LTC (Ret) Soh Teck Kwee

After a fulfilling 28-year career in the Navy, Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) (Ret) Soh Teck Kwee is looking forward to serving the nation in another way – taking care of the needs of our community’s elders.

Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) (Ret) in the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN), Soh Teck Kwee’s aspiration for his second career is one that he has held close to his heart for some time. He is passionate about gerontology – the interdisciplinary study of the ageing process and eldercare.

“Singapore’s demographic shift into an aged society is happening at a rapid rate. By 2050, nearly half of the population will be aged 65 years and above. Furthermore, over the years, I’ve seen relatives suffer from age-associated diseases such as cancer, dementia and other chronic conditions, which made me realise that I am very ill-equipped to face ageing,” he explained.

Teck Kwee, who was Head Safety Analysis & Investigation at Naval Inspectorate in the Navy, retired in May 2018 after 28 years of service. He then went on to pursue and graduated with a Master of Science in Applied Gerontology from Nanyang Technological University. He has also been proactively involved in volunteer work, distributing food to the less privileged. Teck Kwee shares that he is also an active volunteer Silver Generation Ambassador. As an Ambassador, he communicates key government healthcare policies to seniors, and connects them to preventive healthcare and aged care services.

“As I discover more about the field of gerontology, I find it both rewarding and challenging to be able to make a difference in the quality of life for older people,” he says.

Receiving, and Giving Back

When asked about his take on a successful career transition, Teck Kwee cites the ability to pay it forward and to pursue unrealised passions with the skillsets acquired during one’s military career. And it is evident that he is well on his way to making his transition a successful one.

“I joined the SAF as it provided many attractive career prospects such as scholarships and opportunities to gain diverse working experiences. I have been fortunate to have a blessed life and a good career there,” shares Teck Kwee.

Now that he has retired from serving the nation as a serviceman, Teck Kwee is determined to pursue his passion for giving back to society as a civilian. He is confident about putting the diverse skills and knowledge acquired from his time in the SAF to good use in the eldercare sector.

“The SAF has equipped me with experience in data analysis, presentations, team motivation, safety management, security operations, logistics and finance management. I believe such a diverse set of competencies will be relevant and useful in the management roles I hope to embark on in the eldercare sector,” he adds.

He is also thankful for the soft skills he honed during his military career. The top three skills he feels are most helpful to him in his current capacity?

“Analytical abilities, organisational skills and effective communication skills with people of different cultural backgrounds and seniority,” he asserts.