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INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC
RELATIONS OF SINGAPORE
In This Issue
TMC Academy-IPRS Student Chapter MOU Signing Ceremony
NUS-IPRS Student Chapter MOU Signing Ceremony
IPRS-PA/NACLI Public Communication Series: Understanding the Social Media
IPRS-Singapore Press Club (SPC) National Day Party
Visit to SMRT Corporation
IPRS Visit to BW Group: Understanding PR, typhoons and rogue waves
University of Canberra Visit to Singapore
TP-IPRS Student Chapter Talking Point Series: Is Radio Important to PR today?
Professional Certificate in Public Relations and Mass Communication Intake 01-2016
IPRS Featured Trainer: James Suresh
Issue No. 04/2016 July/August
An official publication of Institute of Public Relations of Singapore in PDF format, 11 pages only. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, micro-copying, photocopying, recording or otherwise) be reproduced in whole or part without prior permission from IPRS. The opinions and views in this newsletter do not reflect the official view of IPRS.
17 August - TMC Academy-IPRS Student Chapter MOU
Signing Ceremony
There was much excitement for everyone involved in celebrating the launch of the
IPRS-TMC Academy Student Chapter. It marked a new beginning of an important
relationship between TMC Academy and the Public Relation professionals in
Singapore. The Chapter allows our students to expand their network with student
members from other IPRS Student Chapters as
well as PR professionals in the industry.
Representing IPRS at the launch was Robert
Conceicao, President, IPRS, Eric Chan, Council
Member, IPRS, and Lennette Koh, Manager, IPRS
Secretariat. Dr. Chin Kon Yuen, Chairman of TMC
Academy, Yeow Cheng Khim, CEO-TMC
Academy and Wei Wah Lim, TMC Academy IT &
Communication Industry Advisory Board Chair
Person and Director, Asia IT Site Operations at
Microsoft Operations Pte Ltd represented TMC
Academy.
At the ceremony, Student Chapter President,
Lee Dongho was awarded a
Certificate of Appointment to
lead the inaugural Student
Chapter. Prior to the event, a
campus wide poster design
competition was held to
celebrate the launch of the
Chapter. Students presented
the concepts of their poster
designs at the event. The top
three poster designs were
voted by the attendees and
the winning poster was
chosen to be the official
poster to represent the
IPRS -TMC Academy
Student Chapter from 2016-2017.
Left to right: Yeow Cheng Khim (CEO, TMC Academy), Lim Wei Wah (TMC Academy IT & Communication Industry Advisory Board Chair Person Director, Asia IT Site Operations at Microsoft Operations Pte Ltd), Dr. Chin Kon Yuen (Chairman, TMC Academy), Robert Conceicao (President, IPRS) Eric Chan (Council Member, IPRS)
(Continued on page 2)
The winner of the poster competition presenting her idea.
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12 August 2016 - NUS-IPRS Student Chapter MOU Signing Ceremony
The National University of Singapore (NUS)’s Communication
and New Media (CNM) Department signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) with the Institute of Public Relations
Singapore (IPRS) to launch a Student Chapter.
The MOU was signed by Professor Mohan J Dutta, Provost’s
Chair & Head, CNM Department and Robert Conceicao,
President of the IPRS Council in the presence of
representatives from both organisations, including IPRS
Council Member, Eric Chan.
As it is the beginning of a new school term, a new Student
EXCO will be elected soon which will then organise and
supervise activities of the Student Chapter.
Left to right: Professor Mohan and Robert at the signing ceremony.
The article and photos were contributed by students from TMC Academy. (From left): Lee Dongho, (President of Student Chapter, TMC Academy), Lalethaa d/o Karamjeet Singh
Left to right: Lennette Koh (Manager, IPRS Secretariat), Adrian Heng (Accredited Member, IPRS), Emmanuel Benedict (Vice President, CNM Society), Chiang Hai Xuan (President, CNM Society), Professor Mohan J. Dutta (Provost’s Chair & Head, Department of CNM, NUS), Robert Conceicao (President, IPRS), Eric Chan (Council Member, IPRS), Assistant Professor Iccha Basnyat (Department of CNM), Maythil Aishwarya (Senior Executive, Department of CNM, NUS)
The winning poster was by I-Yin Lin, a Mass Communication student. The event ended successfully with a tea and a networking
session between staff and students of TMC and IPRS. The IPRS-TMC Academy Student Chapter will be organising activities
that members can look forward to in the coming months.
