys sitting on the bus turned around, and he was whispering to the guy next to him. He said: 'Have you guys ever watched Power Rangers?'" Mr Chan recalled with a laugh. "And I said: 'I'm right here. I can hear what you're saying.' And he was like: 'I'm so happy to meet you, you were so much a big part of my life growing up'." Mr Chan's portrayal of Cameron Watanabe – the Green Samurai Ranger – in Power Rangers Ninja Storm (2003), the 11th season of the long-running franchise, has made him a role model for fans worldwide. Seeing an Asian superhero on screen – especially a "sarcastic, tough and edgy" character like the Green Ranger – was particularly empowering for many Asian viewers at a time when the representation of Asian people on television was scarce, he said. The American Power Rangers series was based on a Japanese series. After starring in just one season, the Malaysian-born Australian relocated to Singapore in 2006, spending the next two decades largely out of the Power Rangers spotlight. But a recent return to the public eye – this time on TikTok – has revived memories of his TV role. While promoting Cinewav, the audio-tech firm he co-founded, Mr Chan began posting social media clips that unexpectedly sparked a wave of recognition from fans who grew up watching him. When we met for a sit-down interview at his home on Tuesday (Aug 13), he was wearing a green Power Ranger T-shirt – a fan-made design gifted from the United States. In a corner of his living room sat a box of Power Rangers toys given to him by Disney – the show's production company then – on his last day of filming. Mr Chan noted that Power Rangers was created by a toy manufacturer as a way to add a storyline to its products and boost sales, with related toys racking up tens of millions of dollars over the years. Gingerly lifting the helmet off one of his Green Ranger figurines, he revealed it had been modelled on him. The designer, he said, had studied photographs of him, sculpted his face in clay, and fine-tuned the details before it went into production. Peppered throughout his home are items of Power Rangers memorabilia, which he had gathered to show me during the interview. He still keeps his original costume, though admits it no longer fits. "(Power Rangers) was kind of a catapult onto the world stage, in a way. And afterwards, for the next 20 years since I've done it, I experienced a lot of love from fans of the series." LEFT MEDICINE TO BECOME A POWER RANGER When Mr Chan was five, he, his parents, older brother and younger sister left Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for a new life in Perth, Australia. Growing up, he gravitated towards the arts – playing piano, dancing, acting – and in high school, starred in plays and musicals while taking speech and drama classes. Cinema also greatly shaped his early years. He borrowed up to 10 movies weekly at the local video library, immersing himself in the magic of film. Mr Chan however eventually enrolled in medical school – one of three typical pathways among immigrant families in Australia, along with law and business, he said. While he valued his time in medical school, he admitted it was ultimately not the right fit – a realisation that crystallised during his internship year, when he endured gruelling 80-hour weeks under immense pressure. "And I remember every night doing these 16-hour shifts. I would sit up on the bench by myself at the quietest time of the night, at 3am, and I was like: why am I doing this? There's nothing creative in this at all. You can't use any of your creativity that you grew up with." As an escape, he began taking night acting classes twice a week while still in medical school. "I couldn't stop talking about it (the classes) to my acting friends," Mr Chan recalled. "We would be out in the car park talking about the classes till 2am or 3am. That's when I knew: this is my passion, this is really what I want to do." Still, he graduated with a medical degree in 1994, and worked as a doctor for three years. Unable to shake the feeling of being unfulfilled, he enrolled in a three-year full-time Bachelor's programme at the renowned National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney, which has trained stars including Cate Blanchett and director Baz Lurhmann. He kept working as a locum doctor on weekends to pay the bills. Mr Chan recalled an acting school auditioner telling him they would never normally encourage someone to leave a "good profession" like medicine for the "horrible" world of acting. But there are exceptions, the auditioner had said. Some people are born to act and if they don't express what they have to say, it will bug them for the rest of their lives. "(The conversation) just hit home to me, and I said, yeah, that's me. I've just got something to say," said Mr Chan. Looking back, he said many had asked if the pivot to acting was difficult, or if he regretted it. "And my answer to that is that it was incredibly easy, because I was miserable on one side and so incredibly happy when I had no money, living in a run-down house with mold, living off 50 dollars a week at acting school, crawling around the