has your existence benefited anyone

‘Has your existence benefited anyone?’: Gerard Ee on legacy and a life of serviceTheresa TanFollow topic:AIC/Agency for Integrated CareSummaryGerard Ee has retired again after years in key public roles, including National Kidney Foundation (NKF), Public Transport Council and Agency for Integrated Care, after a life time of public service.He helped steady the NKF crisis, reviewed ministerial salaries, and faced heavy public pressure. He said his focus was always on how lives improved.Ee, now 77, has faced prostate and colon cancer, and he plans to keep sharing his life experiences with others. He says true legacy is whether his life benefited others.AI generatedPublished Oct 11, 2026, 12:00 PMUpdated Oct 11, 2026, 7:42 PMListenAnother high-profile assignment followed when he headed the committee to review ministerial salaries. The public interest in the matter brought renewed pressure, and his hand bled again.  The committee recommended significant pay cuts after pegging ministerial pay to a much wider pool of top earners here, and factoring in a 40% discount off the market benchmark to reflect the ethos of political service. The Government accepted its recommendations in 2012.‘I can only be myself, for better or for worse’Ee’s introduction to volunteering came early. As a boy, he was exposed to charity work by his father, the late Ee Peng Liang, affectionately known as Singapore’s “father of charity” and founder of the Community Chest.But it was only in his late 20s, while helping his father with the logistics of a TV fund-raiser, that he met many people with disabilities. That left a lasting impression, which sparked his life of service.He said: “It was the first time I felt touched. In spite of their condition, they were so cheerful and positive, and it was then that I felt the tug to want to do something more.”Over the next few decades, Ee championed causes such as accessibility for people with disabilities, youth rehabilitation and active ageing.The long list of organisations he chaired includes the National Council of Social Service, the Charity Council, the Council for Third Age, Automobile Association of Singapore and the Eastern Health Alliance. For Ee, success has always been measured in human outcomes.“I very much believe that when you do good, you must focus on the outcomes and not the output. And the easiest way to measure outcomes is the answer to the question: how have peoples’ lives improved because of what you have done to help?”More on this topicRevised salary framework for political appointment holders and MPs: What are the key changes?There’s every reason to embrace ageing with positivityEe, the youngest of five children, said he never felt burdened to live up to his father’s reputation. This is even though some people who had once sought his father’s help turned to him after his father’s death. “I would do my best, but I would not try to imitate my father because I can only be a poor imitation. I can only be myself, for better or for worse,” he said.In his second retirement, Ee intends to keep sharing his experience with younger people and share insights on ageing and other topics on social media. Asked what he hoped his legacy would be, he returned to the lesson from his father.“That my existence has benefited people. He said at the end of the day, the most important answer is whether your existence has benefited anyone or not.”Then, with a chuckle, he added: “And he went on to say even a dog has given much love and happiness to its owner.”Theresa Tan is the senior social affairs correspondent at The Straits Times. She covers issues that affect families, youth and vulnerable groups.See more onAIC/Agency for Integrated CareKidney diseasesNational Council of Social Service (NCSS)