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30 July 2016 - IPRS-PA/NACLI Public Communication Series:
Understanding the Social Media Landscape
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube and other platforms come to our mind when the phrase “Social Media” pops
up. Being born in the Gen Y era, I was fortunate to see the world change and advance through technology. Being an active
user of Social Media, I wanted to hear an expert’s view on Social Media, especially in the local context. Stephen Forshaw,
Managing Director, Corporate Affairs, Temasek Holdings Pte Ltd and past IPRS President shared insights on “Understanding
the Social Media Landscape” in the one-hour session.
Stephen began his presentation with statistics that showed that Singapore had the highest penetration of Social Media in the
world. This surprised me as Singapore is a small nation with a 5.5 million population and yet we have 3.8 million Social Media
users. That’s more than half of the population!
Stephen added that the enormity of new technologies has not only connected the world but has its downsides, too. For
example, terrorists are able to use technology for propaganda. He reminded the audience to keep in perspective that
technology by and large, brings positive uses. Social Media sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram “democratises” media
by giving everyone a platform to voice or communicate their views. These can often be as powerful as a newspaper. However,
he stressed that while this is good, individuals must use it with responsibility.
How then can one be responsible when using Social Media? Stephen pointed to the following:
Listen
Understand
Converse
Engage
Not broadcast
Stephen concluded by sharing that Social Media is
“viral” and a two-way process! Be ready to respond
reasonably, quickly, and thoughtfully.
Some key aspects one should consider before posting
online:
Am I revealing too much about myself?
Am I showing a negative side of myself?
Could someone feel disrespected?
Who might be able to read this?
Could someone misinterpret what I’m saying?
What would people think if my comment was reproduced in the newspapers tomorrow?
Am I posting in anger?
I was happy to take away these key aspects especially to the question “Am I posting in anger?” I personally felt that this is one
of the most dangerous things to do that could get one into serious trouble. Often, when upset, we tend to say things without
thinking only to regret it later. On Social Media, it may be too late to regret given the speed that feeds are spread. So, give it
some thoughts folks!
Left to right: Stephen Forshaw and the moderator, Teo Lin Lee, PBM, (Vice-Chairperson, Queenstown CCC)
(Continued on page 4)
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27 July 2016 - IPRS-Singapore Press Club (SPC) National Day Party
The annual IPRS-SPC National Day Party was held at The Salon at Hotel Fort Canning. About 40 IPRS Members mingled with
friends from the Singapore Press Club to celebrate Singapore’s 51st anniversary. The event kicked off with welcome addresses
from Patrick Daniel, President, SPC and Christina Cheang, Vice-President, IPRS.
The highlights of the event were for guests to come dressed in their best national costumes and a “Best Dressed Contest”.
Guests were invited to purchase flower garlands and adorn it on whom they felt were the best dressed. Participants indulged in
a sumptuous spread of local delights amidst mellow harmonies of cool jazz. Another highlight of the party was the launch of
SPC’s official cocktail, “The Write Choice”. A drink that a tired and stressed PR Practitioner may like to have after a long day of
work.
Left to right: Chantelle Shalini and Lennette Koh (IPRS Secretariat) and Prof Gregor Halff, (Council Member, IPRS)
Patrick Daniel, (President, SPC) Christina Cheang, (Vice-President, IPRS)
Ywenna, the performer for the party
The article was contributed by Debayan Dutta who hails from India. He is a Bachelor of Communication undergraduate from the University of Newcastle, Singapore. As an aspiring photojournalist, he loves to cover travel related issues, events and socio-political topics. Debayan shares an equal amount of passion for writing and hopes to make a career in journalism.
