Driving with pride
Tanga takes pride in ensuring a safe and smooth drive for senior management members
NUS Specialist AssociateJ Tangaprakasam, or Tanga as he is commonly known, recalled his days as a young child who sat enthralled during story-telling time by his late grandfather.
“My grandfather told me about a farmer who brought his goat to the same spot on the field to graze every time – it returnedsafely every day. However, when he started bringing the goat to different spots to graze, it eventually went missing,” said Tanga.
The anecdote may sound simplistic but the moral of his grandfather’s story is – dedicate yourself to your job or else risk losing “everything” if you job-hop. It became 58-year-old Tanga’s life mantra.
With an unwavering sense of loyalty, Tanga has steadfastly served NUS – his first job – for almost 40 years. His career choice was also influenced by his father who was a military driver in the British army.
During the 1980s to early 2000s, Tanga was the personal driver of former NUS Vice Chancellor Prof Lim Pin and former NUS President Prof Shih Choon Fong. He also occasionally drove the then Ministers for Education who included retired politician Mr Lee Yock Suan and Deputy Prime Minister Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, to school meetings.
“Contrary to what many people think, driving is not a laid-back job – it is challenging as I am always learning – about new places of interest, and finding out more about landmarks,” Tanga pointed out.
Awareness of new landmarks, such as hotels and business centres, is important in his line of work. For instance, when Marina Bay Sands first opened, Tanga had to familiarise himself with different parts of the venue, to know precisely the drop-off point for a particular meeting or event. Hence, he usually goes for a recce of the venue beforehand.
Currently the personal driver of NUS Deputy President (Academic Affairs) and Provost Professor Tan Eng Chye, Tanga ferries other senior management staff as well. “They are very humble and friendly; some of them would crack jokes during the journey,” said the affable father of two grown-up children, who also work in the transport sector.
Ever mindful of punctuality, Tanga dutifully ensures that he arrives at the destination 10 minutes earlier. On some days, Tanga reports for work as early as 6am to pick up the car to be in time for early morning meetings. He skips lunch to avoid any post-lunch drowsiness.
“As I would treat my family members, I take the responsibility to do my best to drive senior management safely, punctually and smoothly from point to point,” highlighted Tanga.
Not just confined to local roads, his driving experience also covers Malaysian destinations such as Malacca and Kuala Lumpur where he has driven senior management as well as visiting professors.
Tanga takes occasional short breaks, visiting Penang or Pulau Langkawi with his wife. He has no plans to call it a day any time soon. “I don’t think about retiring. I see my job as my hobby – I feel energised by work and I enjoy the challenge. The way you see yourself is important as it affects the way you live your life,” he added.
Tanga is one of NUS Everyday Icons—people who have shaped the University in unique ways—to be featured in a monthly series to mark NUS’ 110th anniversary.
