Teo Cheow Tong (BAC Class of 1982) has come a long way, from helping his parents clean classrooms as a teenager to becoming a senior partner at accounting firm RSM Chio Lim. Growing up in harsh conditions, Cheow Tong overcame the odds to become a stalwart in Singapore’s accounting field.
“I grew up in a kampong (a rural village) with six siblings. I am the youngest and the only one who attended university. The family finances didn’t allow my siblings to go beyond secondary school education,” Cheow Tong recalled.
“My parents worked as coolies/helper in the British bases and subsequently as school cleaners to make ends meet. As a kid, I had to help my parents sweep or wash the floors during the year end school holidays because there were mass cleaning works to be done. I even worked at construction sites during school holidays while attending upper secondary school,” he added.
Cheow Tong also had to depend on bursaries until he reached university. By then, his family’s financial situation had stabilised, with his older siblings working and contributing income, allowing him to attend NUS Business School.
He chose the Accounting programme for a simple reason. “It was the shortest professional course. In those days, you just want to complete your study, go to work, and start bringing money back home to help with the family finances,” he said. “Although it was hard work, Accountancy is a good profession that enables us to develop our career,” Cheow Tong added.
While NUS gave Cheow Tong a career, it also gave him the chance to meet his future wife Teh Chuen. “We were in the same tutorial group and took the same bus to school. We got closer, and the rest is history,” he recalled.
Despite his busy work schedule after graduation, Cheow Tong never forgot his humble beginnings and would spend time giving back to the community, from supporting NUS Giving with donations to doing volunteer work such as spring cleaning seniors’ homes.
Setting up a bursary fund is the latest in Cheow Tong’s charitable actions. “There are many students from less fortunate backgrounds. Some have to work night and weekend jobs on top of their day jobs just to fund their studies. I benefited from an enriching university education, so when I retired last year, I want to pay it forward to today’s young accounting graduates.”
Cheow Tong recently set up the Mr and Mrs Teo Cheow Tong Bursary to support needy Year 2 or Year 3 local undergraduates pursuing the Accountancy programme at NUS Business School.