Netizens respond to PM Wong’s tribute to Teo Chee Hean
On 6 May, Prime Minister (PM) Lawrence Wong released a heartfelt valedictory letter paying tribute to Senior Minister (SM) Teo Chee Hean, who is stepping down after 53 years in public service.
His departure marks the end of a remarkable journey spanning the Navy, Cabinet, and national security.
PM Wong pens emotional farewell to Teo Chee Hean
In his tribute, PM Wong highlighted SM Teo’s long-standing dedication to Singapore, beginning in 1972 as a naval officer before rising to Chief of Navy.
He entered politics in 1992 and held several top posts, including Minister for Education, Minister for Defence, Deputy Prime Minister, and most recently, Coordinating Minister for National Security.
Source: Lawrence Wong on Facebook
SM Teo is credited with helping modernise the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) into an integrated force and founding key platforms like the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM)-Plus and the Shangri-La Dialogue, which strengthened Singapore’s role in regional defence diplomacy.
Beyond defence, SM Teo left his mark on Singapore’s education system. He spearheaded key reforms such as curriculum upgrades and the move to single-session schools, initiatives aimed at preparing students for a knowledge-based economy.
As Coordinating Minister for National Security, he helped set up Singapore’s Cyber Security Agency to strengthen national cyber defence.
PM Wong lauded SM Teo’s achievement, saying: “Your contributions…have left an indelible mark on our nation.”
Netizens recognise Teo Chee Hean for his contributions
Netizens on Reddit and other social media platforms shared their appreciation for SM Teo’s decades of service, sending him well-wishes online.
One Redditor applauded him as the first Defence Minister to be transparent about SAF incidents. They were also impressed by his meeting with the Indonesian President during the Asian economic crisis.
Source: Reddit
Another commenter said they always believed SM Teo “to be a good man” who was not out to “fix the opposition”.
Source: Reddit
One Facebook user referred to the Pasir Ris residents as one family and said they will stand by SM Teo for many years to come.
Source: Facebook
Others sent warm wishes, thanking SM Teo for his service and wishing him good health and longevity.
Source: Facebook
‘An honour and a privilege to serve’
In response to PM Wong’s letter, SM Teo wrote on his Facebook page: “Thank you PM for your kind thoughts and words. All I tried to do was to serve Singapore and Singaporeans as well as I could.”
He thanked his colleagues, partners, and volunteers who were by his side during his 53 years of service.
“Without you, we would not have travelled so far on this fruitful and fulfilling journey,” he wrote.
Many thanks for the honour and privilege to have served.
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Featured image adapted from Teo Chee Hean on Facebook.
