Chan Choy Siong

Chan Choy Siong (Chinese: 陳翠嫦; pinyin: Chén Cuìcháng; 1931 - 11 February 1981) was a Singaporean politician and activist for women's rights in Singapore. Chan was one of the first women to be elected a member of parliament in Singapore, and wife of Ong Pang Boon, a prominent first-generation member of the People's Action Party.

Biography

Chan grew up poor in Chinatown.[1] She attended Nanyang Girls' High School, but was unable to complete her studies because of financial restraints.[1] Her father supported her pursuit of an education.[2] When she was only twenty, she joined the new People's Action Party (PAP).[3] Chan was committed to securing equal rights for women in Singapore, including equality in pay and for an end to legal polygamy.[4]

In 1956, Chan, Ho Puay Choo and Oh Siew Chen created the Women's League within PAP.[5] Chan was elected to the Central Executive Committee of the PAP in 1957.[6] That year, she was also elected to be a city councillor.[3] Chan, and seven other women were elected to the Legislative Assembly in 1959.[5] Chan served as member of parliament between 1959 and 1970 and was one of the first women active in Singaporean politics.[7] Chan pushed for the passage of the Women's Charter and a monogamy proposal.[3] In 1961, she created and led the Women's Affairs Bureau of PAP.[3] Also in 1961, the Women's Charter was passed.[5]

Chan retired from politics in 1970.[8] In 1981, she died in a car accident.[9]

Legacy

In 2005, she was honored by the Singapore Council of Women's Organisations (SCWO) by being added to the Wall of Fame.[7] In 2014, Chan was inducted into the Singapore Women's Hall of Fame.[9]

References

Citations

  1. 1 2 "Chan Choy Siong". Infopedia. National Library Board, Singapore. Retrieved 2017-11-20.
  2. ↑ Ho 2012, p. 67.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Ho 2012, p. 68.
  4. ↑ Leong, Weng Kam (9 September 2001). "One Man, One Wife..." The Straits Times. Retrieved 20 November 2017 – via LexisNexis. (Subscription required (help)).
  5. 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.
  6. ↑ "Women in Singapore Politics". The Straits Times. 8 March 1993. Retrieved 20 November 2017 – via LexisNexis. (Subscription required (help)).
  7. 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. Retrieved 20 November 2017 – via LexisNexis. (Subscription required (help)).
  8. ↑ Turnbull, C. M. (2009-01-01). A History of Modern Singapore, 1819-2005. NUS Press. p. 321. ISBN 9789971694302.
  9. 1 2 "Chan Choy Siong". Singapore Women's Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2017-11-20.

Sources

  • Ho, Khai Leong (2012). "Chan Choy Siong". In Suryadinata, Leo. Southeast Asian Personalities of Chinese Descent: A Biographical Dictionary, Volume I & II. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. ISBN 9789814345217.
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