George Yeo
Encyclopedia
George Yeo Yong-Boon is a former politician
from Singapore
. A member of the governing People's Action Party
(PAP), he served in the Cabinet
from 1991 to 2011 as the Minister for Information and the Arts
(1991–99), Minister for Health
(1994–97), Minister for Trade and Industry
(1999–2004) and Minister for Foreign Affairs
(2004–11). However he lost his seat in Parliament
at the 2011 general election when the PAP's team in the Aljunied Group Representation Constituency
lost to the Workers' Party
, following which he announced that he was retiring from politics. He currently chairs the International Advisory Panel of the Nalanda University Governing Board
. He is a member of the Foundation Board of the World Economic Forum
, the Nicolas Berggruen Institute’s 21st Century Council and the International Advisory Boards of Harvard Business School
and IESE Business School. He is also a Senior Advisor to the Kuok Group.
Prior to entering Parliament, Yeo was a Brigadier-General
in the Republic of Singapore Air Force
. He served as the Chief-of-Staff of the Air Staff from 1985 to 1986, and as the Director of Joint Operations and Planning at the Ministry of Defence
from 1986 to 1988.
and Singapore Armed Forces
(SAF) Scholar, he graduated from Cambridge University with a degree in engineering in 1976.
officer in the Army
, before transferring to the Republic of Singapore Air Force
, where he rose to the rank of Brigadier-General. He then attended Harvard Business School
and earned an MBA, graduating as a Baker Scholar in 1985.
When Yeo returned to Singapore, he served as the Chief-of-Staff of the Air Staff from 1985 to 1986, and as the Director of Joint Operations and Planning at the Ministry of Defence from 1986 to 1988. He also led the team which conceptualised the SAFTI Military Institute
.
In 1988, Yeo resigned from the SAF in order to stand for Parliament.
, Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts, Ministry of Health
, Ministry of Trade and Industry
and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
.
As Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts, he liberalised the use of dialects in the local movie industry, which paved the way for a generation of local movie directors and producers. He also oversaw the design and construction of the Esplanade Theatres on the Bay and the new National Library
.
As Minister for Trade and Industry, Yeo led his team to successfully negotiate the Free Trade Agreement with the United States, Japan, Australia and other countries.
Yeo proposed the idea of having Integrated Resorts (IRs) in Singapore, which would include casino
s, which was intensely debated for a year. This paved the way for the 2 IRs in Singapore, Resorts World Sentosa and Marina Bay Sands at the Marina Promenade. (He later shared with a group of university students during a dialogue that his late father had a problem with gambling and the decision to push for the gaming resorts was personally a very difficult one. He said that policy making often involved a choice between 'evils'.)
He represented the Eurasian community in the Cabinet at their request.
of Aljunied in Parliament from 1988 to 2011.
At the 2006 general election, Yeo led the PAP team in the constituency which defeated the team from the Workers' Party with 56.1% of the votes to 43.9%. This was the PAP's narrowest margin of victory in the elections that year.
At the 2011 general election, on 7 May 2011, Yeo led the PAP's team in Aljunied which was defeated by the team from the Workers' Party's (which was led by the party's Secretary-General
, Low Thia Khiang
). The Workers' Party team won 54.7% of the votes to the PAP team's 45.3%. Yeo thus lost his seat in Parliament and his ministerial appointment.
Yeo announced that he was retiring from active politics on 10 May 2011. However he remained a member of the PAP's Central Executive Committee
.On the 5th of October, Yeo stepped down from the CEC along with former fellow Aljunied MP Lim Hwee Hua
and former secretary-generals Lee Kuan Yew
and Goh Chok Tong
.
as a Visiting Scholar
from August 2011. His appointment will last for a three-year term.
, India
. He is a member of the University Governing Board led by Prof Amartya Sen
.
He also takes the following advisory roles in Singapore:
for the last two years with his wife.
Jennifer Leong Lai Peng in 1984. The couple have three sons and one daughter.
In 2004, their youngest son had a long struggle with childhood leukemia
from the age of 3 and is well now after a bone marrow transplant at St Jude Children's Research Hospital. Recognising the difficulties faced by families in such situations, Jennifer founded Viva Foundation to help children with cancer, actively championing their cause.
Yeo is an avid jogger and participated in the Singapore Marathon 10 km run in the last 2 years. He has been learning Taiji
for the last 2 years and calls himself "a bit of a Taoist by philosophy".
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
from Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. A member of the governing People's Action Party
People's Action Party
The People's Action Party is the leading political party in Singapore. It has been the city-state's ruling political party since 1959....
