According to the Chinese calendar, he was born in the Year of the Horse, which symbolises speed and power.
He is the eldest son of a migrant family. His father was an immigrant from Guangdong province, China, who left for Malaya at the age of 15.
His father worked as a cook for free board and lodging until he had scraped together enough to become a small-time salesman and trader, dealing in clocks, watches, spectacles, vegetables and fruits – turning his hand to anything to make a meagre living.
Teh’s mother died when he was six.
“I had to take care of my siblings which made me a more caring person at a young age,” Teh told StarBiz.
His father re-married and the family grew to six boys and three girls. “He had to exercise thrift and stringent management of his meagre income to support the family,” Teh said. It probably sowed the seeds of the caring boss he was to become.
Teh grew up knowing what it was like to be poor, speaking of hand-me-downs, which were too large, worn and patched. He had very little pocket money and could not buy food at the school canteen like the other boys but had to make do with bread from home to the derision of his more fortunate companions.
He used to save his money for a rare treat of his favorite food – beef noodles or mee siam. He also did not possess a bicycle of his own but had to make do with the shop bike with its large, tell-tale carrier at the back.
