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The PAP MP always prioritises time with his children, aged between five and 13. Every morning, he wakes them up at around 6am and sends them to school. In the evening, he makes it a point for the family to have dinner together, and tries to end evening engagements by 8.20pm to tuck them into bed.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a parent, I don’t believe that quality time is good enough. I believe quantity time is necessary. So I prioritise frequent, regular interactions with my children, and that doesn’t go away. You have to be faithful in the small things,\u201d he told CNA during an interview at Bendemeer Market and Food Centre.<\/p>\n
That means finding pockets of family time between morning and evening commitments, or sometimes taking the children along. He draws the line, however, at posting their pictures online.<\/p>\n
“I don’t choose how many children I have based on the life that I want to lead. I choose the life that I want to lead based on the number of children I have,” said Mr Loh, who turns 40 this year.<\/p>\n
Fatherhood has also informed his parliamentary work. Serving on government parliamentary committees for manpower, finance and trade and industry, he also raises issues in those domains, which he says are underrepresented in debate.<\/p>\n
“A lot of our MPs come from a more community mobilisation, social sector background,” he said. Issues such as income tax and International Monetary Fund contributions draw less interest than scams or personal mobility devices.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“The number of MPs speaking often does not reflect the importance of the issue, and I want to be part of that moderating factor.”<\/p>\n
When asked about voting against his position on an issue, Mr Loh said the party “makes a distinction between a vote and a voice”.\u00a0<\/p>\n
MPs vote according to the party’s position but are not required to speak with one voice, he said, citing his push for basic childcare subsidies and for returning budget surpluses above 2 per cent of GDP to Singaporeans as examples of veering from the government’s stance.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n