(PAP), he served in the Cabinet
Cabinet of Singapore
The Cabinet of Singapore forms the Government of Singapore together with the President of Singapore. It is led by the Prime Minister of Singapore who is the head of government...
from 1991 to 2011 as the Minister for Information and the Arts
Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts
The Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts is a ministry of the Government of Singapore...
(1991–99), Minister for Health
Ministry of Health (Singapore)
The Ministry of Health is a ministry of the Government of Singapore responsible for providing information, raising health awareness and education, ensuring the accessibility of health services, and monitoring the quality of health services provided to citizens and visitors in the Republic of...
(1994–97), Minister for Trade and Industry
Ministry of Trade and Industry (Singapore)
The Ministry Of Trade and Industry is a ministry of the Government of Singapore that directs the formulation of policies related to the development of trade and industry in Singapore.-Mission:...
(1999–2004) and Minister for Foreign Affairs
Minister for Foreign Affairs (Singapore)
The Minister for Foreign Affairs is head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and a member of the Cabinet of Singapore....
(2004–11). However he lost his seat in Parliament
Parliament of Singapore
The Parliament of the Republic of Singapore and the President jointly make up the legislature of Singapore. Parliament is unicameral and is made up of Members of Parliament who are elected, as well as Non-constituency Members of Parliament and Nominated Members of Parliament who are appointed...
at the 2011 general election when the PAP's team in the Aljunied Group Representation Constituency
Aljunied Group Representation Constituency
Aljunied Group Representation Constituency is a five-member group representation constituency in the north-eastern region of Singapore. The GRC consists of a large part of Hougang, Serangoon Gardens, a portion of Bedok and Aljunied...
lost to the Workers' Party
Workers' Party of Singapore
The Workers' Party of Singapore is a centre-left opposition political party in Singapore. The party currently has six elected seats in Parliament, with the party's Secretary-General Low Thia Khiang, Chairman Sylvia Lim, Chen Show Mao, Muhamad Faisal Manap and Pritam Singh serving as Members of...
, following which he announced that he was retiring from politics. He currently chairs the International Advisory Panel of the Nalanda University Governing Board
Nalanda International University
Nalanda International University is the name of a proposed university in Nalanda, Bihar which is expected to be functional from 2013 with seven schools or more and will expand in later years...
. He is a member of the Foundation Board of the World Economic Forum
World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum is a Swiss non-profit foundation, based in Cologny, Geneva, best known for its annual meeting in Davos, a mountain resort in Graubünden, in the eastern Alps region of Switzerland....
, the Nicolas Berggruen Institute’s 21st Century Council and the International Advisory Boards of Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School is the graduate business school of Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, United States and is widely recognized as one of the top business schools in the world. The school offers the world's largest full-time MBA program, doctoral programs, and many executive...
and IESE Business School. He is also a Senior Advisor to the Kuok Group.
Prior to entering Parliament, Yeo was a Brigadier-General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
in the Republic of Singapore Air Force
Republic of Singapore Air Force
The Republic of Singapore Air Force is the air arm of the Singapore Armed Forces. It was first established in 1968 as the Singapore Air Defence Command...
. He served as the Chief-of-Staff of the Air Staff from 1985 to 1986, and as the Director of Joint Operations and Planning at the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (Singapore)
The Ministry of Defence is a ministry of the Government of Singapore entrusted with overseeing the national defence needs of the Republic of Singapore. It is the headquarters of the Singapore Armed Forces...
from 1986 to 1988.
Early Life
Yeo received his primary school education at St. Stephen's School. He studied at St. Joseph's Institution and finished his O-Levels at the top of the class in 1970. As a President's ScholarPresident's Scholar
A President's Scholar is a recipient of the most prestigious class of university undergraduate scholarships awarded to Singapore citizens by the Government of Singapore. In most years, only 2-4 President's Scholarships are awarded...
and Singapore Armed Forces
Singapore Armed Forces
The Singapore Armed Forces is the military arm of the Total Defence of the Republic of Singapore; as well as the military component of the Ministry of Defence. The SAF comprises three branches: the Singapore Army, the Republic of Singapore Air Force and the Republic of Singapore Navy...
(SAF) Scholar, he graduated from Cambridge University with a degree in engineering in 1976.
