Yeoh Ghim Seng

Yeoh Ghim Seng BBM JP (Chinese: 杨锦成; pinyin: Yáng Jǐnchéng; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Iôⁿ Gím-sêng) was a Singaporean politician who served as Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore between 1970 and 1988.

Yeoh Ghim Seng
BBM JP
杨锦成
Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore
In office
27 January 1970 – 17 August 1988
DeputyTang See Chim
Hwang Soo Jin
Tan Soo Khoon
Preceded byPunch Coomaraswamy
Succeeded byTan Soo Khoon
Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore
In office
11 July 1968 – 26 January 1970
Preceded byPunch Coomaraswamy
Succeeded byTang See Chim
President of Singapore
Acting
In office
31 March 1985 – 2 September 1985
In office
12 May 1981 – 23 October 1981
In office
23 November 1970 – 2 January 1971
Member of Parliament
for Joo Chiat SMC
In office
2 November 1966 – 17 August 1988
Preceded byFong Kim Heng
Succeeded byConstituency abolished
Personal details
Born(1918-06-22)22 June 1918
Ipoh, Perak, British Malaya
Died3 June 1993(1993-06-03) (aged 74)
Singapore
Cause of deathLung cancer
Resting placeMount Vernon Crematorium
NationalitySingaporean
Political partyPeople's Action Party
EducationUniversity of Cambridge
ProfessionSurgeon
In this Chinese name, the family name is Yeoh.

He is one of the longest-serving speakers of any parliament in the world.[1][2] Yeoh served briefly as the acting president of Singapore between the death of Yusof Ishak on 23 November 1970[3] and the inauguration of President Benjamin Sheares on 2 January 1971.

Early life and education

Yeoh was born on 22 June 1918 in Ipoh.[4] He received his early education at St. Michael's Institution and at Penang Free School.[5] Yeoh studied medicine at the Cambridge University, England in the 1940s and was attached to hospitals in England. He became a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1950.[4]

Medical career

In 1951, Yeoh left England for Singapore to become consultant surgeon to the Singapore General Hospital.[4] In 1955, he was appointed professor of surgery at the University of Malaya.[4] He resigned the chair in 1962 to set up his private practice, but continued to train medical graduates from the university.[4] A six-footer, Yeoh was described once as "the biggest but fastest Asian surgeon".[4]

Political career

In 1966, Yeoh was recruited by the People's Action Party to stand in the Joo Chiat by-elections. The by-elections was uncontested and he was elected with a walkover. He would be the constituency's Member of Parliament for 22 years.[6]

In 1968, Yeoh was appointed deputy speaker and elected speaker two years later.[4]

When President of Singapore Yusof Ishak died on 23 November 1970 due to heart failure,[7][8] Yeoh became the acting President, per the duties of the speaker, the following day.[9]

In 1977, Minister of law, environment, science and technology, E. W. Barker, congratulating him on his re-election to yet another term as speaker, said that if not for Yeoh's commitment to surgery, he "could with ease and distinction occupy one of the front benches on this side of the House".[4] As speaker, Yeoh's residence was the Command House.[10] [11]

In 1977, he also became the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Organization's (AIPO) first president.[12]

Yeoh retired from politics in 1988.[2]

Awards

Yeoh was a Public Service Star (B.B.M.) recipient, an active Rotarian, and a justice of the peace who also served as chairman of various boards including the Detainees' Aftercare Association and the University of Singapore Council.

Personal life

Yeoh's wife, Winnie Khong, was also from Ipoh, and they married in 1941 while both were studying in England.[13]

Yeoh died on 3 June 1993 of lung cancer at the Singapore General Hospital.[14] He had five daughters and 15 grandchildren.[14]

Legacy

In 1993, the National University of Singapore created the Yeoh Ghim Seng Professorship in Surgery in his honour.[15]

References
  1. "List of former Speakers of the Singapore Parliament". Archived from the original on 8 August 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2022. Scroll to Yeoh Ghim Seng (1970 – 1989)
  2. "Former Speaker Yeoh Ghim Seng dies at 74". Business Times. 4 June 1993. p. 2.
  3. "House to elect a new Head of State". The Straits Times. 24 November 1970. p. 1 – via NewspaperSG.
  4. Chua, Mui Hoong (4 June 1993). "Dr Yeoh put 'surgical skill' to good use in the House". The Straits Times. p. 26. Retrieved 24 May 2023 – via NewspaperSG.
  5. Suryadinata, Leo, ed. (2012). "Yeo Ghim Seng". Southeast Asian Personalities of Chinese Descent: A Biographical Dictionary. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. p. 1350. ISBN 9789814345224. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  6. "POLITICIANS IN SINGAPORE ELECTIONS (Y - Z)". Singapore Elections. Archived from the original on 30 June 2007. Retrieved 19 February 2007.
  7. "Cabinet pays last respects". The Straits Times. 24 November 1970. Archived from the original on 20 April 2016. Retrieved 6 April 2016 – via NewspaperSG.
  8. "Yusof Ishak". www.roots.sg. National Heritage Board. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  9. "Houseto elect a new Head of State". The Straits Times. 24 November 1970. p. 1. Retrieved 24 May 2023 – via NewspaperSG.
  10. "Command House". Singapore National Library. 2016. Archived from the original on 26 August 2020.
  11. "Former Command House".
  12. "BACKGROUND AND HISTORY". ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Organization. Archived from the original on 27 February 2007. Retrieved 7 March 2007.
  13. "Ipoh couple to wed in England". Pinang gazette and Straits chronicle. 21 June 1941. p. 5. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  14. Wang, Hui Ling (4 June 1993). "Former Speaker Dr Yeoh dies of lung cancer at 74". The Straits Times (retrieved from NLB). p. 1. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  15. Leong, Weng Kam (10 January 1993). "NUS creates professorship to honour Dr Yeoh". The Straits Times. p. 3.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.