The thing that I remember most is the people, says SM Teo

When Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean was in the Ministry of Home Affairs, he took a keen interest in the footwear of his officers.

- Chin Soo Fang

He was happy to see that they had nice boots that could be removed easily so they could enter people's homes, but would not slip off when they were chasing people.

It was also important that they were comfortable, as the officers spent so much time on their feet.

He also looked into the weight of their communication sets, and whether their body-worn cameras would cause heat stress.

"These kinds of things are important to the person on the ground because it helps them to get the job done better," he said.

Whether as an MP looking after his residents, or an architect of national policy, SM Teo's philosophy has been to make sure that he understands the ground and helps everyone do their job better.

When he was with the Education Ministry, he gave the teachers proper staffrooms with their own workstations, instead of having them share desks.

Speaking to the media at the Ministry of Home Affairs on May 20, SM Teo said his approach is always to try to understand the situation, down to the last person.

This was the last interview for SM Teo in his current capacity before his retirement, following an illustrious career spanning more than three decades.

A giant in the public service with a lifetime of contributions to Singapore and Singaporeans, SM Teo is a core member of Singapore's third-generation political leadership team, serving as deputy prime minister from 2009 to 2019. He has been Coordinating Minister for National Security since 2011, and was appointed Senior Minister in 2019.

Asked what he would miss most, he said without pausing that "the thing that I remember most is the people".

These include the volunteers in his Pasir Ris constituency - "wonderful people who have their own problems but still find time to help others".

He recently featured on social media one of his "favourite families" that faced crises but continued to serve.