Here is what a participant had to say:
Henry Fung, Chairman, Springleaf Neighbourhood Committee, said that he attended the talk in the
hope of hearing views from a professional. He was glad he made time for it. He found Stephen’s
talk insightful and objective.
The article was contributed by Lennette Koh, Manager, IPRS Secretariat, who attended the talk.
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22 July 2016 - Visit to SMRT Corporation
SMRT Corporation opened the doors of its Kim Chuan Depot to about 30 IPRS members and members of its Student
Chapters. During the visit, SMRT provided valuable insights into its Corporate PR, Train Control Operations and maintenance
at its Rolling Stock.
Mike Yeo, from Circle Line Operations and Maintenance led the tour of the Train Operation Control Center and the Rolling
Stock department. He shared how train systems ran and the “behind the scenes” procedures. Did you know that SMRT tracks
its trains in seconds and not in minutes that we usually see
on the notice boards at the train platform? At the
underground Rolling Stock Department, visitors were briefed
on the train overhaul process, i.e. maintaining and servicing
of parts of the train. The visitors were amazed at the
different operations and parts of a train, which are normally
concealed from the eyes of commuters.
The visit ended with a candid Q&A session hosted by
Patrick Nathan, Vice President, Corporate Information and
Communications, and his colleagues, including David Boey, Deputy Director, Corporate Marketing and Communications and
Jean Pham, Lead, Social Media, Corporate Marketing and Communications. When asked about the general staff morale,
Patrick shared that for every negative feedback that SMRT received, they were showered with ten compliments. Patrick and
his team shared how SMRT adapts both its communications and engagement strategies differently and tailor it to the level of
urgency required.
There were several questions on social media and its measurement. Key points highlighted included:
It is important for an organization to adjust and understand both social and traditional media because one could be used as
a means to engage and create awareness while the other could serve as a customer relations channel.
Presence on social media is not just about maintaining presence but also building advocacy and effectively
communicating your messages.
In evaluation, always choose the right metrics and analyze the impact of the campaign. For example, SMRT tracks a set of
KPIs and ROIs that the company monitors closely. But what’s more important is to analyze the change of
perceptions and conversations among the public.
(Continued on page 6)
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The article was contributed by an IPRS Volunteer, Gabriela Gunawan, Public Relations and Journalism
graduate of University of Newcastle, Singapore.
Caroline Oh, Final Year Undergraduate, Communications Studies at University of Newcastle,
Singapore
“The trip to Kim Chuan Depot was an eye opener. I learned a lot from the SMRT Corporate
Communications team: on how they run their social media. For example, what is considered a
big-enough’ issue to post on social media and how SMRT evaluates its campaigns. It was indeed a
fruitful trip.”
12 July 2016 - IPRS Visit to BW Group: Understanding PR, typhoons and rogue waves
The weather gods were smiling on the visitors from the Institute of Public Relations of Singapore. Bright sun and windless
conditions meant a quick and relatively smooth 40-minute boat ride out to sea, where Very Large Gas Carrier (VLGC) BW
Loyalty was anchored.
The visit hosted by BW Group, started with a summary of the mandate of the Corporate Communications and Branding
Department at BW Group, followed by a safety briefing by Global Head of Fleet Security, Geoff Pearson. Once on board BW
Loyalty, the group wasted no time getting acquainted with the crew, and looking around the vessel exploring areas such as the
(Continued on page 7)
The visit ended with a lunch of salmon, chicken, roast beef, shrimp,
french fries, and steamed rice. If you were feeling peckish still, the
Head Cook on board also baked a cake and cinnamon rolls for the
visitors.
A VLGC is a high-tech “floating office”, capable of generating its own power, water, and carry valuable energy cargo
(liquefied gas at large quantities, 84,000cbm) across the world’s oceans for weeks on end, with only a crew of about 25.
