‘The thing that I remember most is the people,' says SM Teo

Straits Times

21-05-2025

Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean is retiring from politics after an illustrious career spanning more than three decades. ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO
'The thing that I remember most is the people,' says SM Teo
SINGAPORE – When Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean was in the Ministry of Home Affairs, he took a keen interest in the footwear of his officers.
He was happy to see that they had nice boots that could be removed easily so they could enter people's homes, but would not slip off when they were chasing people.
It was also important that they were comfortable, as the officers spent so much time on their feet.
He also looked into the weight of their communication sets, and whether their body-worn cameras would cause heat stress.
'These kinds of things are important to the person on the ground because it helps them to get the job done better,' he said.
Whether as an MP looking after his residents, or an architect of national policy, SM Teo's philosophy has been to make sure that he understands the ground and helps everyone do their job better.
When he was with the Education Ministry, he gave the teachers proper staffrooms with their own workstations, instead of having them share desks.
Speaking to the media at the Ministry of Home Affairs on May 20, SM Teo said his approach is always to try to understand the situation, down to the last person.
This was the last interview for SM Teo in his current capacity before his retirement, following an illustrious career spanning more than three decades.
A giant in the public service with a lifetime of contributions to Singapore and Singaporeans, SM Teo is a core member of Singapore's third-generation political leadership team, serving as deputy prime minister from 2009 to 2019. He has been Coordinating Minister for National Security since 2011, and was appointed Senior Minister in 2019.
Asked what he would miss most, he said without pausing that 'the thing that I remember most is the people'.
These include the volunteers in his Pasir Ris constituency – 'wonderful people who have their own problems but still find time to help others'.
He recently featured on social media one of his 'favourite families' that faced crises but continued to serve.
'They continue to serve the community, with heart and soul, and they still continue to do so.
'These are ordinary Singaporeans doing extraordinary things, out of all the goodness of their heart.'
The people he misses are also the officers he has interacted with across the many different agencies and the Public Service Division.
'You know, sometimes I tell officers – you want to be in the public service, you must be the type of person who derives happiness from seeing other people happy... We have many, many officers like that, committed, dedicated, particularly in uniformed services,' he said.
Those in the uniformed services are prepared to lay down their lives to save others, he added, and leading these organisations has been a 'very special privilege'.
There are also his friends from abroad who have worked with him on different matters.
'Sometimes, we have our differences, but we find a way of working together,' he said. 'We may disagree, but there is no need to be disagreeable.'
As a small country, it is not easy for Singapore to stand up and be taken seriously, noted SM Teo, who has helped forge ties or guide sensitive negotiations with other nations.
'So, you must be very clear what your own interests are. You must also understand what their interests are,' he said. 'And you can think that through and try and identify areas where you can work together.'
In a valedictory letter to SM Teo on May 6, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong had thanked the Senior Minister for dedicating his entire 53-year career to safeguarding and advancing the interests of Singapore and Singaporeans.
PM Wong also said in the letter that SM Teo's contributions to defence, climate action, diplomacy and security have left an indelible mark and helped Singapore to stand tall in the world.
SM Teo started out as a navy officer in 1972, eventually leaving the armed forces as chief of navy in 1992 to enter politics.
His first Cabinet appointment was as minister of state for finance as well as communications in 1992. He has also been minister for home affairs, defence, education, and the environment.
He was first elected in the 1992 Marine Parade GRC by-election as a member of then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong's team, before moving to contest Pasir Ris GRC during the 1997 General Election. He has been re-elected there five times since.
He is stepping down because he thinks succession is important, and also for his residents, he said.
'When you become a Member of Parliament, you commit to your residents. You work for them 100 plus per cent for five years,' said SM Teo, who is well known for his late nights at Meet-the-People Sessions, not leaving till the last person has been seen.
'If you see that there are people who can serve the residents more energetically and better than you can, then you should let the residents be served by them.'
In his over three decades in politics, he has had to make many tough decisions.
'Decisions are never easy, because they all have to balance many different factors and they impact the individual lives of people and their interests,' he said.
'For politics in Singapore, you are a Member of Parliament first before you are a minister. And so you cannot make policy and then go hide in your ivory tower... you have to meet your residents,' he added.
When the Government introduced MediShield Life, for example, he visited four homes in one night, and they were all thankful for it.
There are long-term issues that take much time for the results to be seen, one of which is education, he noted.
'If our education system is good, it has got nothing to do with me because my predecessors made the decision,' he quipped, adding that if the education system is bad in future, it would be his fault.
SM Teo, who was education minister from 1997 to 2003, said he was happy to have revamped the careers of teachers and elevated their status.
Another achievement was establishing the Institute of Technical Education colleges to give the students better facilities and a sense of hope for the future.
He has been tasked with handling many sensitive issues over the years, including the Oxley Road debate and, more recently, the review of the use of NRIC numbers in the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority's Bizfile service.
While Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong is known as Singapore's 'task force man' looking after the economy and trade, and former politician Khaw Boon Wan was 'Mr Fix-It' for his knack for solving hot-button issues, could SM Teo be called 'Mr Firefighter' for his ability to defuse crises?
'Well, when I was a kid, I wanted to be a firefighter,' he said with a chuckle. 'My father brought me to all these exhibitions when the old Kallang Airport closed down... and there were fire engines down there. So, I climbed into a fire engine and wanted to be a fireman.'
On his plans after his retirement, SM Teo said he would assist in any way that PM Wong feels he can be helpful.
Looking back on his lifetime of service, he said it has been a satisfying journey.
'I think I have been able to contribute in some ways,' he said.
'But one must have a certain humility about all these things, because many people travel on the journey with you, and you cannot do any of these things on your own.'
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