Quick, do you know what a popular Netflix series about the city and football club of Sunderland has to do with independent Singapore's first Finance Minister?
As strange as it sounds, one of the football players and personalities featured in the series "Sunderland 'Til I Die" actually has a familial connection to one of Singapore's "Old Guard" ministers, Lim Kim San.
This is Luke O'Nien (pronounced oh-nigh-yen).
Screenshot from Netflix.
He is one of the players that Season 2 of "Sunderland 'Til I Die" focuses on.
O'Nien was born in Hertfordshire, England, and became a professional football player.
In 2018, he left Wycombe Wanderers to join Sunderland AFC, where the Netflix series finds him.
Throughout season 2, O'Nien is presented as an eager youth player who struggles to find his footing in a bigger club with higher expectations.
*Spolier Alert*
O'Nien has established himself well in the first team squad at Sunderland in the present day, with his name even being thrown about as a possible future Sunderland captain.
Screenshot from Netflix.
This is Lim Kim San. He's the one on the right.
Pic from National Archives of Singapore.
Lim Kim San is one of the most highly-decorated names in Singapore history.
Perhaps best known as "Mr HDB", Lim was appointed as chairman of the Housing Development Board in 1960, rapidly building up Singapore's supply of housing.
Lim went on to serve other roles in the fledgling Singapore government as Minister for Finance, Minister for Interior and Defence, Minister for National Development and Minister for Education.
He died in 2006, after a sterling career in politics.
Lim had a younger brother, named Lim Cheng Siong. He had a daughter named Monica Lim.
Monica married an Englishman, Terry O'Nien, and they had Luke.
In an interview with The New Paper, O'Nien even expressed a desire to play for the Singapore national team, if he is called upon.
He confirmed his qualification in a tweet in 2015.
If Singapore needs an extra defender in the ranks, they could take a look at O'Nien.
For now, curious Singaporeans can watch his trials and tribulations on Netflix.
Top image from Luke Onien and Peranakan Singapore Museum Facebook pages.