PUBLISHED ONJuly 20, 2023 11:15 AMByClaudia TanIt's never too late to find love again, and Ng Kok Song has proven it.
The 75-year-old presidential hopeful is engaged to Sybil Lau who is 30 years his junior.
The couple turned up at the Elections Department on Wednesday (July 19) morning to collect forms for the upcoming Presidential Election.
Besides sharing why he's running for president, the former GIC investment chief also spoke with the media about his relationship with his fiancee.
Ng, who is executive chairman of Avanda Investment Management, said he met Lau through a mutual friend in 2019 and the pair connected almost instantly.
They got engaged in 2020 and have plans to tie the knot next year.
"I fell for Sybil very early on. There was an occasion when she sent me a very touching voice message," he told Shin Min Daily News.
"When I found out she had feelings for me, I was so happy that I cried, because I never thought I'd find love again at this age."
Ng married his first wife, Patricia, in 1972, and had three children with her. She died of stomach cancer in 2005.
Ng's children are aged between 33 and 50, and all of them are married.
In another interview with CNA, Ng said that when he told his children about Lau, they didn't seem to mind the age gap, and instead asked if he was happy with her.
"My family said: 'What's important is that you're happy, and we're delighted that we now have Sybil to take care of you'," he shared.
Lau, a board member of a venture company, also shared what drew her to Ng.
"I was amazed when he told me that he was so lucky to have met his late wife Patricia. I heard from him that she had cancer... and that he took a year off work to take care of her.
"I found that incredibly moving because here is a man who you don't expect to do things like that, but he puts his family first, even before work," she said.
Despite being 75 this year, Ng told Shin Min that he actually feels 20 years younger.
"I think that's why Sybil doesn't mind [the age gap]. Although we are 30 years apart, but I think if we look at our mental ages, I think I'm only about 10 years older than her."
Lau chimed in: "He even says I'm older than him mentally!"
Besides his youthful mindset, Ng also takes great care of his health by exercising regularly.
"I take walks or swim, not for very long, just 20 minutes each time. Sometimes I also play tennis and golf," he said.
And it seems that his efforts are paying off, as his doctor gave him a clean bill of health after a check-up last week.
Ng is the oldest among those who have announced their intention to contest in the upcoming presidential election -- former senior minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam is 66 while entrepreneur George Goh is 63.
READ ALSO: 5 things to know about presidential hopeful Ng Kok Song
claudiatan@asiaone.com
