SM Teo Chee Hean's contributions left an indelible mark on Singapore, says PM Wong

He led work on important and difficult issues with rigour and thoughtfulness: PM

- Chin Soo Fang

Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean's contributions to defence, climate action, diplomacy and security have left an indelible mark and helped Singapore to stand tall in the world, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

In a valedictory letter to SM Teo on May 6, PM Wong thanked him for his lifetime of service to Singapore and expressed his appreciation for his unwavering service and dedication to the nation and its people.

SM Teo, 70, who is also Coordinating Minister for National Security, is stepping down from the Cabinet and politics. Both he and Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat confirmed their retirement from politics on April 23, which was Nomination Day.

"You dedicated your entire 53-year career to safeguarding and advancing the interests of Singapore and Singaporeans," PM Wong said in the letter.

Thanking the Prime Minister for his kind thoughts and words, SM Teo said in a social media post on the same day that all he tried to do was to serve Singapore and Singaporeans as well as he could.

"I thank each and every one of the many colleagues, partners and volunteers who were on this journey together; without you, we would not have travelled so far on this fruitful and fulfilling journey," he said. "Many thanks for the honour and privilege to have served."

In his letter, PM Wong said SM Teo led work on important and difficult issues with rigour and thoughtfulness.

This included implementing the recommendations of the Constitutional Commission to review specific aspects of the elected presidency in 2016 and taking the related constitutional amendments through in Parliament.

Most recently, he conducted the review of the use of NRIC numbers in the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority's Bizfile service, delivering a "thorough and definitive account in Parliament on what went wrong and how we could do better".