This visit cannot be classified easily, for participants learnt about
meteorology, geography, history and even food safety. Diverse topics
ranged from the dangers of ice, the predictability of typhoons and how
vessels avoid them, and the unpredictability of rogue waves which can
overwhelm the usual capabilities of ocean-going vessels. Geography
lessons were interspersed with practical guidance on how to take
provisions and keep food fresh over a three-month period while out at
sea; a lesson on how cargoes of Liquefied Petroleum Gas are loaded
and unloaded; and how water is pumped into ballast tanks to maintain
The IPRS members with Lisa Lim, (Senior Manager,
Communications and Brand, BW Group) on extreme left
and Captain Geoff Pearson, second from right.
engine control room, navigation deck, cargo control room, the kitchen,
laundry room and even the crew’s sleeping quarters.
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The article and photograph were contributed by Lisa Lim, Senior Manager, Communications and Brand, BW
Group and Accredited IPRS Member.
What is PR’s contribution to a maritime energy transportation company? Above all, the objective is similar to any other
industry – reputation protection and promotion. In the oil and gas industry, safety is a priority.
PR practitioners remain ready to react in a crisis, which can involve pollution at sea impacting the environment and wildlife;
significant loss of life; and threats from pirates who can target cargo or crew. Beyond such crises, which one always prays never
occur, in-house magazines have to be written, websites have to be maintained, corporate presentations have to be made, events
have to be managed, and drills have to be conducted to ensure that we are ready to support the business in times of peace and
emergencies.
28 June 2016 - University of Canberra Visit to Singapore
IPRS was happy to have hosted a sharing session by our President, Robert Conceicao, to a visiting team from the University of
Canberra on “The State of Public Relations in Singapore” at the Furama Hotel City Centre. The visitors were led by two
academics from the University, Dr Scott Rickard, Assistant Professor of Communication and Shaun Cheah, Lecturer, Discipline
of Communication, and comprised of 14 students from the Faculty of Arts & Design (majoring in Public Relations and
Advertising). The visit to Singapore was part of one of the University’s courses.
Robert covered three main areas in his session:
About IPRS
Overview of the PR Industry in Singapore
Issues facing the PR profession in Singapore today
The students appreciated the knowledge and experiences shared by our President and the lecturers were pleased and hope to
have more of such trips in the near future.
Robert sharing on “The State of PR in Singapore” with the visitors. The visitors from University of Canberra.
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24 June 2016 - TP-IPRS Student Chapter Talking Point Series: Is Radio Important to PR today?
The advent of the internet and digital technology has drastically reduced the dominance of TV and newspapers in the media
landscape. What about the role of another traditional medium - radio? That was the subject of the Talking Point series
launched by the new executive committee of Temasek Polytechnic-Institute of Public Relations of Singapore (TP-IPRS)
Student Chapter at TP’s campus.
The lively session by radio experts Felicia Nah and Sebastian Sim was held at the radio studio classroom of MediaBiz Studios,
a dedicated state of the art facility of the Diploma of Communications & Media Management (CMM). CMM students obtain
hands-on training using up-to-date radio and television production equipment. The former programme directors with local radio
stations, before joining TP as lecturers, thoroughly engaged the audience consisting of IPRS members, PR practitioners as well
as students with their humorous yet very informative insider perspectives of radio.
They also shed light on the inner workings of radio stations and their experiences working with PR practitioners, highlighting the
fact that, radio is still a highly relevant and indispensable platform for publicity despite advancements in the digital age. A key
advantage that both speakers highlighted was the fact that radio is still relatively the most instantaneous medium compared to
other traditional media such as TV or print advertising.
“The public is now more discerning and less prepared to accept information dished out by advertising. Radio has an edge over
the other media in terms of credibility as information is controlled,” said Sebastian.
“Radio has the distinction of being the only traditional media platform that you can legally engage in while driving,” Felicia
pointed out.
Sebastian and Felicia also shared very useful tips that would assist PR practitioners to connect with the right radio presenter
and ultimately, the right target audience.
The audience were taken on a tour of the radio editing and production rooms, where they witnessed a behind-the-scene live
recording session of a radio programme by a CMM student presenter.
Left to right: Sebastian Sim, (Lecturer, TP, and former Programme Director, Power98FM), and Felicia Nah, (Section Head, CMM TP and former Assistant Programme Director, 938LIVE).
