So much has been said about my father in the last few days. He was a gentleman; a man who pursued his visions and beliefs with great passion, conviction and dedication.

Being a Chinese scholar, simply translated, means loyalty, devotion, filial piety, compassion, benevolence and love - these were the cornerstone virtues by which he led his life.

Credibility and integrity to him were paramount.

Dad entered politics in 1972. I was six years old then and my brother, Boon, was four. Dad's work took him away from the family a lot.

To make up for the little time he had with us at home, he would often take us along on his meet-the-people sessions, his walkabouts, to his CCC (Citizen's Consultative Committee) meetings and other gatherings.

I grew up to know Kim Keat Community Centre very well and also grew up to understand that he was away from the family for a greater cause.

Confucius broke down the progression for the development of a righteous, virtuous and accomplished person, saying:

He modelled his own development after that and he wanted the same for us I remember I was a very playful boy who put very little effort into my studies and my results bore out that fact.

When I was about 10, Dad sat me down and told me something that I will never forget. He said: "You are what you make yourself out to be. As parents, we will do our best to provide for you as best as we can. We will always be here to give you love, advice and help.

"If despite all that, you put no effort into your studies and subsequently do not make it in life, you have only yourself to blame."

That really made a big impact on me. I made it through the Singapore educational system and I know Dad was truly relieved.

Dad was a great listener. He always had time to listen to us. He was very interested to know what our thoughts on various subjects were and whatever problems we were facing.

He would always share his thoughts and advice in return, but most importantly, he would never impose his own thinking on us.

We were always allowed to make our own mistakes and learn from them. He would, however, be very cross if we were to repeat the mistakes.

He often told us: "Do not be afraid of mistakes, make all the mistakes you can while you are still young. Learn from them and never repeat them."

But when we did make mistakes, he always stood by us and helped us pick up the pieces.

Dad allowed us to pursue whatever interests we had and to study anything we wanted. He put no pressure on us.

Boon and I remember fondly similar incidents and a typical one would be where we would ask for permission to go out with our friends.

Dad's response would be: "Your exams are around the corner and you should really be studying but I leave the decision up to you."

We would, invariably, go out with our friends but would then develop this huge feeling of guilt and rush home.

This particular mistake, however, was one we repeated often and one that Dad eventually got used to.

Dad was at heart a simple man. At home, he would wear the same clothing for years and have them mended numerous times until they could be mended no more.

My mother would buy new shoes for him but he would always favour his old ones saying: "I can still wear my old ones. I find them more comfortable."

He wore the same watch and used the same briefcase for 20 years.

His favourite meal was rice, an egg done sunny-side up and a piece of luncheon meat. It's a meal that has since become a family favourite.

Dad never liked to inconvenience anyone.

We suspect that he sometimes kept a lot from us as he did not want to trouble us with his problems.

Which was why Mum's passing was a great loss to him. He shared everything with Mum. He loved her dearly. In the last few months of his presidency, he decided not to run for another term - after much discussion with the family - as he had hoped to spend more time with Mum. Sadly, this was not to be.

A day before he passed away, he played the piano - something that he had not been able to do the last few weeks - and he played Mom's favourite tunes. Then he said he was tired and went to bed.

Playing the piano was the last significant thing he did before embarking on his journey to meet Mum.

Dad, we thank you for everything you have done for us. We are very proud of you. We love you. We are going to miss you.