Girls don’t fight? I became a champion

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Sharanjit Leyl is taking Outlook on a tour of her city – Singapore – through the extraordinary stories of people who live there. Growing up in Singapore, ‘Mighty’ May Ooi was told that ‘girls don’t fight’ and she was not allowed to practise martial arts. Years later, she went on to become one of the country’s best fighters and she did it for love. May recently competed in the prestigious One Championship to fulfil her late fiancé’s dream. Bernard Seah is an amateur photographer who documents Singapore’s varied wildlife – including the famous resident family of otters. Poet and playwright Alfian Sa’at has often found himself in hot water for being too outspoken. He tells Sharanjit Leyl about some of the challenges involved in being a playwright in Singapore. Serene Ong and Amanda Keisha Ang are two pioneering female DJs in a crowded industry of mostly men, and they know how to make Singapore dance. Picture: ‘Mighty’ May Ooi Credit: BBC/Alice Gioia