floor in acting exercises all week," he said. Acting school, Mr Chan said, was also a way for aspiring actors like him to get noticed and land their first roles. Close to graduation, each student performs before casting agents. As a result, Mr Chan landed his first contract with Disney as a host in its children's television show Playhouse Disney. A year later, he auditioned for Power Rangers. When the offer came, he was thrilled. But the filming schedules clashed, forcing him to choose one over the other. "I told my agent: you know, every boy wants to be a superhero. I don't think I'll ever get this opportunity again, let alone, to play a lead role in a TV show in America," said Mr Chan. While his agent double-checked if he wanted the role – warning he might be typecast as it was a "B-grade kids' show" – Mr Chan recalled watching the 1995 Power Rangers movie near the end of high school and knew he wanted to take it. "(The film) was just these kids in spandex running around a city kicking monsters' butts, and most of those monsters looked very PVC-ish in rubber suits. And I just thought, that's amazing – I love it and I totally want to do that." Taking the role, he spent a year filming in New Zealand. Looking at the thick, multi-layered lycra suit hanging nearby, I ran my fingers over the fabric as Mr Chan recalled his first time donning the bright green costume. It was stiflingly hot, especially while filming in a non-airconditioned warehouse during the country's warmer months, he said. To prepare themselves for the role, the cast trained with a Japanese stunt team who had worked for Hong Kong martial artist and actor Jackie Chan. "They put us through boot camp for two weeks and after the first day, a few of us literally couldn't walk," he said. When filming wrapped, Mr Chan asked if he could keep a Green Power Ranger suit as a memento. Though it was against Disney's protocol and the costume department initially hesitated, his rapport with the team paid off – and he cheekily recalled how the head of costume "turned his eyes" as he took it. As for his parents, they were not thrilled at first about him giving up medicine for acting, though they felt reassured after seeing the acting school's notable alumni. "I think the hope was that I'd always come back (to medicine). But really, after Power Rangers, I was gone. I was like: this is what I want to do. This is fun," said Mr Chan. For years, he didn't consider himself famous. While the show aired in the US and fan mail came in, he was still filming in Auckland, New Zealand, where no one recognised them. It wasn't until attending the official Power Rangers convention in Los Angeles last year that he realised the show's reach. Thousands queued to meet him and his co-stars, some even tearing up as they spoke about bonding with family over the show each week. At the time, however, the role did not open many doors in Australia. It wasn't aired on free-to-air television there – a decision he suspects was due to concerns over its arguably violent content. Mr Chan also struggled with stereotyped roles offered to Asian actors, including parts requiring speaking broken English, which he found disappointing. Then, a family friend in Singapore who was a casting agent offered to represent him here – prompting his move to Singapore in 2006. LIFE IN SINGAPORE In Singapore, Mr Chan's career quickly gained momentum – not from Power Rangers fame, but because being in an Asian country opened doors to lead roles. Having mostly auditioned for minor parts in Australia, he suddenly found himself considered for romantic leads and main characters, landing "pretty major" roles in the local sitcom My Sassy Neighbour, the 2008 romance film The Leap Years, and a stage musical. While sharing an apartment with other actors, Mr Chan met fellow actor Christian Lee, an American. Bonding over their love for the craft and frustration with the limitations they faced as actors, they co-founded the video production firm BananaMana Films in 2009, stepping away from acting to produce short films online. "(We) weren't always happy as actors being in the shows that we were in. We always thought, 'oh, we can do better'. And of course, when we started we couldn't do better at all – we were horrible," said Mr Chan with a laugh. But the duo persevered, teaching themselves how to operate cameras, handle audio, write scenes and everything in between. "We did a lot of skits and short films that were, to this day, just horrific. But we've kept them up online, just to remind ourselves and other people that you have to start somewhere." Their work eventually caught the eye of filmmaker and then-Mediacorp commissioning editor Lionel Chok. This led to the creation of What Do Men Want, a 13-episode drama-comedy on Toggle, Mediacorp's newly launched digital platform at the time. It was produced on a modest budget and tight timelines. As they began weighing different projects, they shifted their mindset from asking: "Would we do this for free?" to "Would we pay for the opportunity to do this?" This mantra made them more selective about what they took on, and in 2014 they channelled their energy into a