Yong Nyuk Lin
Yong Nyuk Lin | |
|---|---|
杨玉麟 | |
.jpg) Yong in 1965 | |
| Minister for Communications | |
| In office 16 April 1968 – 31 July 1975 | |
| Prime Minister | Lee Kuan Yew |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Lim Kim San |
| Minister for Health | |
| In office 18 October 1963 – 15 April 1968 | |
| Prime Minister | Lee Kuan Yew |
| Preceded by | Kenneth Michael Byrne |
| Succeeded by | Chua Sian Chin |
| Minister for Education | |
| In office 5 June 1959 – 18 October 1963 | |
| Prime Minister | Lee Kuan Yew |
| Preceded by | Lim Yew Hock |
| Succeeded by | Ong Pang Boon |
| Member of the Malaysian Parliament for Singapore | |
| In office 2 November 1963[1] – 9 August 1965 | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Member of the Singapore Parliament for Geylang West SMC | |
| In office 30 May 1959 – 22 January 1979 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | Teh Cheang Wan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 24 June 1918 Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, British Malaya (now Malaysia) |
| Died | 29 June 2012 (aged 94) Singapore |
| Political party | People's Action Party (1959–1980) |
| Spouse |
Kwa Geok Lan (m. 1939) |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | Raffles College |
| Occupation | Politician |
Yong Nyuk Lin (Chinese: 杨玉麟; pinyin: Yáng Yùlín; 24 June 1918 – 29 June 2012) was a Singaporean former politician who served as the Minister for Communications between 1968 and 1975, Minister for Health between 1963 and 1968, and Minister for Education between 1959 and 1963.[2][3]
A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he was the Member of Parliament (MP) representing Geylang West SMC between 1959 and 1979. Yong also served as Singapore's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom between 1975 and 1977.[4]
Early life[edit]
Yong was born on 24 June 1918 in Seremban, Negri Sembilan, Malaysia and studied in Singapore at Raffles College, graduating with a degree in Science.[5]
He worked as a science teacher before switching to insurance, where he joined Overseas Assurance Company in 1941.[6] He served as the general manager of Overseas Assurance Company for 18 years before he resigned to stand for the 1959 general election in Singapore.[7]
Political career[edit]
Minister for Education (1959–1963)[edit]
While he served as Minister for Education, he planned to overhaul Singapore's education system, introducing a unified education programme and making Malay the national language.[8]
In 1959, Yong proposed building larger indoor sports halls with higher ceilings, suitable for playing badminton, as current indoor sports halls were about 25 feet.[9]
He was also an advocate for education, stating that, "The past is history and heritage of the world. Education is a key to that treasury. The drain-sweeper is entitled to hold that key, and I am to see that he gets it."[10]
In 1960, Yong proposed an idea of post-primary, where students who fail their Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) would take two more years of primary school before joining a normal secondary school.[11] He also had plans for schools in the future to be multi-leveled, wanting schools to have 4 levels as the standard.[12]
Minister for Health (1963–1968)[edit]
In 1963, Yong became the Minister for Health following a cabinet reshuffle.[13] In 1964, he announced the S$1.5 million expansion of Thomson Road Hospital (now known as Toa Payoh Hospital).[14]
Minister for Communications (1968–1975)[edit]
While he served as the Minister for Communications, he introduced the Area Licensing Scheme, which imposed tolls on motorists. Yong stepped down as Minister for Communications after a cabinet reshuffle. He retired in 1979 and worked as a director at Singapore Land Ltd.[6]
References[edit]
- ^ "PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES DEWAN RA'AYAT (HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES) OFFICIAL REPORT" (PDF). Dewan Rakyat. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
- ^ "Yong Nyuk Lin, member of Singapore's first Cabinet, dies". Channel NewsAsia. 29 June 2012. Retrieved 6 November 2012.
- ^ Duncan Sutherland (2017). "Yong Nyuk Lin". nlb.gov.sg. Archived from the original on 4 July 2019.
- ^ "Cabinet Changes Over The Decade" (PDF). National Archives of Singapore. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
- ^ "Two newcomers in straight fight in Geylang West". The Straits Times. 19 May 1959. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
- ^ a b "Our first Cabinet: Where are they now?". The Straits Times. 18 November 1984. p. 23. Retrieved 26 May 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
- ^ "Insurance firm manager quits to work for PAP". The Straits Times. 1 March 1959. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
- ^ "Yong completes his plans to overhaul schools system". The Singapore Free Press. 23 June 1959. p. 5. Retrieved 26 May 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
- ^ Gill, Verity (23 November 1959). "MINISTER HAS A PLAN TO WIN BACK THE THOMAS CUP". The Singapore Free Press. p. 8. Retrieved 26 May 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
- ^ Mok, Ian (17 August 1959). "ALL MUST BE EDUCATED IT IS BUT THEIR RIGHT". The Singapore Free Press. p. 4. Retrieved 26 May 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
- ^ "Yong: Singapore's task to make Malay the national tongue will succeed". The Singapore Free Press. 25 November 1960. p. 6. Retrieved 26 May 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
- ^ "Schools of the future may all be multi-storeyed". The Straits Times. 12 October 1960. p. 4. Retrieved 26 May 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
- ^ "Lee decides on new Cabinet in". The Straits Times. 16 October 1963. p. 1. Retrieved 26 May 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
- ^ "A second general state hospital". The Straits Times. 11 March 1964. p. 4. Retrieved 26 May 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
External links[edit]
- 1918 births
- 2012 deaths
- People from Meixian District
- Singaporean people of Hakka descent
- Members of the Parliament of Singapore
- People's Action Party politicians
- Singaporean politicians of Chinese descent
- Members of the Dewan Rakyat
- Members of the Legislative Assembly of Singapore
- Ministers for health of Singapore
- Ministers for Education of Singapore
- Communications ministers of Singapore