By Cheryl Lim

SENIOR Parliamentary Secretary (Transport and Community Development, Youth and Sports) Teo Ser Luck's decision to take up public service took shape about nine years ago, when his wife had a difficult pregnancy with their first child.

They turned to 10 gynaecologists for help but, in the end, they had divine intervention to thank.

This life-changing turn sparked off his desire to take on public service.

In his first interview since being appointed mayor of the North East District on May 31, Mr Teo said his wife had a difficult first birth.

Ultrasound scans of the foetus showed that it was "odd-shaped, deformed and abnormal ? with a very big head and a small body, but my wife wanted a natural birth", he said.

They then approached 10 gynaecologists who refused to help her induce natural childbirth before finding one who
would.

Mr Teo, his wife and doctors were shocked when his son was delivered, perfectly normal.

His child, Shaun, is now nine, and is doing well in school.

He is mature beyond his years and "talks about stocks and shares", Mr Teo said with a chuckle.

As for his new work as mayor, he said a big challenge would be to change how his employees work.

"I'm trying to assign officers to work more closely with the ground, and that may change the scope of their work, along with a change in their mindsets," he said.

He said the number of professionals, managers, executives and technicians looking for jobs in his district has doubled in less than a year.

He said: "One of the things we try to do is to strengthen the (job-)placement centres on the ground... When the residents engage them, there's a higher probability of the residents being placed (with jobs)".

Mr Teo said the appointment had given him the perfect opportunity to help residents in the district.

"The job is all about helping people and, with the economic downturn, people need help and so people like us must step up and help others," he said.

On fame and the rewards of public office

It's never about climbing the ladder. If I were out of this (political work), I would want to be out of the spotlight.

Even now, I do my own thing, I go to the kopitiam.

On foreign talent

If you don't compete (with foreigners) here, you compete elsewhere. This is an open economy. If you limit foreigners from coming in, then would the companies come in?

The Chinese in Hong Kong and Taiwan are always looking for business opportunities.

The (mainland) Chinese are very hungry to learn...To work in American companies, they learn English from TV programmes and at night classes.

Singaporeans should emulate their hunger for improvement... When I ask quite a few of them what their five-year plan is, they tell me: "I don't know, how would I know?"

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