Yong Nyuk Lin

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In this Chinese name, the family name is Yong.
Yong Nyuk Lin
杨玉麟
Yong in 1965
Minister for Communications
In office
16 April 1968 – 31 July 1975
Prime MinisterLee Kuan Yew
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byLim Kim San
Minister for Health
In office
18 October 1963 – 15 April 1968
Prime MinisterLee Kuan Yew
Preceded byKenneth Michael Byrne
Succeeded byChua Sian Chin
Minister for Education
In office
5 June 1959 – 18 October 1963
Prime MinisterLee Kuan Yew
Preceded byLim Yew Hock
Succeeded byOng Pang Boon
Member of the Malaysian Parliament
for Singapore
In office
2 November 1963[1] – 9 August 1965
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byPosition abolished
Member of the Singapore Parliament
for Geylang West SMC
In office
30 May 1959 – 22 January 1979
Preceded byConstituency established
Succeeded byTeh Cheang Wan
Personal details
Born(1918-06-24)24 June 1918
Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, British Malaya (now Malaysia)
Died29 June 2012(2012-06-29) (aged 94)
Singapore
Political partyPeople's Action Party (1959–1980)
Spouse
Kwa Geok Lan
​
(m. 1939)​
Children2
Alma materRaffles College
OccupationPolitician

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]

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.[3]

Early life and education[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.[4]

He worked as a science teacher before switching to insurance, where he joined Overseas Assurance Company in 1941.[5] 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.[6]

Political career[edit]

MP for Geylang West SMC (1959–1979)[edit]

At the 1959 general election, he contested for Member of Parliament (MP) for Geylang West Single Member Constituency (SMC) against Kwek Sam Hock from Singapore People's Alliance. He was elected with 67.60% of the vote.[7]

In the 1963 general election, Yong contested as MP for Geylang West SMC again, against Un Hon Kun from Barisan Sosialis, Kum Teng Hock from United People's Party, and Mohd. bin Haji Ya'acob from Singapore Alliance Party. He was elected with 43.635% of the vote.[8]

In the 1968 general election, he contested for MP for Geylang West SMC again and was elected unopposed in a walkover. In the next election, he contested for Geylang West SMC again against Quek Doh Lam of Workers' Party, Yong was elected with 69.28% of the vote.[9]

In the 1976 general election, Yong contested for MP of Geylang West SMC again, against Lim Tiong Hock from United Front. He was elected with 71.18% of the vote.[10]

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.[11]

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.[12]

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."[13]

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.[14] He also had plans for schools in the future to be multi-leveled, wanting schools to have 4 levels as the standard.[15]

Minister for Health (1963–1968)[edit]

In 1963, Yong became the Minister for Health following a cabinet reshuffle.[16][17] In 1964, he announced the S$1.5 million expansion of Thomson Road Hospital (now known as Toa Payoh Hospital).[18] Yong had also stated plans to employ more doctors to help ease congestion in hospitals.[19]

He opened the completed extension to Thomson Road Hospital in 1965.[20] In 1966, Yong introduced a scheme at hospitals for victims of factory or traffic accidents to help pay for most of their expenses.[21]

In 1967, he stated plans to halve Singapore's birthrate from 30 per thousand to 15 per thousand by 1970, by the time the five-year family planning programme, launched last year, ends.[22]

Minister for Communications (1968–1975)[edit]

In 1968, while he served as the Minister for Communications, he proposed the idea of converting military bases for commercial use.[23] In 1970, Yong announced the S$80 million expansion and development of Singapore Airport (now know as Changi Airport) over the next ten years.[24] He also introduced the Area Licensing Scheme, which imposed tolls on motorists.[5] In 1975, Yong stepped down as Minister for Communications after a cabinet reshuffle.[25]

He retired in 1979 and worked as a director at Singapore Land Ltd.[5][26]

Personal life[edit]

In 1990, Yong received the Order of Nila Utama on National Day.[27] His wife, Kwa Geok Lan,[28] was the sister to lawyer Kwa Geok Choo making him the brother-in-law to the first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.[2]

Death[edit]