passion project – the short-form web series Perfect Girl, made for just S$5,000 (US$3,900). The show won multiple awards – including at the Los Angeles Web Series Festival – holding its own against productions with far larger budgets. It was also picked up by regional streaming platform Viki. Then a few months later, Netflix acquired the rights, making Perfect Girl the first Singaporean drama on the global streaming giant. Building on that success, the duo produced Jimami Tofu in 2017, a feature film promoting Okinawa to Singaporeans. Rather than creating a standard tourism piece, they wrote it as a romance woven with traditional Okinawan cuisine and Ryukyu culture. The film became the longest-running independent release at Golden Village cinemas, screening for two-and-a-half years until the COVID-19 pandemic, said Mr Chan. He claimed the film even inspired Jetstar Asia's first direct flight from Okinawa to Singapore, after the airline's head of business development attended its preview. Before the film's theatrical debut, Mr Chan and Mr Lee hosted an outdoor screening at the Singapore Botanic Gardens – an event that sparked their next big idea. Then, they noticed a recurring issue with outdoor cinema: most relied on external speakers, resulting in compromised sound quality that, they felt, diminished the immersive experience. "We broke the record for the number of people coming out to the Botanic Gardens for a movie screening, and it was beautiful. Everything was amazing, except for the fact that the sound, for us, was horrible," he said. "You can't scale good quality surround sound to 2,000 people. It becomes reverberant, echoey, unbalanced." The pair worked with developers to create a solution. The result was Cinewav, an audio-tech startup that lets audiences plug in their own earphones to stream high-quality, synchronised audio from their smartphones – transforming outdoor viewing without the need for loudspeakers, and also reducing noise complaints from nearby residents. They refined the technology over time, eventually patenting it in five countries: Singapore, the US, Britain, Japan and South Korea. It was, as Mr Chan quipped, like "a cinema in a backpack". They are looking to create works for various mediums, and have already begun projecting onto trees. More importantly, they see Cinewav as a way to build and transform communities, and have been donating screens to low-income neighbourhoods overseas. In Singapore, they power free screenings at the Enabling Village, Somerset Youth Park, migrant worker dormitories and in public housing estates. On the journey ahead, Mr Chan said: "We always look back and go: 'look where we were five years ago, look where we were 10 years ago. That was a crappy little online video we made.' And we've come this far, and we get there from always just putting one foot in front of the other."
Free Malaysia Today
31-07-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
China stocks snap bullish run after tepid Politburo meeting, weak factory data
The Shanghai Composite Index was down 1.2% to 3,573.21. (VCG pic) HONG KONG : China stocks today posted their steepest one-day decline since April, as sluggish factory data and the Politburo's lack of stimulus signals weighed on sentiment. At the market close, the Shanghai Composite Index was down 1.2% to 3,573.21 and the blue-chip CSI300 index off 1.8%, both marking their biggest single-day drops since April 7. The pullback broke a rally that had briefly carried the Shanghai index into bull territory. Still, the benchmark advanced 3.7% in July, its best performance since September last year and a third straight month of gains. A much-anticipated Politburo meeting this week offered little policy surprise, as top leaders pledged to support the economy by managing 'disorderly competition' but showed no sense of urgency to roll out major stimulus. Meanwhile, fresh data showed China's manufacturing activity shrank for a fourth straight month in July as demand at home and abroad weakened, further dampening the growth outlook. 'Investors are taking some money off the table to book profits as markets have probably run out of positive catalysts in the near term,' said Jason Chan, senior investment strategist at Bank of East Asia. Expectations for the upcoming US-China trade talks as the truce deadline nears are also relatively low, with most investors anticipating further truce extensions instead of fundamental improvements, he added. Leading declines onshore, the real estate index tumbled 4.3%, the biggest decline in nearly four months, after the sector was barely mentioned in the July Politburo meeting. Commodities-related shares also fell, with the steel, coal and materials down 3% to 4%. Helping limit losses, the AI-related sector registered a 0.5% gain, after China flagged concerns over potential security risks in Nvidia's H20 chips boosting domestic chipmakers. In Hong Kong, the benchmark Hang Seng Index was down 1.6% at 24,773.33, narrowing the month's gain to 2.9%. The Chinese H-share index listed in Hong Kong, the Hang Seng China Enterprises Index fell 1.7%, and mainland developers listed in the city fell 4.3%.
