Singapore — Does Singapore have its own equivalent of Dorian Gray?
Dorian Gray is the famous fictional character who stayed forever youthful, even as a portrait of him aged and withered in a room hidden from all but himself.
In this case, however, the man as he is now, though separated by close to four decades, is still recognisable from the image of the youth who had just completed his primary school education.
Education Minister Chan Chun Sing posted a photo on Facebook of himself in Secondary 1, on Wednesday (Dec 22), prompting several netizens to remark that his youthful appearance had hardly changed through the years.
The boyish-looking minister was born on Oct 9, 1969, so he would have been 12 or 13 when the photo was taken in 1982. Someone, he wrote, had found the picture in the archives of Raffles Institution, where he had studied from 1982 to 1985.
He posted that portrait on Wednesday as that was the day students in Singapore who had taken their Primary School Leaving Examination this year were to learn where they could be posted for secondary school.
Mr Chan recalled: “Remember the excitement of getting my secondary school posting. Part of the adventure was figuring out the bus routes to get to school, the new school schedule, trying the new canteen food, exploring the new CCAs (then called ECAs), meeting new teachers and making new friends.”
Unlike in the past, “our children have many more choices now to cater to their different interests and needs. Indeed, our commitment is to allow our students multiple pathways of success to develop according to their respective potential.”
He said: “To our students who are receiving their Secondary 1 posting results today — wishing you success and joy in your ongoing journeys of discovery and building of lifelong friendships,” ending his post with the hashtag, #ProudOfP6ers.
The minister’s post and photo seem to have resonated with many netizens, several of whom commented that he still looks the same. 
“Handsome boy”, one commenter wrote of Mr Chan’s photo.
One netizen who remarked that he had known Mr Chan since their schooldays said the picture brought back memories.
Another recalled the moment when the minister received his A level results.
/TISG
Read also: Chan Chun Sing: COVID-19 vaccination for kids 5-11 likely from year end
Chan Chun Sing: COVID-19 vaccination for kids 5-11 likely from year end