Son of former minister wants to give back to society

SINGAPORE — Mr Chua Eng Leong, the son of former Cabinet Minister Chua Sian Chin, describes himself as “born PAP”.

At the age of five or six, he would follow his father on his community visits. On Sundays, they would go to his constituency, and Mr Chua, 44, still recalls the baby shows held there.

But he did not join the party until after the 2001 General Election. He was 30 and his eldest son had just been born.

“That was when I needed to come forward and do something constructive and give back to society,” Mr Chua said.

By then, his father, who passed away last year at age 81, was suffering from dementia, and Mr Chua could not turn to him for advice.

“If he were to give me advice, it is to listen to the people and help all the people — not only in my constituency, but in Singapore,” he said. “My father was very (magnanimous) about it, and he wanted his help to reach as many needy people as possible.”

He added: “Coming forward is something that I think my father would be proud of, and I think I’m doing the right thing.”

The late Mr Chua was 34 when he became Health Minister in 1968, making him the youngest-ever minister in Singapore. He also served as Member of Parliament for MacPherson SMC from 1968 until 1991.

The younger Mr Chua said the PAP had for the past 60 years run a corruption-free government, and that the party leadership followed the values and vision of founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.

“This is the sort of politics that we’d like to get into — clean (and) good politics ... If we are elected into Parliament, we must always remember that we are elected because of the people, and that the first thing we must do is serve the people,” he said.

The self-professed family man said he values time spent with his family and two children, especially when he drives the pair to school.

He added that if elected, he would champion programmes that help the youth-at-risk, citing, for example, a skills programme where participants can benefit from tuition and mentoring services. JOY FANG

Chua Eng Leong, 44

Executive director at Standard Chartered Private Bank

FACT FILE:

• Started banking career in 1996, has held different positions, ranging from retail, private, corporate and investment banking

• Married, with two schoolgoing children

• Joined the PAP after 2001 General Election. Held positions such as assistant treasurer of the PAP Community Foundation in Tampines. Appointed chairman of the PAP’s Eunos branch in 2013.

• Studied at Anglo-Chinese School and Anglo-Chinese Junior College. Graduated from the University of San Francisco with degree in business administration (management)

HE SAID: “To me, the PAP stands for three very important pillars. Firstly, it stands for the passion to serve; second, the ability to serve; and third — the most important thing — purposeful service to the nation. Politics is just another name for service to the nation, and service to the nation is above politics. It must be.”

WARD: Eunos