Yeoh Ghim Seng

Yeoh Ghim Seng BBM JP (simplified Chinese: 杨锦成; traditional Chinese: 楊錦成; pinyin: Yáng Jǐnchéng; 22 June 1918 – 3 June 1993) was Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore from 1970 to 1989.

Yeoh Ghim Seng
杨锦成
5th Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore
In office 27 January 1970 – 17 August 1988
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
President of Singapore (Acting)
In office 23 November 1970 – 2 January 1971
Prime Minister	Lee Kuan Yew
Preceded by	Yusof Ishak (President)
Succeeded by	Benjamin Henry Sheares (President)
In office 12 May 1981 – 23 October 1981
Prime Minister	Lee Kuan Yew
Preceded by	Benjamin Henry Sheares (President)
Succeeded by	Devan Nair (President)
In office 29 March 1985 – 2 September 1985
Prime Minister	Lee Kuan Yew
Preceded by	Wee Chong Jin (Acting President)
Succeeded by	Wee Kim Wee (President)
Personal details
Born	22 June 1918 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia (then the Federated Malay States, British Malaya)
Died	3 June 1993 (aged 74) Singapore
Cause of death	Lung Cancer
Resting place	Mandai Crematorium
Nationality	Singaporean
Political party	People's Action Party (1966-1993)
Education	University of Cambridge
Occupation	Surgeon, Politician

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

Early life

Dr. 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, Dr. 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".

Dr. 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.[3] 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, Mr E. W. Barker, congratulating him on his re-election to yet another term as Speaker, said that if not for Dr. Yeoh's commitment to surgery, he "could with ease and distinction occupy one of the front benches on this side of the House". As Speaker of the House, Dr Yeoh's residence was The Command House.[4]

In 1977, he also became the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Organization's (AIPO) first president.[5]

Awards and honour

Dr. 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. The National University of Singapore created the Yeoh Ghim Seng Professorship in Surgery in his honour.

Family and death

At the time of his death (of lung cancer) in 1993, he was survived by his wife, five daughters and 15 grandchildren.

References

1. "List of former Speakers of the Singapore Parliament". Archived from the original on 16 August 2011. Retrieved 22 August 2011.
2. "Obituary— Yusof Bin Ishak, 60, Singapore's President", Miami Herald, 24 November 1970, p3-B
3. "POLITICIANS IN SINGAPORE ELECTIONS (Y - Z)". Singapore Elections. Archived from the original on 30 June 2007. Retrieved 19 February 2007.
4. "Command House". Singapore National Library. 2016. Archived from the original on 26 August 2020.
5. "BACKGROUND AND HISTORY". ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Organization. Archived from the original on 27 February 2007. Retrieved 7 March 2007.