Yeoh Ghim Seng
Yeoh Ghim Seng | |
---|---|
杨锦成 | |
File:Yeoh Ghim Seng.jpg | |
Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore | |
In office 27 January 1970 – 17 August 1988 | |
President | Yusof Ishak Benjamin Sheares Devan Nair Wee Kim Wee |
Prime Minister | Lee Kuan Yew |
Deputy | Tang See Chim Hwang Soo Jin Tan Soo Khoon |
Preceded by | Punch Coomaraswamy |
Succeeded by | Tan Soo Khoon |
Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore | |
In office 11 July 1968 – 26 January 1970 | |
Preceded by | Punch Coomaraswamy |
Succeeded by | Tang See Chim |
Acting President of Singapore | |
In office 31 March 1985 – 2 September 1985 | |
Prime Minister | Lee Kuan Yew |
Preceded by | Wee Chong Jin (acting) |
Succeeded by | Wee Kim Wee |
In office 12 May 1981 – 23 October 1981 | |
Prime Minister | Lee Kuan Yew |
Preceded by | Benjamin Sheares |
Succeeded by | Devan Nair |
In office 23 November 1970 – 2 January 1971 | |
Prime Minister | Lee Kuan Yew |
Preceded by | Yusof Ishak |
Succeeded by | Benjamin Sheares |
Personal details | |
Born | Ipoh, Perak, British Malaya | 22 June 1918
Died | 3 June 1993 Singapore | (aged 74)
Cause of death | Lung cancer |
Resting place | Mount Vernon Crematorium |
Nationality | Singaporean |
Political party | People's Action Party |
Education | University of Cambridge |
Profession | Surgeon |
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 1989.
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
Yeoh received his early education at St. Michael's Institution in his hometown of Ipoh (in Malaysia) and at Penang Free School. He studied medicine at Cambridge University in the 1940s and was on attachment to hospitals there before becoming a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1950.
Career
In 1951, Yeoh returned to Malaya to become consultant surgeon to the Singapore General Hospital. When he was appointed professor of surgery at the then University of Malaya in 1955, he was one of the first locals to hold that chair. He resigned the chair in 1962 to set up what became a lucrative private practice, but continued to train medical graduates from the university. A six-footer, Yeoh was described once as "the biggest but fastest Asian surgeon".
Yeoh's political career began in 1966 when he was recruited by the People's Action Party to stand in a by-election in Joo Chiat. He won by a walkover and served as the constituency's MP for 22 years.[4] His preoccupation with medicine precluded a ministerial appointment; instead, he was made deputy speaker in 1968, and elected speaker two years later. 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".[citation needed] As speaker, Yeoh's residence was the Command House.[5]
In 1977, he also became the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Organization's (AIPO) first president.[6]
Awards and honour
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.
In 1993, the National University of Singapore created the Yeoh Ghim Seng Professorship in Surgery in his honour.[7]
Death
Yeoh died on 3 June 1993 of lung cancer at the Singapore General Hospital.[8] He was survived by his wife, five daughters and 15 grandchildren.[8]
References
- ^ "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)
- ^ "Former Speaker Yeoh Ghim Seng dies at 74". Business Times. 4 June 1993. p. 2.
- ^ "House to elect a new Head of State". The Straits Times. 24 November 1970. p. 1.
- ^ "POLITICIANS IN SINGAPORE ELECTIONS (Y - Z)". Singapore Elections. Archived from the original on 30 June 2007. Retrieved 19 February 2007.
- ^ "Command House". Singapore National Library. 2016. Archived from the original on 26 August 2020.
- ^ "BACKGROUND AND HISTORY". ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Organization. Archived from the original on 27 February 2007. Retrieved 7 March 2007.
- ^ Leong, Weng Kam (10 January 1993). "NUS creates professorship to honour Dr Yeoh". The Straits Times. p. 3.
- ^ a b 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.
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