Acting Minister for Manpower Jasmin Lau had more than 20 years of experience in the civil service before entering politics, serving in agencies including the Prime Minister's Office, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Health. But she considers heading the Ministry of Manpower the most difficult and stressful job she has ever held, with news of corporate layoffs or market changes coming almost daily.
Even so, if she had to sum up her feelings about entering politics in one word, she would choose “worthwhile”.
“It is worth doing. Although the work is stressful and I have lost some time with my family, on balance, this job is worth doing,” she said in a video interview with Lianhe Zaobao conducted in Mandarin.
Lau explained that the ministry's work makes a tangible difference to people's lives, so she never doubts whether the effort she puts into it is worthwhile. Her family's wholehearted support has also deepened the understanding between her and her husband, while the help from her parents and siblings has allowed her to appreciate different sources of happiness in life.
She acknowledged, however, that balancing work and family is a formidable challenge. She once felt deeply guilty after missing her child's school performance because she was working late. Having less time for her children has also made her the “soft touch” at home who gives in to their requests, leaving her husband to play the disciplinarian and set the rules.
Many members of the public have also told Lau through social media that, although provisions such as childcare leave are in place, they hesitate to apply because they worry about their work responsibilities and the burden on colleagues covering for them. Lau, a mother of two young boys, said: “It's easier for me to connect with the issue because I'm living it every day.”
Policies alone are far from enough, she said. Employers must also work to build a more supportive workplace culture. Employees who experience flexibility and goodwill often reciprocate with greater loyalty and dedication. When they become leaders themselves, they can pass that goodwill on to those under them.
On helping her children learn Chinese, Lau said she and her husband usually communicate in English. Trying to create a Mandarin-only environment at home would mean constantly translating what they wanted to say in their heads, which would be very taxing. Fortunately, she found a way forward: reading abridged versions of Journey to the West and Romance of the Three Kingdoms (《三国演义》) with her children.
Her children are fascinated by these long stories, she said. This makes learning Chinese an enjoyable, relaxed experience rather than a chore, such as preparing for spelling tests or having to write passages from memory.
Lau greatly enjoys teaching young children and finds the moment when something suddenly clicks for them deeply rewarding. “When I retire, I might even train to qualify as a preschool teacher!”
As the political office-holder overseeing the Government Technology Agency, Lau frequently uses artificial intelligence at work. In her private life, however, she deliberately keeps her distance from it.
She has tried asking AI to recommend games to play with her children and programming agents to help book badminton courts and buy groceries online. But she later came to realise that time with family should be device-free. Going to the supermarket to choose apples in person can also be an enjoyable part of a slower-paced daily life.
“I feel now that I don't need AI so much in my personal life. I value the humans around me. I sometimes value the friction in the relationship. I want to talk to my kids without my handphone around me.”
