LIFE WITH THE LEES: Nanny shares memories of working for Kuan Yew & family

94-year-old Ouyang Huan Yan, Yan Kou, from Shunde, worked for Singapore's first family as a nanny for four decades.

Yan Kou, when she was 18, came to Singapore with her sister. She started work with famous overseas Chinese Tan Kah Kee's family for nine years. After the war, Lee Kuan Yew's mother employed her to work for the Lees.

After working for the Lees for 1 year, Lee Kuan Yew returned from his overseas studies in the UK.

Lee Kuan Yew wrote in his memoirs, his wife would go to office every day, his young children were taken care of by reliable Guangdong maids. Yan Kou is one of them. While with the Lees, Yan Kou started with doing the laundry, shopping and other chores. Yan Kou worked for the Lees for 40 years until 1986 when she and her sister returned to Shunde.

Recently, reporter Weng Shuxian visited Yan Kou to listen to her memories of working as a nanny for Singapore's first family.

Simple wedding

Yan Kou also remembered that after Lee Kuan Yew became the Prime Minster, she would often bring the children to the Istana after school in the afternoon. Lee Kuan Yew would entertain foreign dignitaries at the Istana, but continued to live at his Oxley home with his family.

Yan Kou would often prepares a simple breakfast at the home, Lee Kuan Yew usually drank a glass of Ovaltine, ate 2 pieces of bread and 2 eggs. Mrs Lee worked in the day as a lawyer, but in the evening after work she continued to do house chores, take care of the children and prepare dinner.

When Yan Kou first met Lee Kuan Yew, he just came back from his oversea studies in the UK, he was not very well versed in Mandarin then. But in person, Lee Kuan Yew was not westernized, instead he was rather traditional. When Lee Hsien Loong was only a few years old, Lee Kuan Yew brought a set of long sleeves mandarin jacket for his son during the Chinese New year.

A strict dad

Yan Kou revealed that Lee Kuan Yew was strict with the children. The children were also obedient, humble and not proud unlike children from other well to do families.

When Lee Kuan Yew disciplined the children privately in his room, no one was allowed to enter, even Mrs Lee was not allowed to intervene, or enter. The children would not dare to talk back. Although Yan Kou and the workers have never seen how Lee Kuan Yew disciplined the children, they would know from the children's expression when they came out.

Yan Kou remembered once Lee Hsien Loong was third in his class. Lee Kuan Yew was not satisfied with the result and called his son to his room. Then Lee Hsien Loong was frightened, Lee Kuan Yew told his son to get first next time. Since then Lee Hsien Loong would get first almost every time. Lee Kuan Yew was equally strict with his daughter who scored 10As.

Lee Kuan Yew also forbade the nanny to accompany the children to school. When Lee Hsien Loong was in Primary 3, he asked to go to school in the school bus (instead of being driven). At first Yan Kou was concerned Lee Hsien Loong would not be able to keep up with the school bus, but Lee Hsien Loong told her that he would dash to catch the school bus once the school bell rang. Lee Kuan Yew respected Lee Hsien Loong's decision, and let the children learn to adapt.

No airs

In addition, when the children turned 21, they were expected to be independent. Very often the children would ask the workers to buy stuff for them, Mrs Lee would insist the children pay for it themselves and would not pay on their behalf.

While working for the Lees, Yan Kou would address Lee Kuan Yew as Mr Lee even after he became the prime minister. His children were also very causal, and like their parents, have no airs. The workers would call the children by their names only.

Mr & Mrs Lee liked to drink coffee, eat beef, spicy dishes and curry, but that's not to the liking of Yan Kou who likes fish and Chinese dishes. So Mrs Lee would let the workers prepare whatever food they liked too.

Yan Kou said working for the Lees, was like staying at home. She only needed to inform the Lees before she went out. Sometime, she also invited her friends to her work place. Mrs Lee treated the workers well. In the past, the employer and employee contributed equal share to the employee's CPF. The Lees would pay for her share too.

When Yan Kou decided to leave the Lees, Mrs Lee requested for her to stay for some more years. Unfortunately Yan Kou's sister was in poor health.

Her home town did not have any telephone, but Lee Wei Ling would write to Yan Kou to keep in contact. Lee Wei Ling also sent a photo of the "whole family" to Yan Kou. When Lee Wei Ling's friend visited China, she would ask her friend to visit Yan Kou on her behalf.

- http://news.enorth.com.cn/

94岁顺德自梳女燕姑太在“新加坡第一家庭”做保姆四十年

在顺德“留洋”打工的自梳女中，职业生涯最辉煌的当属今年94岁的欧阳焕燕老姑太(下称“燕姑太”)。她18岁跟姐姐到新加坡打工，先是在著名华侨陈嘉庚家里做了9年工人。战后，她被李光耀的妈妈看中，开始在李家打工。

李光耀在自己的回忆录中写到，儿女小的时候，他太太每天出门办公时，有可靠的广东女佣看顾孩子们。燕姑太就是其中的一位。在李家，她从洗衣、买 东西等杂务做起，李光耀结婚生子后，又帮手照顾他三个子女的起居生活。直到1986年，她和姐姐从新加坡返回顺德老家定居，在李家整整工作了40年。

日前，本报记者拜访燕姑太，听她回忆在“新加坡第一家庭”四十年保姆生涯的点滴见闻。

文/记者翁淑贤

通讯员沈卫红

生活简单：

李光耀结婚摆茶不铺张

早餐爱喝阿华田吃鸡蛋

广州日报：您是怎么进入李光耀家当工人的？

燕姑太：以前我有个朋友在李光耀家帮手煮饭，我上李家找她玩，李光耀的妈妈见到我，感觉不错，便问我愿不愿意到她家去帮忙，我就去了。他家的工人其实并不多。连我在内，一个帮忙带孩子，一个做饭，另外一个搞卫生。