Military career
Upon returning from England, Yeo served as an officer in the SAF. He served as a SignalsMilitary communications
Historically, the first military communications had the form of sending/receiving simple signals . Respectively, the first distinctive tactics of military communications were called Signals, while units specializing in those tactics received the Signal Corps name...
officer in the Army
Singapore Army
The Singapore Army is the branch of the Singapore Armed Forces responsible for land operations. It is the largest of the three armed services and heavily reliant on a conscript army, comprising the majority of Singapore's Operationally Ready National Servicemen .-Capabilities:The mission of the...
, before transferring to the Republic of Singapore Air Force
Republic of Singapore Air Force
The Republic of Singapore Air Force is the air arm of the Singapore Armed Forces. It was first established in 1968 as the Singapore Air Defence Command...
, where he rose to the rank of Brigadier-General. He then attended Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School is the graduate business school of Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, United States and is widely recognized as one of the top business schools in the world. The school offers the world's largest full-time MBA program, doctoral programs, and many executive...
and earned an MBA, graduating as a Baker Scholar in 1985.
When Yeo returned to Singapore, he served as the Chief-of-Staff of the Air Staff from 1985 to 1986, and as the Director of Joint Operations and Planning at the Ministry of Defence from 1986 to 1988. He also led the team which conceptualised the SAFTI Military Institute
SAFTI Military Institute
The SAFTI Military Institute is a tri-service military training institution for officers of all ranks of the Singapore Armed Forces . Located within an 88 hectare campus in Jurong West, it was officially opened by the then-prime minister Goh Chok Tong on 25 August 1995...
.
In 1988, Yeo resigned from the SAF in order to stand for Parliament.
Political career
Following his election into Parliament, Yeo served in various Ministries, including the Ministry of FinanceMinistry of Finance (Singapore)
The Ministry of Finance , is a ministry of the Government of Singapore responsible for administering and regulating financial institutions and structures of the economy of Singapore. It is headed by the Minister for Finance...
, Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts, Ministry of Health
Ministry of Health (Singapore)
The Ministry of Health is a ministry of the Government of Singapore responsible for providing information, raising health awareness and education, ensuring the accessibility of health services, and monitoring the quality of health services provided to citizens and visitors in the Republic of...
, Ministry of Trade and Industry
Ministry of Trade and Industry (Singapore)
The Ministry Of Trade and Industry is a ministry of the Government of Singapore that directs the formulation of policies related to the development of trade and industry in Singapore.-Mission:...
and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Singapore)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is a ministry of the Government of Singapore responsible for conducting and managing diplomatic relations between Singapore and other countries. It is headed by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the office currently held by K...
.
As Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts, he liberalised the use of dialects in the local movie industry, which paved the way for a generation of local movie directors and producers. He also oversaw the design and construction of the Esplanade Theatres on the Bay and the new National Library
National Library, Singapore
The National Library in Singapore is located on an 11,304-square metre site between Bugis Junction and the Bras Basah Complex at 100, Victoria Street...
.
As Minister for Trade and Industry, Yeo led his team to successfully negotiate the Free Trade Agreement with the United States, Japan, Australia and other countries.
Yeo proposed the idea of having Integrated Resorts (IRs) in Singapore, which would include casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
s, which was intensely debated for a year. This paved the way for the 2 IRs in Singapore, Resorts World Sentosa and Marina Bay Sands at the Marina Promenade. (He later shared with a group of university students during a dialogue that his late father had a problem with gambling and the decision to push for the gaming resorts was personally a very difficult one. He said that policy making often involved a choice between 'evils'.)
He represented the Eurasian community in the Cabinet at their request.
2006 and 2011 general elections
Yeo represented the Group Representation Constituency (GRC)Group Representation Constituency
A Group Representation Constituency is a type of electoral division or constituency in Singapore, the Members of Parliament of which are voted into Parliament as a group...
of Aljunied in Parliament from 1988 to 2011.
At the 2006 general election, Yeo led the PAP team in the constituency which defeated the team from the Workers' Party with 56.1% of the votes to 43.9%. This was the PAP's narrowest margin of victory in the elections that year.
At the 2011 general election, on 7 May 2011, Yeo led the PAP's team in Aljunied which was defeated by the team from the Workers' Party's (which was led by the party's Secretary-General
Secretary-General
-International intergovernmental organizations:-International nongovernmental organizations:-Sports governing bodies:...
, Low Thia Khiang
Low Thia Khiang
Low Thia Khiang is a politician and businessman from Singapore. He is currently the leader of the opposition Workers' Party, and since 1991 has been a Member of Parliament representing the constituency of Hougang until 2011 where he contested and won in Aljunied GRC. He is in charge of the Bedok...
