I wanted to pursue justice, not wealth: Tommy Koh on 55 years in diplomacy, family & S'pore

Tommy Koh, former ambassador-at-large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), announced his retirement earlier in August, bringing an end to 55 years of service.

He was also conferred the Minister for Foreign Affairs Lifetime Distinguished Service Award by Foreign Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan on Aug. 7.

Throughout his life, said Koh, he was never interested in pursuing wealth. Instead, he wanted to pursue justice.

"I wanted to use the law to defend the poor against the rich, and the weak against the strong," the 88-year-old said in a video posted on the MFA's Instagram page on Sep. 1.

Young ambassador to the United Nations

At the age of 30, Koh was appointed Singapore's permanent representative to the United Nations.

He recalled hesitating when then-Foreign Minister S Rajaratnam first asked him to take on the role, as he felt he was not qualified for it.

"I was too young... No experience," he said, but there was no one else to take on the position.

According to him, most of the ambassadors at the UN were much older and more senior than him.

In that sense, he considered himself to be "very lucky", as it meant that he was able to learn from senior diplomats who took him under their wing, and helped him understand the workings of international diplomacy.

Spent a decade on the Law of the Sea

Beyond his role at the UN, Koh also served as Singapore’s ambassador to Canada and Mexico.

He was also Singapore’s contact person with China and led the Singapore delegation to the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Being a country close to the sea, said Koh, Singapore was a "transshipment point" and a hub for navigation and trade.

"The sea is very important to us, and the old laws governing the seas were breaking down," he recalled.

As such, when the UN decided to convene a conference to negotiate a new international law governing the seas, Koh told the Singapore government that the country had to participate to protect its interests as a trading nation, shipping nation and port state.

He eventually spent 10 years working on UNCLOS.

Life was harder for his wife

Behind Koh's long diplomatic career was his wife, Poh Siew Aing, who he said had to make a "dramatic" transition.

Koh described his wife as a pessimist who would often warn him that things could go wrong.

"I’m always telling her, don’t worry, everything will be okay," he said.

"Most of the time I’m right," he added with a quip.

For his wife, the journey was far more challenging, he said.

Poh went from being a medical student who had never travelled abroad to becoming the wife of a UN ambassador.

"I was happy in the UN, but for her, she had to look after the two children," Koh said.

She also had to learn how to cook and host guests, as she had to take care of the diplomats and VIPs visiting New York.

"Life was harder for her than for me", he said. "The transition was too dramatic for her."

But despite the challenges, Poh stood firmly by her husband throughout his diplomatic career.

Lessons from his parents

Koh also reflected on the influence of his parents, whom he described as very different people.

His mother was Shanghainese while his father was Hokkien.

His father was a businessman and a "frustrated linguist", while his mother had been an actress and dancer when she was young.

Koh said he learnt different lessons from each of them.

"From my mother, I would say I learned to love the arts. From my father, I learned something else, which is courage."

That courage, he said, included having the conviction to stand up to bullies and defend Singapore even when the odds were against it.

"From very young, I sort of championed the underdog, wanted everyone to be able to lead a life of dignity."

Koh also joked that he was never particularly interested in making money for himself — a trait his mother did not appreciate.

Singapore's success is "nothing short of a miracle"

Looking back at Singapore’s development, Koh described the country’s success over the past 61 years as "nothing short of a miracle".

He said he was proud of the racial and religious harmony Singapore has achieved.

"I'm particularly proud of the harmony between people of different races and religions," he said.

He pointed to the fact that Singapore’s President and Chief Justice are both from minority communities as an example of the country’s progress.

Koh also said Singapore had done well in educating its young people and preparing them for a rapidly changing world.

With developments in digital technology, robotics, artificial intelligence, and biotechnology, he urged young Singaporeans not to be afraid of change.

"We are well-positioned to do well in the new world," he affirmed. "I'm confident that we will continue to thrive and prosper."

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