Straits Times
05-07-2025
- Health
- Straits Times
How soya sauce could help treat cancer
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Kitkoji CEO Ken Koh (left) poses with Prof Jason Chan, the director of the Cancer Discovery Hub at the National Cancer Centre Singapore. SINGAPORE - The soya sauce in your food could one day play a part in cancer treatment, taking an unexpected path through skincare technology. The use of fungal metabolites – small molecules produced during metabolism – in the development of new cancer treatments is being studied as part of a collaboration between Kitkoji, a local company which produces fermented skincare, and the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS). The two signed an agreement in May to expand their research, conducted through the Cancer Discovery Hub at NCCS. Kitkoji originated as a spin-off from Nanyang Sauce, a family-run soya sauce manufacturer. In 2022, studies on Nanyang Sauce's traditional fermented soya sauce revealed its anti-oxidant and anti-ageing properties, according to Mr Ken Koh, who is the owner of Nanyang Sauce and Kitkoji's chief executive officer. This is due to the presence of a type of mould known as koji, he told The Straits Times. Scientifically known as Aspergillus oryzae, koji plays a key role in the fermentation of soya beans for making soya sauce as well as in the making of alcoholic beverages such as sake. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Asean needs 'bolder reforms' to attract investments in more fragmented global economy: PM Wong Singapore CPF members can make housing, retirement and health insurance plans with new digital platform Singapore CPF's central philosophy of self-reliance remains as pertinent as ever: SM Lee Singapore Credit reports among personal data of 190,000 breached, put for sale on Dark Web; IT vendor fined Asia Dalai Lama hopes to live beyond 130 years, much longer than predicted Singapore Tan Cheng Bock, Hazel Poa step down from PSP leadership; party launches 'renewal plan' Sport Liverpool will move on after Jota's tragic death, but he will never be forgotten Singapore Rock climbing fan suddenly could not jump, get up from squats The decision was made to develop a skincare range under the brand name Kitkoji, which combines the word koji with Kit, his daughter's name. Then in 2023, another breakthrough emerged when a customer from Australia reached out to say that using Kitkoji's products had made his skin cancer, or melanoma, spots disappear. Mr Koh was taken aback by the discovery which prompted him to approach NCCS to get all Kitkoji products tested. Though findings have not yet been published, laboratory tests showed promising results in the treatment of 25 cancers – including breast, lung, skin and gastrointestinal cancers – using a proprietary extract found in Kitkoji's products such as serums and masks. The tests had shown the effectiveness of the extract, known as Extract K, in killing cancer cells for certain blood cancers and solid tumours, as well as its efficacy in treating xenograft models – where human cancer cells are transplanted into animals to study drug responses, among other things. Tests had also helped identify potential active compounds responsible for anti-cancer effects. The research collaboration agreement with NCCS aims to validate these findings, and discover what makes Kitkoji products effective against cancer cells, said Mr Koh. Kitkoji said its research collaboration with NCCS will focus on exploring the cancer mycobiome to identify novel bioactive compounds – molecules which can promote good health – to develop innovative cancer treatments utilising fungal metabolites. The cancer mycobiome refers to the fungal community in and around a tumour, which plays a role in the development and progression of cancer. As part of their expanded partnership, Kitkoji and NCCS aim to identify lead compounds, or chemical compounds which could treat disease, within the extract. The year-long collaboration will include assessment of the dosage required in treating various cancers, among other tests. These are aimed at establishing proof of concept, and potentially setting the stage for eventual clinical trials. Assistant Professor Jason Chan, director of the Cancer Discovery Hub, said he hoped the partnership with Kitkoji would bring innovative new therapies to cancer patients. 'This extended collaboration reflects our shared vision to translate scientific discovery into tangible clinical outcomes,' he added. Other studies have also pointed to the potential uses of fungi in treating cancer. In November 2024, research by scientists from the University of Nottingham, published in the scientific journal FEBS Letters, found that cordycepin – a chemical produced by a parasitic fungus that infects caterpillars – can slow down the growth of cancer cells.
South China Morning Post
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Golden Harvest closes its 4 remaining cinemas amid industry upheaval in Hong Kong
Golden Harvest shut down all four of its remaining cinemas in Hong Kong on Sunday, including one that will not be leased to a new operator, leaving residents disappointed by the loss of another venue. GH Galaxy in Shau Kei Wan ceased operations, while Golden Harvest's other three cinemas, Sky at Olympian City, StagE in Tuen Mun and GH in Tai Po will all be leased to a new operator from Monday. On its final day, GH Galaxy offered six showings across its two screens. By 5.30pm, the only sold-out showing was Behind the Shadows, a new release from June 12, with many empty seats in other screenings, particularly in the front rows. 'To be honest, I am not so surprised to hear about the closure,' Jason Chan, an architect in his thirties who lives a 10-minute walk away, told the Post at the cinema. 'First, there are fewer and fewer screenings, and then there is no staff working here – only self-service machines now. I can feel it is dying slowly.' Chan expressed his regret but hoped a new operator might take over in the future. Another resident, who identified himself as Danny L, said he would miss the 'human touch' of Golden Harvest cinemas. He noted that the chain often hosted events where film-goers could meet actors and actresses, while he also appreciated the friendly staff.
