Toh Chin Chye

Toh Chin Chye (Chinese: 杜进才) (Born 10th December 1921) is a prominent first generation political leader in Singapore. 1921 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

Early Life and Education

Born in Taiping in state of Perak in colonial Malaya, Toh received his early education at St George’s School at his hometown and later Anglo-Chinese School in Ipoh. He later studied at Raffles college in Singapore and later pursued his doctoral studies at National Institute for Medical Research in London, graduating with a PHD in physiology. Taiping (also Itu Aba, Chinese: 太平島) is the largest island of Nansha Islands (Spratly Islands) in the South China Sea. ... State motto: no State motto Capital Ipoh Royal Capital Kuala Kangsar Sultan Sultan Azlan Muhibbuddin Shah Chief Minister Dato Seri Diraja Tajol Rosli bin Mohd Ghazali Area 21,006 km2 Population  - Est. ... The Federation of Malaya, or in Malay Persekutuan Tanah Melayu, was formed in 1948 from the British settlements of Penang and Malacca and the nine Malay states and replaced the Malayan Union. ... The location of Ipoh on the map of Peninsula Malaysia. ... London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England. ... PhD usually refers to the academic title Doctor of Philosophy PhD can also refer to the manga Phantasy Degree This is a disambiguation page — a list of pages that otherwise might share the same title. ... Physiology (in Greek physis = nature and logos = word) is the study of the mechanical, physical, and biochemical functions of living organisms. ...

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 Tun Abdul Razak meet for discussions and debate on the future of Malaya. Alternative meaning: Prime Minister (band) A prime minister is the leading member of the cabinet of the top level government in a parliamentary system of government of a country, alternatively A prime minister is an official in a presidential system or semi-presidential system whose duty is to execute the... Lee Kuan Yew (also spelt Lee Kwan-Yew) (born September 16, 1923) (Chinese: 李光耀; pinyin: ) was the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore from 1959 to 1990. ... Tun Abdul Razak bin Haji Dato Hussein Al-Haj (1922-1976) was the second Prime Minister of Malaysia, ruling from 1970 to 1976. ...

He was among the founder members with the PAP and was its chairperson from its formation in 1954 to 1981, save for a brief period in 1957 when leftists took over the Party leadership. Toh was elected as a PAP member for Rochore in the 1959 general elections. Party logo with a symbol of red lightning that signifies action. ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

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 mayor Ong 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 the Barisan Sosialis party, a splinter group from the PAP. He managed to beat Barisan Chairman Lee Siew Choh by a mere 89 votes in the 1963 elections, his narrowest electoral victory. 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Barisan Sosialis (Socialist Front) is a Singaporean political party formed in 1961, by left-wing former members of the Peoples Action Party (PAP) and led by people such as Dr Lee Siew Choh and Lim Chin Siong. ... Lee Siew Choh (1917 - 18 July 2002) was a Singaporean political figure. ... 1963 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

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 students demonstrations and political activities. The National University of Singapores (Abbreviated NUS; Chinese: 新加坡国立大学; Abbreviated 国大) flagship Kent Ridge campus is located in the southwest of the Republic of Singapore at Kent Ridge, bounded by the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE), Clementi Road, Buona Vista Road and Kent Ridge Park, with an area of approximately 1. ...

Toh stepped down from the cabinet and party chairmanship in 1981. He served out his final two terms as a vocal backbencher, even criticising his own party on a regular basis. He retired from politics in 1988. 1981 (MCMLXXXI) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) is a leap year starting on a Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Retirement

Toh Chin Chye spends his retirement days away from the public eye. Toh was briefly back into the spotlight when he 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. ^[1]

Contributions

Toh is considered one of founding fathers of modern Singapore. Together with luminaries such as Lee Kuan Yew, Goh Keng Swee and S 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. Lee Kuan Yew (also spelt Lee Kwan-Yew) (born September 16, 1923) (Chinese: 李光耀; pinyin: ) was the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore from 1959 to 1990. ... Goh Keng Swee (吴庆瑞, pinyin: Wú Qìngruì, born October 6, 1918, Malacca) is a former Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore. ... Sinnathamby Rajaratnam (born February 25, 1915, Jaffna, Sri Lanka) is a former Singaporean politician. ...

References

• Lam, Peng Er and Tan, Kevin (Ed.) (2000). Lee’s Lieutenants. Singapore: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1864486392
• http://www.asiaweek.com/asiaweek/96/0202/feat2.html

Notes

1. ^  Toh award libel damages