Chan Choy Siong
Chan Choy Siong | |
|---|---|
陈翠嫦 | |
| Member of the Singapore Parliament for Delta Constituency[a] | |
| In office 30 May 1959 – 31 March 1970[1] | |
| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | Yeo Choo Kok |
| Member of the City Council of Singapore for Kreta Ayer Constituency | |
| In office 21 December 1957 – 18 April 1959[2] | |
| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | Constituency abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1931 |
| Died | 11 February 1981 (aged 49–50) |
| Cause of death | Car accident |
| Citizenship | Singaporean |
| Party | People's Action Party |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 children |
| Occupation | Politician |
Chan Choy Siong[b] BBM (1931 – 11 February 1981) was a Singaporean politician and women's rights activist. Chan was one of the first women to be elected to the Parliament.
Biography
[edit]Chan grew up in Chinatown.[3] She attended Nanyang Girls' High School, but was unable to complete her studies due to financial constraints.[3] Her father supported her pursuit of an education.[4]
At the age of 23, Chan joined the People's Action Party (PAP),[5] and was committed to securing equal rights for women in Singapore, including equality in pay and for an end to legal polygamy.[6]
In 1956, along with Ho Puay Choo and Oh Siew Chen, Chan created the Women's League within the PAP.[7] She was subsequently co-opted into the party's Central Executive Committee (CEC) in 1957.[8] That same year, she was also elected to become a city councillor.[5]
Chan, and seven other women were elected to the Legislative Assembly in 1959.[7] Chan served as Assemblywoman and later Member of Parliament between 1959 and 1970. She was one of the first few women to be active in Singapore politics.[9]
Chan pushed for the passage of the Women's Charter and a monogamy proposal.[5] In 1961, she created and led the Women's Affairs Bureau of the PAP.[5] The Women's Charter Chan had pushed for, was passed in that same year.[7]
Chan retired from politics in 1970.[10]
Personal life
[edit]Chan was the wife of Ong Pang Boon, a prominent first-generation member of the People's Action Party (PAP). Her niece, Cheryl Chan, was elected in the 2015 and 2020 general election.
Death
[edit]In 1981, Chan died in a car accident at the age of 49.[11]
Legacy
[edit]In 2005, Chan was honored by the Singapore Council of Women's Organisations (SCWO) by being added to the Wall of Fame.[9]
In 2014, Chan was inducted into the Singapore Women's Hall of Fame.[11]
Awards and decorations
[edit]
Public Service Star, in 1981.[12]
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Notes
[edit]References
[edit]Citations
[edit]- ↑ Wee Lian, Tan (5 April 1970). "'I shall continue to take part in politics' says a retiring woman MP". The Straits Times. p. 6. Retrieved 23 August 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
- ↑ "PAP QUITS COUNCIL". The Straits Times. 19 April 1959. p. 1. Retrieved 23 August 2026 – via NewspaperSG.
- 1 2 "Chan Choy Siong". Infopedia. National Library Board, Singapore. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
- ↑ Ho 2012, p. 67.
- 1 2 3 4 Ho 2012, p. 68.
- ↑ Leong, Weng Kam (9 September 2001). "One Man, One Wife..." The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 31 December 2019. Retrieved 20 November 2017 – via LexisNexis.
- 1 2 3 Lee, Chor Lin (2012). In the Mood for Cheongsam: A Social History, 1920s – Present. Editions Didier Millet. pp. 36, 38. ISBN 9789814260923.
- ↑ "Women in Singapore Politics". The Straits Times. 8 March 1993. Archived from the original on 31 December 2019. Retrieved 20 November 2017 – via LexisNexis.
- 1 2 Ng, Sarah (23 October 2005). "Wall Tribute for Women Pioneers; Six Featured in New Wall of Fame at SCWO's Waterloo Street Centre". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 31 December 2019. Retrieved 20 November 2017 – via LexisNexis.
- ↑ Turnbull, C. M. (1 January 2009). A History of Modern Singapore, 1819–2005. NUS Press. p. 321. ISBN 9789971694302.
- 1 2 "Chan Choy Siong". Singapore Women's Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 29 March 2017. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
- ↑ "Nation honours 124". The Straits Times. 26 June 1971. p. 1. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
Sources
[edit]- Ho, Khai Leong (2012). "Chan Choy Siong". In Suryadinata, Leo (ed.). Southeast Asian Personalities of Chinese Descent: A Biographical Dictionary, Volume I & II. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. ISBN 9789814345217.
