Khaw Boon Wan, the former Minister for Transport and Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure retired from politics earlier this year after 42 years of service.
He made that decision after his bypass surgery in 2010, which he described as “a traumatic, life changing event.”
As a result, he did not stand in the 2020 General Elections this year.
In a Facebook post yesterday, Khaw wrote that he felt “liberated” and revealed that he had amassed quite a collection of gifts over his years of service from “foreign dignitaries and well wishers”.
Khaw added that he paid for the gifts under regulations for the civil service.
Khaw, given that this was his final move, decided to give all of the gifts to his colleagues as mementos of the time he spent with them at the Transport Ministry, while he ties up his loose ends during his final days at the office.
Khaw summed up his feelings, saying: “And wonders of wonders, I am experiencing the lightness of feeling liberated! I feel free!”