17/03/2026
Rain or shine, 81-year-olds KK and Tina are probably on a bus right now, googling a new hawker centre to explore.
Their love story started at a church when they were just 14. They had to hide their relationship from old-fashioned parents, but for them, it was love at first sight. Today, their banter is as sharp as ever. “I love him to bits,” Tina laughs. KK quickly replies, “She wants me in pieces! But I love her as a whole.”
They’ve lived a dozen lives in one. In the 1970s, they moved to London and KK helped start the Rasa Sayang chain—the foremost Southeast Asian restaurant in London that hosted countless Malaysian ministers.
Since moving back to Singapore in 2016, they have refused to slow down. They are a familiar sight at Our Tampines Hub and Esplanade for live music, or at Paya Lebar, clapping loudly for local buskers.
Tina exercises with dumbbells daily and hits the fitness corner twice a week. KK? He prefers waking up at 12 PM and doesn't believe in exercise. But Tina drags him down anyway, where he sits, reads the news, and keeps her company.
At 81, KK still brokers the occasional deal and fiercely protects his spontaneity. “I like my freedom,” he says. “I don’t want to be told what to do and eat every day.” Their advice to the rest of us is simple: Live life every day to the fullest, don’t worry about the past or the future, and stay in the present.
Tina and KK are proof that life doesn’t slow down in your 80s. This story is part of our Take on Today series, celebrating the unstoppable, vibrant seniors of Singapore and the freedom to live every single day on your own terms.