The article and photographs were contributed by Andy Sim (President, TP-IPRS Student Chapter) and Cedric Cheok (Publicity Secretary, TP-IPRS Student
Chapter), respectively.
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Professional Certificate in Public Relations and Mass Communication Intake 01-2016
The first run of the Professional Certificate Course for the year took place over a three-month period from March to June 2016.
It saw ten participants from various industries such as construction, health and the public sectors, whom obtained a wealth
of knowledge and experience from our seasoned trainers, all of whom were IPRS Accredited Members.
Key concepts and techniques covered in the course included:
How to develop a Communication Plan
Media Relations
Crafting News Releases
Crisis Management
Event Management
Corporate Social Responsibility
Integrated Marketing
Digital Communication
Here’s what some of the participants had to say about the course:
IPRS Featured Trainer: James Suresh
James Suresh is a trainer, best-selling author and PR consultant. In addition to writing
comics, James is also a certified EQ trainer with ‘Six Seconds Inc’ based in the US, an
Accredited PR Practitioner of the Institute of Public Relations of Singapore and an NIE
certified teacher. James served in the Ministry of Defence for 15 years. Five of those years
were spent in the Public Affairs Department. He has co-created comic icons such as Mr.
Kiasu which was transformed from a comic book series into a TV series. His comic strip
titled Kopi Thiam was also featured in the Malaysian Star newspaper and local papers.
Christiana Widjaya, Senior Associate, Corporate Communications, RGE Pte Ltd.
“Love this course a lot! The content was relevant. There was a good combination of instructors both
academics and practitioners, who provided different and balanced point of views. The duration was not
too long nor was it too short either. Besides acquiring skills and knowledge, it was also a great place to
exchange ideas with friends from the same profession. Definitely will recommend this course to
others!”
Nicole Kwok, Senior Communications Officer, Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS)
"I learnt a lot more about the relevant PR strategies and opportunities. There was a good mix of theoretical and practical
training. Good pace, great trainers and conducive environment."
Look out for the next run of the course, which is tentatively slotted between March and July 2017. For more information, you
may visit our website, email us at [email protected], or call 6534 1841.
“I have always kept my creative juices going by writing a book every couple of years. They
include “When I was in Uniform’, ‘On a Street in Singapore’ and ‘Singapore in the 60s”
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James set up his own event management company which now focuses on corporate training. James believes that the future
belongs to those who innovate. He believes Singapore needs to lead rather than follow in the move towards innovation. Hence,
he is doing his bit to encourage organisations and individuals to discover their creative potential and achieve greater success in
their chosen professions. With the growing demand in soft skills, James is bringing a series of three workshops to encourage
creativity in every industry. Be sure to catch them while you can. Additionally, you could get a further discount for signing up for
two or more of these workshops.
The three customised workshops are:
1. Customer Centricity and Empathy – Wednesday, 21 September
2. Applying EQ to Enhance Relations – Tuesday, 11 October
3. Creative Thinking, Innovation and Problem Solving – Monday, 28 November
These workshops would encourage PR folks to understand and appreciate customer centric behaviour and harness the
strategies applied by marketeers to achieve greater success in their PR efforts. Here are some questions we asked James:
Why did you come up with these topics for the workshops?
In the PR industry we constantly have to think of creative ways to help our clients launch products or services. We need to be
creative when pitching stories to the media. With the growing integration of marketing, advertising and public relations, there is a
need for PR professionals to collaborate with marketeers and advertising professionals to achieve mutual goals. I have always
felt that the workplace is more than just a task oriented environment. In reality we are dealing with people with emotions whether
they be our internal or external audience. I believe that everyone can benefit from harnessing the power of emotions to motivate
themselves and others to achieve goals. In a stressful work environment, we all can benefit from learning how to manage our
own emotions and reacting appropriately to the emotions of others.
How can PR people benefit from these workshops?