Yong died on 29 June 2012 at 94.[2]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES DEWAN RA'AYAT (HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES) OFFICIAL REPORT" (PDF). Dewan Rakyat. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  2. ^ a b c "Yong Nyuk Lin, member of Singapore's first Cabinet, dies". Channel NewsAsia. 29 June 2012. Retrieved 6 November 2012.
  3. ^ "Cabinet Changes Over The Decade" (PDF). National Archives of Singapore. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
  4. ^ "Two newcomers in straight fight in Geylang West". The Straits Times. 19 May 1959. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
  5. ^ a b c "Our first Cabinet: Where are they now?". The Straits Times. 18 November 1984. p. 23. Retrieved 26 May 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
  6. ^ "Insurance firm manager quits to work for PAP". The Straits Times. 1 March 1959. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
  7. ^ "THE RESULTS: ALL YOU". The Straits Times. 31 May 1959. p. 4. Retrieved 28 May 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
  8. ^ "THIS IS THE WAY THE VOTING WENT". The Straits Times. 22 September 1963. p. 2. Retrieved 28 May 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
  9. ^ "Nama penoh chalun2". Berita Harian (in Malay). 24 August 1972. p. 2. Retrieved 28 May 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
  10. ^ "ELECTION SCORECARD". The Straits Times. 23 December 1976. p. 12. Retrieved 28 May 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
  11. ^ "Yong completes his plans to overhaul schools system". The Singapore Free Press. 23 June 1959. p. 5. Retrieved 26 May 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
  12. ^ 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.
  13. ^ 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.
  14. ^ "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.
  15. ^ "Schools of the future may all be multi-storeyed". The Straits Times. 12 October 1960. p. 4. Retrieved 26 May 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
  16. ^ "Lee decides on new Cabinet in". The Straits Times. 16 October 1963. p. 1. Retrieved 26 May 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
  17. ^ Sam, Jackie (23 October 1963). "S'PORE CABINET A new Speaker to be elected". The Straits Budget. p. 15. Retrieved 28 May 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
  18. ^ "A second general state hospital". The Straits Times. 11 March 1964. p. 4. Retrieved 26 May 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
  19. ^ "S'pore to launch D (for doctors) Day after Aug. 1". The Straits Times. 26 June 1964. p. 8. Retrieved 27 May 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
  20. ^ "New hospital block to be opened". The Straits Times. 18 February 1965. p. 18. Retrieved 27 May 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
  21. ^ "Govt 'pay for accident treatment' plan". The Straits Times. 9 August 1966. p. 8. Retrieved 27 May 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
  22. ^ "S'pore will halve birth-rate by 1970". The Straits Times. 14 January 1967. p. 8. Retrieved 27 May 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
  23. ^ "RAF airfields may be put to civil use: Yong". The Straits Times. 18 June 1968. p. 4. Retrieved 27 May 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
  24. ^ "$80 mil. approved for Singapore Airport expansion". The Straits Times. 2 September 1970. p. 13. Retrieved 28 May 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
  25. ^ Fong, Leslie (3 June 1975). "CABINET SURPRISE". The Straits Times. p. 1. Retrieved 28 May 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
  26. ^ Hoe, Irene (18 January 1979). "I just want to fade out: Yong". New Nation. pp. 10–11. Retrieved 28 May 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
  27. ^ "Old Guards in National Day honours list". The Straits Times. 9 August 1990. p. 1. Retrieved 28 May 2024 – via NewspaperSG.
  28. ^ Chong, Eva (18 April 1951). "SPARE-TIME HOBBY BECAME PROFESSION". Singapore Tiger Standard. p. 9. Retrieved 28 May 2024 – via NewspaperSG.

External links[edit]

Political offices
Preceded by
new post
 Minister for Education
1959-1963 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister for Health
1963-1968 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
new post
 Minister for Communications
1968-1975 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
?
 High Commissioner to the United Kingdom
1975-1977 		Succeeded by
Parliament of Singapore
New constituency Member of Parliament for Geylang West SMC
1959-1980 		Succeeded by
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