- Toh Chin Chye
Toh Chin Chye (zh-stp |s=杜进才 |t=杜進才 |p=Dù Jìncái; born
December 10 1921 ) is a prominent first generation political leader in Singapore. Toh is married to Yeap Sui Phek and has one daughter.Political career
Toh’s political career begun during his days in London where he was actively involved in the Malayan Forum, a forum which many Malayan nationals like future
Prime Ministers Lee Kuan Yew and TunAbdul Razak meet for discussions and debate on the future of Malaya.He was among the founder members with the PAP and was its chairperson from its formation in
1954 to1981 , save for a brief period in1957 when leftists took over the Party leadership. Toh was elected as a PAP member forRochor in the1959 general elections.Toh was a key member of Lee’s faction in their fight against their rivals within the party. One example was in the aftermath of PAP’s victory in the
1959 elections, there was a contest between Lee Kuan Yew and Singapore's only mayorOng Eng Guan for the premiership. Ultimately, it was Toh’s vote that swung the fight in Lee’s favour. Toh was again the tenacious fighter in the fight against theBarisan Sosialis party, a splinter group from the PAP. He managed to beat Barisan ChairmanLee Siew Choh by a mere 89 votes in the1963 elections, his narrowest electoral victory.Toh held several cabinet portfolios including Deputy Prime Minister (1959 to 1968), Minister for Science and Technology (from 1968 to 1975) and Minister for Health (from 1975 to 1981). He was also
University of Singapore ’s vice-chancellor from 1968 to 1975. His stint at the university drew mixed reactions from staff and students alike. While his role to reorient the university’s focus to suit the fledging nation’s needs was applauded, he was also perceived as authoritarian especially when he clamped down on student demonstrations and political activities.Toh stepped down from the cabinet and party chairmanship in
1981 . He served out his final two terms as a vocal backbencher, including criticising his own party on a regular basis. He retired from politics in1988 .Retirement
Toh Chin Chye spends his retirement days away from the public eye. The Straits Times featured Toh twice in 2005 and 2006 respectively, once on
May 2 ,2005 to pay his last respects to former presidentWee Kim Wee . He was seen being assisted by two men and a walking stick as he walked. In February 2006, Toh was featured again inThe Straits Times paying his last respects to the late former Deputy Prime Minister S. Rajaratnam at his home in Chancery Lane.Toh was briefly back into the spotlight when he was mistaken for a culprit in a ‘hit and run’ accident by the English tabloid, The New Paper. He subsequently won a libel suit against the publishers. ref|1
Contributions
Toh is considered one of founding fathers of modern Singapore. Together with luminaries such as
Lee Kuan Yew ,Goh Keng Swee andS. Rajaratnam , Toh was part of a group that led the tiny island nation through her most critical years, both laying the foundation and shaping the Singapore success story.References
*Lam, Peng Er and Tan, Kevin (Ed.) (2000). Lee’s Lieutenants. Singapore: Allen & Unwin. ISBN - 1-86448-639-2
*http://www.asiaweek.com/asiaweek/96/0202/feat2.htmlNotes
# [http://www.asiaweek.com/asiaweek/96/0202/feat2.html Toh award libel damages]
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