He helped bring the Youth Olympics to Singapore, and is Senior Parliamentary Secretary for two ministries. However, despite such lofty achievements, Teo Ser Luck, 40, is as down-to-earth as ever.
I come from a humble background.
My father was a laborer and my mother a seamstress. We lived above a provision shop in Hougang where there was no proper sanitation; just buckets for toilets. That was the reality of life, but it shaped my character and outlook, and I feel privileged to have gone through it.
I have many good memories of childhood.
My parents were often busy with work, so we were on our own a lot. My friends and I were street kids; we would loiter, catch spiders and play in the longkang (gutter). We were too poor to afford a football so we used to kick stones instead, using our slippers as goal posts.
I never wanted to be a doctor or a lawyer.
My childhood ambition was to be a bus conductor. I thought it would be cool to have a bag and punch tickets.
As a kid, I used to work in a factory that
supplied mannequins to shops and we paid 10 to 20 cents to dust and gloss them. I remember going to collect my exam results once with my hands stained blue from chemicals. To this day, there are ah peks from my time at the factories who call out “Ah Luck!” to me on the street, and it gives me a warm feeling.
I was not a teacher’s pet. I just tried to get by
without getting picked on by my teachers. My teachers didn’t really notice me because I was quiet but that spurred me on to do better. When I was in the top eighth percentile for PSLE, nobody expected it.
My mother once saw me being punished by
a teacher who told her that she and my dad should speak to me in English more. My mum bought me a bottle of Yakult to make me feel better after school that day.
My maternal grandmother was my role model
when I was a boy. She had a very strong character; she brought up six children single-handedly and sold bread at Farrer Park market for 60 years. I aspired to be like her, a resilient survivor no matter what.
I wake up at 4:30am to exercise; that’s when
I have time to myself. I usually run, swim or go cycling. I also sign up for triathlons as a personal goal to work towards.
I still wear shorts and running shoes to
the kopitiam. My wife reminds me about it from time to time, but I’m no different from the people who voted for me. I want to know how they feel and help build better policies for the masses.
I listen to a variety of music: Chinese pop,
R&B and jazz. I like Diana Krall and George Benson. Some of my favorite Chinese pop artistes are Zhang Dong Liang and Jiang Mei Qi. I also like local artist Shi Xin Hui. I like it when songs have good melodies and lyrics that they melt my worries away.
People’s smiles make me happy. I like it
when I crack a joke and my kids laugh, and also when the elderly in my constituency are happy after I’ve helped them in some way. I’m upset when people do things out of self-interest. That makes me angry.
I have no regrets. I feel very blessed that
I can do something for others. It’s a win-win situation! It’s a tough job, but it’s worth it.
My greatest fear is a fragmented Singapore.
We must help one another and close the gaps between different classes. People who are successful must not forget about the others. Also, we cannot afford to slow down—we may lose it all tomorrow.—Interview by Baey Shi Chen