Pioneer minister Yong Nyuk Lin dies, aged 94

By Jeremy Au Yong, The Straits Times, 30 Jun 2012

MR YONG Nyuk Lin, one of Singapore's pioneer ministers, died yesterday morning.

Family members said he had been warded in Singapore General Hospital for the past few days due to medical problems related to old age. Mr Yong turned 94 last week. He is survived by his wife Kwa Geok Lan, two daughters Siu Len and Siu Li, and four granddaughters. His wife is the elder sister of Mr Lee Kuan Yew's late wife Kwa Geok Choo.

His death marks the passing of another member of the old guard who served in Singapore's first Cabinet when it achieved self-government in 1959.

He was among the ministers who signed the Separation Agreement in 1965 that declared Singapore's independence after it ended its 23-month union with Malaysia.

Mr Yong's list of contributions in his political career that spanned nearly 20 years included helming the Education, Health and Communications ministries, as well as devising a policy that was an early precursor to the Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) system.

Yesterday, PM Lee Hsien Loong sent a letter to Mrs Yong offering his condolences and paying tribute to the late Mr Yong. He highlighted, especially, Mr Yong's role in building up the capacity of Singapore's education system at a time when the need for more places in schools was urgent.

'Education was a politically sensitive and urgent priority. Mr Yong embarked on a major programme to expand capacity, adding afternoon sessions to primary schools, building new schools and training more teachers.

'He introduced upper secondary classes in Chinese schools (equivalent to pre-university classes in English schools), and provided free tuition for Singaporean Malays. He also introduced bursaries and scholarships to encourage students to study mathematics and science, and master the skills that our economy needed. This enormous expansion of education opportunities laid the foundation for our subsequent success.'

PM Lee also acknowledged Mr Yong's role in restructuring and expanding health-care services as Health Minister and consolidating the bus industry as Communications Minister.

Mr Yong, he said, also took the 'first steps to control the car population' with the Area Licensing Scheme (ALS). The ALS charged motorists for driving into the Central Business District during peak hours. 'Though controversial at the time, the ALS was effective in controlling traffic congestion and remains a successful case study for other cities today,' added PM Lee.

PM Lee said that Mr Yong's many contributions will be long remembered. 'He answered our nation's call at a critical time, and helped lay the foundations for Singapore's success. His passing is a deep loss to all of us.'

Mr Yong's family said yesterday that his wake and funeral would be a private affair. The funeral is planned for Sunday.

PM Lee sends condolence to wife of late Mr Yong Nyuk Lin
TODAY, 29 Jun 2012

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Long has sent a letter of condolence to the wife of the late Mr Yong Nyuk Lin, a member of Singapore's first Cabinet. Mr Yong died at 94. He was the brother-in-law of former Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew's late wife, Madam Kwa Geok Choo.

Here is the full extract of Mr Lee's letter:

"Dear Mrs Yong

On behalf of my Cabinet colleagues, please accept my deepest condolences and sympathies on the passing of your husband Mr Yong Nyuk Lin.

Mr Yong was born and educated in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan. He attended Raffles College in Singapore before returning to Seremban as a science master at the King George V School in 1938. He later joined the Overseas Assurance Corporation (OAC) in Singapore, and after the War became the OAC's general manager. He also headed the Raffles College alumni association and represented the alumni on the University of Malaya Council.

Mr Yong was one of the founding fathers who created today's Singapore. He joined the People's Action Party (PAP) in 1955. In 1959, when Singapore attained self-government, Mr Yong was elected PAP assemblyman for Geylang West, and served as Minister for Education in the first Cabinet.

Education was a politically sensitive and urgent priority. Mr Yong embarked on a major programme to expand capacity, adding afternoon sessions to primary schools, building new schools and training more teachers. He introduced upper secondary classes in Chinese schools (equivalent to pre-university classes in English schools), and provided free tuition for Singaporean Malays. He also introduced bursaries and scholarships to encourage students to study mathematics and science, and master the skills that our economy needed. This enormous expansion of education opportunities laid the foundation for our subsequent success.

In 1963, Mr Yong was appointed Minister for Health. He restructured the public healthcare system and expanded healthcare services by building more hospitals and outpatient facilities. He improved children's health through an effective immunisation campaign and by introducing school dental clinics and regular medical checkups.

In 1965, when Singapore separated from Malaysia, Mr Yong was one of the Singapore ministers who signed the Separation Agreement.

As the first Minister for Communications in 1968, Mr Yong consolidated the bus industry for greater efficiency, and created the Singapore Bus Service in 1973. To reduce traffic congestion, Mr Yong took the first steps to control the car population, implementing the Area Licensing Scheme (ALS) - the precursor to our Electronic Road Pricing system today. Though controversial at the time, the ALS was effective in controlling traffic congestion and remains a successful case study for other cities today.

Mr Yong relinquished his Communications portfolio in 1975. He remained a minister without portfolio and concurrently served as High Commissioner to Britain, before stepping down from Cabinet in 1976. Mr Yong was later appointed as a member of the Presidential Council for Minority Rights, where he helped to foster closer inter-ethnic ties and racial harmony.

Mr Yong's many contributions will long be remembered. He answered our nation's call at a critical time, and helped to lay the foundations for Singapore's success. His passing is a deep loss to all of us."

