Family & Life Magazine Issue 4 | Page 11

underestimated her academic abilities. She’s a way better student than I ever was,” he says proudly. As for their second daughter Cheryl, she’s following in her mother’s footsteps and majoring in business and accountancy, albeit at the Singapore Management University instead of NUS. with each other and with their two daughters, and they’re glad to share that they’ve had many of these. And the Cheongs are unlike many Asian “I became a General Practitioner, parents. “We actually don’t push our or GP, in the 80s, when it was the daughters hard or send them for least popular time to be one! In our enrichment classes,” says Dolly. circles then, if you became a GP, it’s Dr Cheong chimes in, “In fact, before as good as you failing your medical their examinations, we would head to examinations and getting kicked out the beach for a picnic. Our daughters into the boondocks.” would bring their school books so Dr Cheong even turned down two civil that they could study while still having service traineeships, which, according fun at the same time. After all, it was always great to get their minds out of to Dr Cheong, made him really the dining room where they usually unpopular with the then Permanent studied in.” Secretary. “He told me to not expect to show my face in the government sector ever again!” says Dr Cheong, They must be doing something right. laughing heartily, clearly unaffected Their oldest daughter is currently by the civil servant’s words. studying medicine (like father, like daughter) at the prestigious But, the Cheongs have never been King’s College and, to Dr Cheong’s bothered with money or keeping up surprise, is doing very well. “I was with appearances. To Dr Cheong, worried for her because it is such a reputation and status were, and still are, the least of his concerns, quite an competitive environment but I clearly home from work on time every day, a rather significant move considering the climate of his sector back then. irony consideri