我去他家帮工一年多之后，李光耀才从英国留学回来。我开始是从洗衣、买东西等杂务做起的，直到李先生结了婚生了孩子，我才开始帮手照顾他子女的生活起居。

广州日报：他们当时办婚礼您有印象吗？

燕姑太：当时他就在自家的花园里办婚礼，没什么大阵仗，夫妇俩好像是去旅行结婚的。没有摆酒，只是“摆茶会”。亲友们一起在他家花园里喝餐茶、吃蛋糕。

广州日报：听说当上总理之后，李光耀仍然住在自己家里，没有搬到官邸去住？

燕姑太：是的。总理的官邸离他自己家很近，坐车就几分钟。在他孩子小的时候，每天下午放学后我们常带着他们到那里玩。他在官邸宴请国外政要，但跟家人还是生活在他欧思礼路的家中。

他们在家里时，我会帮他们夫妇做早餐。李先生通常是喝杯阿华田、吃两片面包和两个鸡蛋就行了。李太太是个律师，白天有自己的工作，但晚上回到家也会干点家务，自己带孩子呀、下厨房什么都做的。

尊重传统：

过年给儿子穿长衫马褂

让子女从小上华文学校

广州日报：在新加坡人中，华人的比例超过七成。李光耀也是华人，但他年轻时好像不会讲华语，生活是不是也比较西化？

燕姑太：我最初接触他，他刚从英国留学回到新加坡，确实不太会讲华语。但他在生活中并不是人们想象的那么西化，而是很尊重传统。李显龙才几岁大 的时候，李先生还没当总理。我记得有一年快过春节，他和李太太还特地跑到香港给李显龙做了一套长衫马褂，让他过年的时候穿，还给他拍了照片留念。

广州日报：您跟他们在家里交流都是讲英语吗？

燕姑太：他们跟我们讲马来语，或是讲点简单的英语，我们也能听得懂。李先生小时候上的是英校，但他从小就让三个子女上华文学校，他与太太在家跟孩子讲英语。所以，他们的子女从小就会讲华语、英语和马来语。

教子有方：

子女成绩优异但不骄傲

自立年纪就要自己买单

广州日报：李光耀在他的回忆录中提到他的孩子，说每当孩子们特别顽皮或不听话时，他太太会动用藤条，而他从不体罚孩子，但很严厉。您看过他们管教孩子的情形吗？

燕姑太：他们对子女要求很严格的，子女都很听话，不像有些贵家子弟一样娇气，也不自以为是。虽然家里有工人，但他们不让工人跟孩子去上学，情愿让工人呆在家里。不过，他们会让司机搭孩子去学校。

他管教孩子时会叫到屋里关上门，不让其他人进去，连太太都不能出声、甚至不让进去看，我们当工人的更不让看、不敢劝。就像旧时父母管教我们一 样，做子女的都不敢顶嘴，甚至连哭都不敢。我虽然没有当面看到他管教孩子的样子，但有时候孩子从他的房间出来，脸上表情不对，我们悄悄问便知道发生什么事 了。

我记得有一次，李显龙在班里几十个孩子中成绩排第三名，李先生不太满意，把他叫到房间里去问：怎么才考第三名？显龙吓得脸色都变了。李先生可能 也有点心疼了，便说“这一次不追究，以后得考第一回来”。后来，李显龙几乎次次都考第一。他对儿子严格，对女儿也一样的。新加坡人考9门A就很了不起了， 他女儿考了10门A，很有本事的。

除了严厉，他们也很尊重子女的。李显龙读小学3年级就想自己坐校车去上学，一开始我们担心他跟不上校车、没位子坐怎么办？他倒很有经验，告诉我 们说：只要放学的铃声一响，就马上“飙上校车”，找个位子坐好就能回来了。其实，当时父母并没要求他这么做，看他自己喜欢，父母就由他去，支持他去适应。

另外，子女读完书，21岁就要自立。当年他们还跟父母住在一起，用的东西经常托我们买。我们买完东西回来跟李太太对账时，一提到她子女要的东西，她便很干脆地说“你找他们算账去”。

主仆情深：

回国前李太太再三挽留

大小姐近年仍托人问好

广州日报：您在李家时怎么称呼他们？平常跟他们交流多不多、相处得好不好？

燕姑太：我们一直都叫李光耀先生，即使后来李光耀当上总理了，我们还是照旧称呼他李先生。他们的子女也很随和，像父母一样没半点架子，让我们叫他们的名字就可以了。

李先生夫妇喜欢喝咖啡、吃辣椒和咖喱做的菜，爱吃牛肉。但我们吃不惯，还是喜欢吃鱼、吃中国菜。李太太对我们很好，让我们喜欢吃什么就自己买来吃。

广州日报：新加坡的福利不错，您在李家做工，有没有假期和其他福利？

燕姑太：在李家做工，有事向主人说一声就可以出去，像在自己家里一样。有时，我也会带姐妹到李家串门，李夫人对她们也不错。以前在新加坡打工要交一份公积金，工人交一半，事主替我们交一半。在李先生家，本该我们交的那一半他们也给交了。

广州日报：您回到顺德老家后，跟李家还有没有联系？

燕姑太：当时要回老家，李太太再三留我，让我做多几年，但我姐姐身体不好，我要回来跟她做伴。后来慢慢习惯了家乡的生活，身体也比之前好些，我就决定不再回去了。

以前乡下没电话，联系不方便，不过大小姐李玮玲还是给我写信，问我什么时候回去。她还给我寄了“全家福”。这几年有朋友来中国，她还托他们来问候我。