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1. What happened?
The Covid-19 pandemic ran rampant throughout the world in 2020, and the infection rates
and death tolls were ever-increasing globally. In order to stop the spread of Covid within the
country, Singapore set up the Multi-Ministry Task Force (MMTF), with Lawrence Wong at the
helm. The MMTF then headed out to stem the spread of Covid by introducing circuit breaker
measures, which consists of lockdowns, restricted gatherings and mandatory mask-wearing.
Due to the circuit breaker measures, Singapore has managed to curb the spread of Covid-19
within the country and has managed to become one of the countries with the lowest death
rates per infection in the world.
However, there were also unexpected consequences to these actions, as various sectors
such as retail and entertainment were hit hard due to the forced lockdowns. This meant that
there were businesses that were unable to open, which eventually led to unemployment for
many.
2. Why did this happen?
Singapore managed to become one of the countries with the lowest death rates per
infection in the world. This is due to the slower spread of Covid throughout the masses due
to the effective circuit breaker measures. By slowing the spread, the hospitals would be
better able to cope with the influx of patients with requirements for medical oxygen.
The various sectors that were hit hard by the lockdowns were not ready to pivot towards
other fields, such as e-commerce. This led to many small businesses to close, after not being
able to open for business for an extended period of time. This eventually led to large scale
unemployment, and the government had to hand out support packages to help citizens tide
over the difficult period.
3. What class concepts are relevant to this situation?
The leaders in the MMTF are highly extraverted, which helps them to communicate to the
public about the circuit breaker measures, Additionally, the leaders are also able to
empathize, which is a trait of altruism, with the general public on how disruptive the circuit
breaker measures will be on normal life. This made them give some concessions, such as
allowing some members of public to purchase goods for the family, and also eased the
lockdown when Covid was no longer much of an issue.
4. What did you learn from this?
I have learnt that leaders have to be able to persuade people under them, in order for
most of the plans to work. For example, if there were masses of people who do not agree
with the measures, it could cause havoc in the country, and Covid would not be kept
under control. Thus, the act of altruism, and being able to put oneself in the shoes of

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others, is a very important skill to persuade others, which in turn is an important skill as
a leader.