Friends pay tribute to pioneer minister
Yong Nyuk Lin was a reluctant politician, but 'straightforward, focused' man
By Jeremy Au Yong and Robin Chan, The Straits Times, 30 Jun 2012

LIKE many Singaporean professionals in politics, Mr Yong Nyuk Lin was a reluctant politician. He had good reason to be, as his father-in-law was totally opposed to it.

Mr Yong recounted in the book Men In White that Mr Kwa Siew Tee was 'hopping mad' when he decided to join the fray because he wanted him to stay in insurance.

Mr Kwa, a banker, had earlier encouraged his son-in-law to take the jump from teaching to insurance.

'I didn't even tell my wife of my decision,' Mr Yong said of his move to politics. What propelled him, he explained, was that 'it was the end of the colonial times and the party needed able people to come forward'.

As news of his death spread yesterday, those who knew him paid tribute to his sacrifice and his forthright ways.

Former SBS Transit chairman Wong Hung Khim, 73, remembered Mr Yong as a 'straightforward person with a clear vision'.

'He was very focused on getting the job done and in the end, we got the job done,' he said. He worked with Mr Yong on re-organising bus companies in the 1970s.

Mr Yong was born in Seremban, Malaysia in 1918, and moved to Singapore to study. He graduated with a science diploma from Raffles College in 1937.

He returned to Seremban to be science master at the King George V School. Three years later, he was back in Singapore to join Overseas Assurance Corporation, at his father-in- law's behest.

But in 1959, he answered the call of then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, who was scrambling to field 51 candidates for the People's Action Party (PAP) in the election. The party had trouble attracting people from the professional class and Mr Lee turned to his friend and brother-in-law for help.

Mr Yong was in the pioneer group of PAP ministers, holding at different times such major portfolios as Education, Health and Communications, which included transport.

One of his major achievements in education was the doubling of the student intake to meet demand by splitting schools into morning and afternoon sessions. He also increased sharply the number of teachers and introduced multilingual integrated schools.

At the Health Ministry, he expanded hospitals, reduced waiting times and ran an effective immunisation campaign for children against diptheria, polio and cholera.

But Mr Yong also made his share of controversial decisions.

In 1967, he announced the Government's move to legalise abortion, saying it would be Singapore's 'second line of defence against hordes of unwanted children'.

Another unpopular policy was the Area Licensing Scheme, introduced in 1975 to ease congestion in the Central Business District (CBD). This forerunner to electronic road pricing charged drivers for entering the CBD.

Said the blunt Mr Yong, then the Communications Minister: 'For those who are not prepared to make adjustments to their present pattern of travel and choose to continue to drive into the restricted zone during peak hours, they may do so - but at a price.'

To help coax them to change, the Park and Ride scheme was introduced. It was arguably ahead of its time in trying to get drivers to park outside the CBD and take buses to work.

A couple of months later, he became High Commissioner to Britain and the following year, he left politics.

But Mr Yong also has a separate, wholly unique place in Singapore's history: He helped bring together Mr Lee Kuan Yew and Madam Kwa Geok Choo. The famous love story is documented in the first volume of the former prime minister's memoirs. It started during the Japanese Occupation when the two men decided to go into business together, making stationery gum which was in short supply.

Their family members helped, including Mr Yong's wife and her younger sister Geok Choo. It was during the gum-making days that Mr Lee fell in love with Madam Kwa. Mr Yong and his wife escorted Madam Kwa the first time she went out with Mr Lee.

Family members say Mr Yong intentionally kept a low profile after leaving public service.

Historian Kwa Chong Guan told The Straits Times yesterday that his uncle was a very private person.

'After he stepped down, he never appeared in the public domain, he turned down interviews, he turned down an invitation to be interviewed by the National Archives for their oral history records,' said Professor Kwa.

He added that the family was coping well with Mr Yong's death. 'When you are 94 and you are not in the best of health, the family was prepared.'

President's tribute to Yong Nyuk Lin
By Lin Zhaowei, The Straits Times, 1 Jul 2012

President Tony Tan Keng Yam has written a tribute to Mr Yong Nyuk Lin, one of Singapore's pioneer ministers, who died on Friday morning aged 94.

He said he was deeply saddened to learn of Mr Yong's death, and highlighted his contributions to Singapore when he served in the Cabinet from 1959 to1976.

'During his political career, Mr Yong helmed the education, health and communications ministries and played a pivotal role in shaping modern Singapore through policies to increase access to education, enhance health-care service and improve public transportation,' he wrote.

Mr Yong left his private-sector career to enter politics, and became the Member of Parliament for Geylang West in 1959.

As the education minister, he increased the number of primary school places and expedited school building and teacher training.

'Mr Yong also introduced multilingual integrated schools and encouraged the study of maths, science and vocations with bursaries and scholarships,' wrote the President.

As health minister, Mr Yong expanded hospital services, cut waiting times and introduced programmes to enhance children's health.

The President also noted Mr Yong's lasting contributions to reducing traffic and congestion on the nation's roads when he was communications minister.

He conveyed his condolences to Mr Yong's family and described Mr Yong as one of the founding fathers who made a lasting impact on Singapore.