Mr Teo said the discussions on whether to lock down the country at the height of the pandemic exemplified Mr Lee’s willingness to listen before making decisions.
“It was not easy to decide whether to have a lockdown or not,” he said.
“We knew, the MTF (multi-ministry task force) knew, Cabinet knew, PM knew, that it would cause a lot of disruptions to people’s lives. So when you do that, what do you do to help cushion that for the people? That was an important consideration as well.”
While Mr Lee held his own views, he still listened carefully to many different perspectives, not just from other ministers, but down to the healthcare professionals, the unions and the social sector, said Mr Teo.
He also consulted with the Ministry of Trade and Industry to find out how such a move would affect the economy, while working with the Transport Ministry to see how Singapore can maintain its position as a regional and global aviation hub.
CHANGING OVER THE YEARS
Mr Teo said that having worked closely with Mr Lee all these years, he has seen the Prime Minister learn and grow.
The duo first met in the Singapore Armed Forces in the 1970s, where Mr Lee was two years Mr Teo’s senior.
“Well, you know, when we are young, we tend to be a bit more impatient. And perhaps we don’t understand human beings and human nature as well, and manage people as well. But I’ve seen him learn and grow in these two areas,” said Mr Teo.
He said Mr Lee is now more patient, listens more, and understands and works with people better, while still remaining very focused on solving problems.
He added that Mr Lee is “more disciplined with himself” these days and “makes sure that he gets enough rest”.
Mr Lim said he finds the outgoing prime minister inspiring.
“Whenever the going gets tough, he actually has tremendous positive energy. He never lets any problems weigh him down,” he said.
As such it drives the team to always, when confronted with any challenges, try to turn it into an opportunity, said Mr Lim.
“I’ve worked with him for 40 years. In a way, I always find that he leads by example. As a result, I think his positive energy, his commitment to serve and so on, in a way directly influenced every one of us.”
