Skip to main content

Advertisement

Advertisement

Duty, not impact, drives George Yeo

SINGAPORE — He was asked to serve and responded, but former Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo demurred at the suggestion that he has had a greater impact on society at large since leaving politics.

Mr Yeo is on a Vatican commission and offers a perspective from government, he says. Photo: Jason Quah

Mr Yeo is on a Vatican commission and offers a perspective from government, he says. Photo: Jason Quah

Follow TODAY on WhatsApp

SINGAPORE — He was asked to serve and responded, but former Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo demurred at the suggestion that he has had a greater impact on society at large since leaving politics.

He is on the governing board of Nalanda University in India — a project to revive the ancient seat of learning supported by 18 countries — and will become chancellor next month. He is also on a Vatican commission.

“That’s hard to say,” he replied when asked about the impact of his roles on a larger society. “I don’t go out seeking to make an impact. I’m a person very given to a sense of duty, so if you’re asked and you’re in a position to serve, then you should. That’s the approach I take.”

Speaking to TODAY in an interview, Mr Yeo, who is chairman and executive director of Kerry Logistics Network, added that he has less of a direct impact on Singaporeans through his various roles now.

The chancellor appointment with Nalanda University was not one that he had sought, he said. Mr Yeo was quick to explain that the governing board of the university recommended when it met in February for Professor Amartya Sen’s appointment to be renewed. However, it was “quite clear at the time that the government of India preferred a change”, he said.

Harvard professor Sen, who had opposed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi before the latter’s election, felt this to be a politicisation of the chancellorship, although this was disputed by the Indian government.

Mr Yeo was asked to be one of the three nominees for the chancellor position put up by the governing board for the Indian President’s consideration and was encouraged by Prof Sen to agree to it. “My principal concern was to help ensure continuity … It’s a great honour. When Amartya persuaded me to take this on, I said, ‘You have to help me, you promise to help me.’ So he will stay as a member of the governing board. To me, that’s very important because he has the links with academia. He’s the one who helps attract good professors and students to the university,” said Mr Yeo.

Nalanda University started classes last year with 15 students and 10 professors — a number that will grow steadily — and the master plan for its campus in Bihar is in place, with a tender called, added Mr Yeo.

His work for the Vatican is mainly with the Council for the Economy, which consists of eight cardinals and seven lay Catholics. “I try to do what I can to help,” said Mr Yeo. “Many of the other members are either academics or consultants, accountants or auditors, so my perspective is from government. That’s sometimes useful to the group.”

The council usually meets every three months and Mr Yeo said he would stay at the Domus Sanctae Marthae, where Pope Francis lives, when in Rome.

“We go to the same canteen to eat, to the same table to collect our ham and our fruits. He is extraordinary in his very ordinariness,” he said, calling the appointment a privilege.

Read more of the latest in

Advertisement

Advertisement

Stay in the know. Anytime. Anywhere.

Subscribe to get daily news updates, insights and must reads delivered straight to your inbox.

By clicking subscribe, I agree for my personal data to be used to send me TODAY newsletters, promotional offers and for research and analysis.