Chan Choy Siong (Chinese: 陳翠嫦; pinyin: Chén Cuìcháng; 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

Chan grew up in Chinatown.[1] She attended Nanyang Girls' High School, but was unable to complete her studies due to financial constraints.[1] Her father supported her pursuit of an education.[2]

At the age of 20, Chan joined the People's Action Party (PAP),[3] and was committed to securing equal rights for women in Singapore, including equality in pay and for an end to legal polygamy.[4]

In 1956, along with Ho Puay Choo and Oh Siew Chen, Chan created the Women's League within the PAP.[5] She was subsequently co-opted into the party's Central Executive Committee (CEC) in 1957.[6] That same year, she was also elected to become a city councillor.[3]

Chan, and seven other women were elected to the Legislative Assembly in 1959.[5] 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.[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 the PAP.[3] The Women's Charter Chan had pushed for, was passed in that same year.[5]

Chan retired from politics in 1970.[8]

Personal life

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

In 1981, Chan died in a car accident.[9]

Legacy

In 2005, Chan 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 20 November 2017.
  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. Archived from the original on 31 December 2019. Retrieved 20 November 2017 – via LexisNexis.
  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. Archived from the original on 31 December 2019. Retrieved 20 November 2017 – via LexisNexis.
  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. Archived from the original on 31 December 2019. Retrieved 20 November 2017 – via LexisNexis.
  8. ↑ Turnbull, C. M. (1 January 2009). 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. Archived from the original on 29 March 2017. Retrieved 20 November 2017.

Sources

  • 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.
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