PR practitioners especially need to be creative in developing press angles, designing collaterals, writing speeches for clients and
seeking effective ways to engage their audience through traditional and social media. They also have to find creative ways to
engage their audience through events and media exposure. To be an effective PR professional, they also need to understand
and appreciate how the other aspects of communication works including advertising, promotions and marketing strategies. This
will help them work better with their counterparts in the communication industry to achieve mutual goals. In the PR industry we
are constantly communicating with stakeholders, an understanding of EQ and how to apply communication can give us an edge
over our competitors.
Besides PR people, who should attend these workshops?
Besides PR professionals, marketeers, advertising professionals, individuals interested in enhancing their creative potential,
emotional intelligence and appreciate the importance of marketing and selling goods, services and ideas should attend these
programmes. Whether they work in public or commercial sectors, these programmes will add to their skill sets to make them
more effective at work.
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2015/2017 Council
President Robert CONCEICAO Vice-President Christina CHEANG Honorary Secretary LIN Liangmin Honorary Treasurer Joanna WONG Council Members Edgar LEE Eric CHAN Gerald DE COTTA Jovina ANG Lily LIM Mike LIEW Dr Gregor HALFF (Co-opted) Stephen FORSHAW (Co-opted) Honorary Legal Advisor Samuel YUEN
Affiliate Members Participants from the 2016 IPRS Professional Certificate in Public Relations and Mass Communication Course 02-2016:
Ms Serene Chew, Executive, Public Affairs, Lasalle College of the Arts
Mr Ong Wee Siong Herrick, Media Relations Executive, Singapore Prison Service
Ms Jules Chan Ms Zeng Xian Ms Sum Hew Mun Ms Tiffany Lim Yoke Chee
Participants from the 2016 IPRS-MINDEF Certificate in Public Relations and Mass Communication Course:
Mr Foo Chao Kiat Mr Kelvin Tan Ms Justine Leow Mr Naseer Khan Ms Fiona Phua Mr Shawn Seah Ms Gladys Toh Mr Alan Teo Mr Chan Wei Le
Contact Us
Have any queries or feedback for us?
43A South Bridge Road Singapore 058677 Tel: +65 6534 1841 Fax: +65 6534 4691 Email: [email protected] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/iprs.group
To join us, visit
www.iprs.org.sg for more
information.
For any enquiries on our
privacy policy, please write to:
Institute of Public Relations of
Singapore (IPRS)
43A South Bridge Road
Singapore 058677
Email: [email protected]
Calendar of Events
IPRS Welcomes New Members! On behalf of the IPRS President and Council 2015/2017, a warm welcome to our new Members who joined us: Corporate Member TMC Academy
Full Member Ms Magdalene Tan, Director of Marketing and
Communications, Human Capital Singapore, Lifelong Learning Institute
SEPTEMBER
21 – Workshop: “Customer Centricity & Empathy” by James Suresh, Managing Director, Training Plus International Pte Ltd (T)
OCTOBER
5 – NUS CNM IAC-IPRS Industry Leaders Forum 2016 (T)
5 – PSB Academy-IPRS Student Chapter MOU Signing (T)
7 – IPRS-PSB Academy Forum: “The Future of Jobs in a Digital-first world” (T)
11 – Workshop: “Applying EQ to Enhance Relations” by James Suresh, Managing Director, Training Plus International Pte Ltd (T)
12 – IPRS-Foreign Correspondent Association Forum 2016: “How Should PR Practitioners Approach Foreign Media?”
13 – Singapore Management University-IPR Symposium: “What is Asian PR and what answers do current research have?”
27 – Talk on “IP Issues faced by PR Professionals” by Samuel Yuen, Honorary Legal Advisor, IPRS and Managing Director, Yuen Law LLC (T)
NOVEMBER
22 – Republic Polytechnic-IPRS Student Chapter MOU Signing Ceremony (T)
23 to 25 – Intake 03/2016 - Introduction to Public Relations and Mass Communication Course (T)
28 – Workshop: “Creative Thinking, Innovation and Problem Solving” by James Suresh, Managing Director, Training Plus International Pte Ltd (T)
*(T) - Tentative
For more details on the above events, kindly contact the IPRS Secretariat at 6534 1841 or email [email protected].
The Secretariat Manager : Lennette KOH Finance & Accounts : Darissa Guah
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