SINGAPORE - Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong go a long way back, when both served in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF). They also worked together in Cabinet for 30 years, from when Mr Goh Chok Tong was prime minister.
As PM Lee prepares to hand over the reins to the fourth-generation leaders on May 15, SM Teo spoke in an interview on what it has been like working with him for more than 40 years.
Always looking to improve things
PM Lee has always been earnest and “a little bit nerdy”, and was always looking to improve things, said SM Teo.
Both men were SAF scholars in the 1970s, with PM Lee two years SM Teo’s senior.
When PM Lee was an artillery officer, he used a Hewlett-Packard HP-41 programmable handheld calculator to sort out, in a more convenient form, the ballistic tables for guns, recalled SM Teo.
Trusts his team to do their job
As a leader, PM Lee is one who leaves his ministers to do their job, said SM Teo. He added that in the ministries he ran, he hardly had to go back to PM Lee for decisions.
Shortly after the Little India riot in 2013 that was sparked by a fatal accident in Race Course Road, PM Lee had to go on a trip and left SM Teo, who was then deputy prime minister, to handle the situation.
During that time, SM Teo would provide a summary of the situation and actions to be taken. “And, of course, he was in the loop, and he just left it to me. So from that point of view, he is very good at letting his team members get on with the job, but he keeps in touch with what is going on,” said SM Teo.
“That is the way he likes to work with other ministers as well. That means, you know what your responsibilities are, and you get on with the job, but you also know when to ask and when to raise issues. And when to ask for a consultation,” added SM Teo.
Focused on what is best for Singapore
PM Lee was always very clear about his mission, which is to do what is best for the country, said SM Teo.
“That is what he is always very focused on; it is very clear that that is his responsibility, the best for the country, the best for improving the lives of Singaporeans, whether protecting their lives during Covid-19 or improving their lives, as in normal times,” he added.
Unlike in some other countries, political survival was not PM Lee’s principal consideration, said SM Teo.
After deciding on a policy, PM Lee would try to understand the politics and shape it in a way that is fair, then try to persuade Singaporeans to accept it, said SM Teo.
Listens to other views
PM Lee may have his own views on things, but will listen carefully to what others have to say, said SM Teo.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, for instance, he listened to not just what the ministers had to say, but also what the doctors, unions and others from the social sector, for instance, had to say.
“He has got strong views of his own... but he takes time to listen to others. And to take the views in before he decides,” added SM Teo.
It is not uncommon for PM Lee to get impatient when things are not moving as fast as he hopes, but he is very focused on solving the problem and typically moves on quickly from frustration to solutions, said SM Teo.
He added that over the years, PM Lee has become better at managing people and understanding human nature.
“I have seen him learn and grow in these two areas. He has become more patient. He listens more,” said SM Teo.
38 Oxley Road dispute among most painful moments
The passing of PM Lee’s father, founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, and the subsequent events that happened with their family home in Oxley Road were a difficult time for PM Lee, said SM Teo.
“It was very painful for him. Especially that very open disagreement over Oxley Road,” he added.
But PM Lee was able to separate the personal from his responsibilities as prime minister, and do what was right for the country by recusing himself from decisions on the house, said SM Teo.
Mr Lee Hsien Yang and Dr Lee Wei Ling had accused PM Lee, their elder brother, of abusing his power over 38 Oxley Road. He later rebutted their allegations in a ministerial statement in Parliament.
PM Lee’s approach throughout was to be as open and transparent about the matter as possible, and that was why he went to Parliament, SM Teo said.
He added that PM Lee had been consistent in his behaviour throughout the episode, and dealt with the matter in the way in which he dealt with all other issues, added SM Teo.
“He separated his personal issues from issues which affect the state and the country. That was what he did. And he did it in a very proper way,” he said.
Mastery of detail
Another trait of PM Lee is that he has an enormous capacity for detail, and for the nitty-gritty of issues.
“He really doesn’t need and shouldn’t need to go into detail in everything. But if he wants to, he can, he has got a tremendous capacity,” said SM Teo.
To allow PM Lee to focus on the major issues, his ministers will typically try to sort out the details, SM Teo added.
When there are major trade-offs or differences of view, the ministers will have to identify very clearly what those are to discuss them with him, he said.
