Jack Neo has chosen to use the simple yet hilarious story of three young children and their families from different social backgrounds to create a social satire touching on issues of education streaming, the importance of the Chinese language and the focus on academic excellence. Kok Pin, Boon Hock and Terry are classmates in EM3. In Singapore, that means that at the age of 12, the government has decided that they are not as academically inclined as their peers who have been placed in an express or normal stream. Kok Pin is creative and a born artist but his parents would rather he focus on his Maths and Sciences. Boon Hock comes from a poor family and needs to balance school and helping out at the hawker stall. Terry, a spoilt brat is just too lazy a student. Much misunderstanding occurs amongst the friends because Terry has been brought up to mind his own business and not stand up for his friends. But when Terry, despite his fear of pain, offers to donate his bone marrow to save Kok Pin's mother at a crucial moment, the boys realise their true friendship. While the three children suffer from the pressure of school, their parents have another set of problems. Kok Pin's mother is passed over for a promotion because she does not have a university degree. His father, a Chinese advertising copywriter is struggling to move ahead at work where Caucasian and the English language means authority at most advertising agencies. Terry's father family business runs into a crisis when a competitive "Ba Gua" company from Taiwan sets up a chain of shops in Singapore . When Terry's father goes to an agency to seek advertising help for his ailing business due to a newly opened "Ba Gua" (Pork Jerky) store from Taiwan, he opts for a creative from the Creative Director rather than a better campaign by Kok Pin's father because of an unpleasant encounter with Kok Pin's father earlier. The Chinese New Year "Ba Gua" campaign ends up in a mess. Kok Pin's father decides to help Terry's father and convinces him to try his campaign. It was a big success. Following the story of Kok Pin's and Terry's family, we see the different issues faced by Singapore families in a light hearted sometimes almost silly situation.

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