Kum Heng Poon
Close to Home
One thing is certain – retired fish researcher Kum Heng Poon is hooked on Knowledge. He’s been a fan since he discovered Knowledge some time after moving to BC from Singapore in 1991 to pursue his PhD in biology at SFU. Though he’s always loved the “life aquatic,” his viewing interests encompass more than lakes, rivers, and seas.
Take This Land Is Mine, for instance. Kum Heng was thrilled to see this period drama about post-war, pre-independent Singapore on Knowledge; the Singaporean production, complete with actors speaking “Singlish” and using words like kueh (cakes), portrayed his homeland so authentically. He and his wife sat down to watch it each week with their Canadian-born son, delighted that he could experience the historical and cultural backdrop they grew up in.
“I really appreciate that Knowledge casts their net so wide with shows about this small country and other places around the globe,” Kum Heng says. “It helps people look at the world with a broader lens.”
Along with programs about different cultures, human history, astronomy, and science, Kum Heng enjoys real-life Knowledge Original series like Transplant Stories and Search and Rescue: North Shore. “They’re fantastic quality and so uniquely BC. To have something produced right here really contributes to a sense of connectivity and community.” Incidentally, his son Ian was involved in the production of Subterranean, making the 3D animation that depicted the cavers’ progression in their pursuit to break a caving record on Vancouver Island.
As a Knowledge Partner in the Leadership Circle, Kum Heng feels it’s a privilege to be part of the “public” in BC’s public broadcaster. It’s a feeling of contributing to something that’s not just entertainment, but a shared experience. “I’m happy to be involved in something so precious,” he says. “Knowledge feels like home.”
Stream This Land Is Mine and Knowledge Originals on Knowledge.ca and the K: app.
