The 30-year age gap between presidential hopeful Ng Kok Song and his fiancée Sybil Lau might raise eyebrows but Ng doesn't care.
Ng is 75 while Lau is 45.
Ng became a widower in 2005 after his wife, Patricia, passed away from cancer.
Ng said to The Straits Times in 2012 that the love he experienced from Patricia was enough to last him a lifetime. However, he did not rule out falling in love again.
As it turns out, he did, albeit many years later.
Became acquainted through friend
Ng became acquainted with Lau in 2019 through a mutual friend and they hit it off.
Ng told Shin Min Daily News that he didn't think he would find love again at his age.
One of those friends knew Ng and arranged for both Ng and Lau to meet.
Ng said to Shin Min:
"I found her to be very intelligent. And of course, she is very beautiful. But my heart sank a little when I found out she was 41, because I was already 71."
Photo: Andrew Koay
The two continued to meet. Ng also supported Lau when her mother was coping with a serious illness.
Their relationship deepened over time.
"I fell in love with Sybil early on. Once, she sent me a very moving voice message. When I found out she also felt the same way about me, I was so happy that I cried because I didn't think that I would find true love again at this age."
Family approved
Acknowledging that their relationship was bound to set tongues wagging, Ng proceeded to break the news to his children.
He has a son (currently 50) and two daughters (47 and 33).
When his older daughter found out that Lau is younger than her, she said that it wasn't an issue as long as Ng is happy.
Photo: Andrew Koay
Ng's children met Lau and liked her too, said Ng.
The couple plans to get married in 2024.
Lau, out of respect for Chinese customs, chose to postpone the wedding for three years following the passing of her mother in 2021.
Lau was concerned that relationship would affect Ng's campaign
Lau, who is the granddaughter of prominent Hong Kong businessman Zhang Yuliang, told Shin Min that she initially had reservations about Ng's decision to run for the presidency.
She was concerned that her family, who prefer to be low-key, would be put in the spotlight. She also feared that their relationship might affect his campaign.
Lastly Lau wanted to understand why Ng, who doesn't seek fame or fortune, would choose to put himself forward for the role.
"All these years, he has been very low-key about his service to Singapore, rarely publicising it. So I realised that he is doing it for his country, not for himself."
Quotes were translated from Mandarin. Top photo by Andrew Koay.