). The Workers' Party team won 54.7% of the votes to the PAP team's 45.3%. Yeo thus lost his seat in Parliament and his ministerial appointment.
Yeo announced that he was retiring from active politics on 10 May 2011. However he remained a member of the PAP's Central Executive Committee
Central Executive Committee (PAP)
The Central Executive Committee is the highest ruling committee within Singapore's People's Action Party and its "inner circle".-History:...
.On the 5th of October, Yeo stepped down from the CEC along with former fellow Aljunied MP Lim Hwee Hua
Lim Hwee Hua
Lim Hwee Hua was a Singaporean politician, who was formerly the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office and appointed concurrently as Second Minister for Finance and Second Minister for Transport.-Early career:...
and former secretary-generals Lee Kuan Yew
Lee Kuan Yew
Lee Kuan Yew, GCMG, CH is a Singaporean statesman. He was the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore, governing for three decades...
and Goh Chok Tong
Goh Chok Tong
Goh Chok Tong is the Senior Minister of Singapore and the chairman of the central bank of Singapore, the Monetary Authority of Singapore. He also served as the second Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore from 28 November 1990 to 12 August 2004, succeeding Lee Kuan Yew, the former Prime...
.
Academic career
Yeo joined the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public PolicyLee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy
The Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy is a school of the National University of Singapore . It was established in 1992 as the Master of Public Policy Programme under the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences of National University of Singapore in collaboration with the Kennedy School of Government...
as a Visiting Scholar
Visiting scholar
In the world of academia, a visiting scholar or visiting academic is a scholar from an institution who visits a host university, where he or she is projected to teach , lecture , or perform research on a topic the visitor is valued for...
from August 2011. His appointment will last for a three-year term.
Other activities
Yeo has taken an important role in reviving the ancient Buddhist university, Nalanda University, in BiharBihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He is a member of the University Governing Board led by Prof Amartya Sen
Amartya Sen
Amartya Sen, CH is an Indian economist who was awarded the 1998 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for his contributions to welfare economics and social choice theory, and for his interest in the problems of society's poorest members...
.
He also takes the following advisory roles in Singapore:
- Advisor to the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial HallSun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial HallNot to be confused with Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall and Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall . The Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall is a double-storey colonial villa at Balestier in Singapore...
- Advisor to the Teochew Poit Ip Huay KuanTeochew Poit Ip Huay KuanTeochew Poit Ip Huay Kuan is a Teochew clan association in Singapore. Poit Ip, which means eight districts in Teochew dialect, stood for the eight Teochew districts in the province of Guangdong, China. Huay Kuan means "clan association". On 12 December 1928, a temporary committee convened a...
- Patron of Lasalle College of the Arts
Social Networking
Yeo was the first Singaporean Minister to start blogging. He has been blogging since August 2006. He then moved on to Social networking service and is one of the most active Singaporean politician on it, with over 85,000 friends and supporters.Youth agenda
Yeo has devoted a considerable amount of time interacting with young people, often speaking and listening to them in informal groups and organised dialogues. He professes to be "energised" by the younger generation and "constantly learns from them". He attends and supports many youth driven community projects and events. He attended the mega dance festival ZoukOutZoukOut
ZoukOut is an annual music dance festival held in Singapore since 2000. One of Asia's biggest music dance festivals, it is organised by Zouk Singapore. DJs that have performed at ZoukOut include Paul Van Dyk, 2ManyDJS, Masters at Work, Gilles Peterson, Richie Hawtin, Sven Väth, Peter Kruder, James...
for the last two years with his wife.
Personal life
A Roman Catholic, Yeo married lawyerLawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
Jennifer Leong Lai Peng in 1984. The couple have three sons and one daughter.
In 2004, their youngest son had a long struggle with childhood leukemia
Leukemia
Leukemia or leukaemia is a type of cancer of the blood or bone marrow characterized by an abnormal increase of immature white blood cells called "blasts". Leukemia is a broad term covering a spectrum of diseases...
from the age of 3 and is well now after a bone marrow transplant at St Jude Children's Research Hospital. Recognising the difficulties faced by families in such situations, Jennifer founded Viva Foundation to help children with cancer, actively championing their cause.
Yeo is an avid jogger and participated in the Singapore Marathon 10 km run in the last 2 years. He has been learning Taiji
Taiji
Taiji 太極 is a Chinese cosmological term for the "Supreme Ultimate" state of undifferentiated absolute and infinite potentiality, contrasted with the Wuji 無極 "Without Ultimate"...
for the last 2 years and calls himself "a bit of a Taoist by philosophy".