The Sun
27-06-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Tanoto Foundation Backs Landmark Research to Unlock the Code of Asian Prevalent Diseases
SINGAPORE - Media OutReach Newswire - 27 June 2025 - Tanoto Foundation today announced the funding of two transformative, Singapore-based medical research projects focused on diseases that disproportionately affect Asian populations: prevalent and aggressive cancers, and young-onset Type 2 diabetes. The multi-year initiatives aim to generate data-driven insights that can accelerate diagnosis, improve patient outcomes, and guide public health policy. Despite global strides in medicine, Asia continues to face rising rates of cancer and diabetes – diseases that are biologically and clinically distinct in Asian populations but remain under-researched due to a lack of region-specific data. The two research projects, from National Cancer Centre Singapore and Singapore General Hospital, will focus on filling these gaps through deep genomic studies and innovative risk-prediction models. Imelda Tanoto, Member of the Board of Trustees, Tanoto Foundation said: 'Singapore is well-positioned to lead in medical science. It has strong research institutions and a population that reflects the diversity of Asia. By supporting researchers here who are focused on health issues that affect Asians, we hope to help drive discoveries that make a real difference to people's lives — both in Singapore and across the region.' Tackling Asian-Prevalent Cancers Led by Dr Jason Chan, Medical Oncologist, National Cancer Centre Singapore, the research will investigate four types of cancers with high prevalence and poor outcomes in Asia: • Breast Cancer in Asian Women, marked by earlier onset and biological differences compared to Western populations • T/NK-Cell Lymphomas, an aggressive blood cancer dominant in East Asians with limited treatment options • Bile Duct Cancer (Cholangiocarcinoma), increasingly linked to environmental exposures specific to Asia • Rare Asian Cancers, collectively neglected but accounting for up to 25% of all cases in the region These cancers are devastating but remain poorly understood because most research has focused on Western populations,' said Dr Chan. 'By decoding their molecular and genomic landscapes in Asian patients, we want to uncover new diagnostic and therapeutic opportunities to benefit patients.' A key feature of the project is its open-access commitment: anonymised data will be freely available to the broader research community to accelerate further discovery and collaboration. Unmasking Diabetes Risk in Young Singaporeans The second research project, led by Dr Daphne Gardner, Endocrinologist, Singapore General Hospital, will address the rising incidence of Type 2 diabetes in young adults, particularly prevalent in Singapore, where 1 in 5 young adults have prediabetes or diabetes, despite being of normal weight. Unlike traditional assessments that rely heavily on BMI and family history, this project will develop a next-generation risk prediction tool by incorporating non-traditional indicators such as body fat distribution, continuous glucose monitoring, and health-seeking behaviour. 'Many young Asians with diabetes don't fit the usual risk profile. They're lean, may not have hypertension, and are therefore often overlooked by current screening models,' said Dr Gardner. 'We want to change that by identifying new risk signals and developing tools that are tailored to Singapore's population and the region.' Findings from the study aim to inform national diabetes screening guidelines and lead to earlier interventions that can curb long-term complications. Singapore as a Hub for Medical Research Advancement In addition to previously supported research projects, these two initiatives reflect a growing recognition of Singapore's role in advancing precision medicine for Asian populations, driven by strong clinical infrastructure, genomic capabilities, and public-private partnerships. Imelda Tanoto added: 'We believe precision health can change how we treat and prevent diseases. We're supporting researchers who are not only breaking new ground, but also making sure their work reaches people and communities across Asia. This is something deeply personal to us — it's about improving lives in a way that's inclusive, meaningful, and lasting.' This announcement marks a key milestone in Tanoto Foundation's continuing effort to improve the quality of healthcare and health standards, leading to longer and better healthspans. Hashtag: #TanotoFoundation The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
