Former Member of Parliament Lily Neo saw how a twelve-year-old boy evolve from a wayward adolescent into a positive role model for other youngsters. The youth’s transformation resonated with her during her 24-year tenure as an MP.
The seventy-two-year-old medical practitioner told Petir that the boy came from an underprivileged family and had five siblings. He was frequently expelled from school and behaved disobediently.
“I was deeply concerned and wanted to help,” Dr Neo said. When a children and teen care centre (CATCH), which Dr Neo and her team started, opened at Jalan Kukoh, she noticed something remarkable.
“The boy eagerly waited outside the centre each day before it opened,” said Dr Neo.“He gradually began attending school regularly. His artistic talents emerged at the centre, and he excelled in his activities.”
Even more encouraging, Dr Neo said, the boy motivated his siblings to attend school regularly and encouraged them and other teenagers in the neighbourhood to participate in the centre’s activities.
“Seeing how we could redirect a young person and watching that positive influence spread to others was deeply rewarding,” she said.
The centre, known as CATCH, was launched in 2011 with support from sponsors.
Meant for children aged 7 to 16, the after-school programme included meals, tuition, homework supervision, computer classes, and music lessons, activities that Dr Neo described “would interest children to come to the centre.”
In 2014, the programme expanded to CATCH+, partnering with community organisations such as Mendaki, NUS Teach, and Heartware Network to provide additional programmes including tuition and reading and literacy classes.
Lily Neo: ‘Seeing the seniors’ smiling faces and receiving warm hugs from them brought great joy’
Dr Neo also reminisced about the seniors in her constituency.
“I saw the senior residents, especially the women, improve their wellbeing and become less depressed after joining the seniors’ activity centres. Their smiling faces and warm hugs brought me great joy,” she said. “Many of them reminded me of my own beloved grandmother, who passed away at the age of 67.”
“Watching people become fitter, happier, and more confident after joining the centres was deeply fulfilling. This experience remains one of my most treasured moments in public service.”
Lily Neo: ‘Twenty-four hours a day aren’t sufficient to accomplish everything I hope to do’
With children who were still teenagers at the time, Dr Neo remembered the difficulties and sacrifices that were demanded of her when balancing MP duties with her medical career and her family life.
“Time flew by so quickly. Twenty-four hours a day weren’t enough to accomplish everything I wanted to do,” she said. “I felt pressed for time every day because I wanted to give my very best and contribute as much as possible.”
Fortunately, her mother lived with her and provided significant help managing the household.
She acknowledged that she needed extra time to prepare Chinese speeches due to her limited proficiency in the language.
“I spent more time preparing Chinese speeches so that I could be clearly understood, then spent even more time memorising them, particularly for events without a rostrum or dialogue settings where I speak without a script,” she recalled.
Lee Kuan Yew called contested elections a ‘baptism of fire’
During the 2011 General Elections, her constituency Kreta Ayer-Kim Seng was part of Tanjong Pagar GRC under the leadership of the late Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew.
“I contested against the Opposition twice when my constituency was part of Jalan Besar GRC, but Tanjong Pagar GRC never faced any competition,” she said.
On Nomination Day, the PAP Tanjong Pagar GRC team, which included Mr Lee, Dr Neo, Chan Chun Sing, Indranee Rajah, and Chia Shi Lu waited at the nomination centre to see if any Opposition candidates would contest their seats. As time passed, it became clear there would likely be no contest.
“Mr Lee told us, ‘Nothing like [a contested election for] a baptism of fire,’” she recalled.
“He believed you must fight with the Opposition to feel the real difference. He would have preferred that somebody submitted papers to fight with us.”
Dr Neo described Mr Lee as a strong, capable, and lovable person whom she deeply respected.
“He was such a great figure. His intelligence, his ability to think and speak so well, to see so far down the road. That was fantastic. His vision, his love for Singapore, his love for his people.”
“Without him, there would be no Singapore today. I wouldn’t be where I am today. My children wouldn’t be where they are today. I loved him as a person and as a leader. As part of the GRC, I enjoyed working with him and learning from his guidance.”
