Lee Siew Choh
Encyclopedia
Dr. Lee Siew Choh was a politician
and medical doctor from Singapore
. Initially a member of the People's Action Party
(PAP), he became a leader of the breakaway Barisan Sosialis
in 1961. After the Barisan Sosialis merged with the Workers' Party
in 1988, Lee stood as a Workers' Party candidate in the 1988 general election and became Singapore's first Non-Constituency Member of Parliament
(NCMP), serving in this role until 1991.
and was educated at Victoria Institution
. He was trained as a medical doctor, but spent most of his life as a political leader.
Lee served in Singapore's Legislative Assembly
as a representative of the PAP following the 1959 election. In 1960 he served as the Parliamentary Secretary
for Home Affairs.
In 1961, Lee and 13 other members of the assembly broke away from the PAP and formed the Barisan Sosialis. Lee led the party in the 1963 elections, in which they won 13 of the 51 seats.
Lee was noted for his pro-leftist
stance and oratory skills. In 1961, he made the longest speech in the history of Singapore's Legislative Assembly which lasted seven hours on the subject of Singapore's proposed merger with Malaya
.
The Barisan Sosialis was Singapore's main opposition
party at the time of the country's independence in 1965. But the party boycotted the first post-independence general election in 1968
, allowing the PAP to win all 51 of the seats in Parliament
. The Barisan Sosialis never managed to regain a significant role in Singapore's political scene after this, and in 1988, the party merged with the Workers' Party
.
At the 1988 general election, Lee stood as a Workers' Party candidate in the Eunos Group Representation Constituency
along with fellow party members Francis Seow
and Mohd Khalit bin Mohd Baboo. They lost very narrowly to the PAP's team in the constiuency by 49.1% of the votes to 50.9%. Only one opposition MP was returned to Parliament at that election (Chiam See Tong
of the Singapore Democratic Party
). As the Workers' Party's team in Eunos had garnered a higher percentage of the vote than any other opposition losing candidates, the party was eligible to nominate two members of its team from Eunos to become Non-constituency MPs. The party had refused to nominate NCMPs in the past, but this time they nominated Lee and Seow to become NCMPs. Seow was subsequently accused of espionage
and fled to the United States
before he could take up his NCMP seat. But Lee became Singapore's first-ever NCMP, serving until the 1991 general election. In Parliament, he raised several issues, including the Internal Security Act
, living costs and welfare.
Lee again stood in Eunos GRC at the 1991 general election. He and fellow party members Jufrie Mahmood
, Neo Choon Aik and Wee Han Kim again lost narrowly to the PAP's team by 47.6% of the votes to 52.4%. However no NCMP seats were offered following that election as the opposition parties won a combined total of four elected seats.
Lee left the Workers' Party in 1996, citing differences with the party's leader, Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam
.
Lee died of natural causes on 18 July 2002.
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and medical doctor 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...
. Initially a member of the 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 became a leader of the breakaway Barisan Sosialis
Barisan Sosialis
The Barisan Sosialis is a former Singaporean left-wing political party formed in 1961, by left-wing members of the People's Action Party and led by Dr Lee Siew Choh and Lim Chin Siong.-Formation:...
in 1961. After the Barisan Sosialis merged with 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...
in 1988, Lee stood as a Workers' Party candidate in the 1988 general election and became Singapore's first Non-Constituency Member of Parliament
Non-Constituency Member of Parliament
Non-Constituency Members of Parliament are members of the opposition parties who are appointed as members of the Parliament of Singapore even though they had lost in the parliamentary election....
(NCMP), serving in this role until 1991.
Biography
Lee was born in Kuala LumpurKuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
and was educated at Victoria Institution
Victoria Institution
Victoria Institution is a premier secondary school for boys and one of the oldest schools in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The school is widely known as V.I. and a student of Victoria Institution bears the name Victorian....
. He was trained as a medical doctor, but spent most of his life as a political leader.
Lee served in Singapore's Legislative Assembly
Legislative Assembly of Singapore
The Legislative Assembly of Singapore was the legislature of the government of Singapore from 1955 to 1965 and the predecessor of the Parliament of Singapore. The Rendel Constitution, proposed in 1953, sought to give the local population more self-governance as the Merdeka independence movement grew...
as a representative of the PAP following the 1959 election. In 1960 he served as the Parliamentary Secretary
Parliamentary Secretary
A Parliamentary Secretary is a member of a Parliament in the Westminster system who assists a more senior minister with his or her duties.In the parliamentary systems of several Commonwealth countries, such as the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, it is customary for the prime minister to...
for Home Affairs.
In 1961, Lee and 13 other members of the assembly broke away from the PAP and formed the Barisan Sosialis. Lee led the party in the 1963 elections, in which they won 13 of the 51 seats.
Lee was noted for his pro-leftist
Left-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
stance and oratory skills. In 1961, he made the longest speech in the history of Singapore's Legislative Assembly which lasted seven hours on the subject of Singapore's proposed merger with Malaya
Federation of Malaya
The Federation of Malaya is the name given to a federation of 11 states that existed from 31 January 1948 until 16 September 1963. The Federation became independent on 31 August 1957...
.
The Barisan Sosialis was Singapore's main opposition
Opposition (politics)
In politics, the opposition comprises one or more political parties or other organized groups that are opposed to the government , party or group in political control of a city, region, state or country...
party at the time of the country's independence in 1965. But the party boycotted the first post-independence general election in 1968
Singaporean general election, 1968
General elections were held in Singapore on 19 April 1968, the first after independence from Malaysia. The result was a victory for the People's Action Party, which won all 58 seats, the first of four consecutive elections in which they repeated the feat...
, allowing the PAP to win all 51 of the seats 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...
. The Barisan Sosialis never managed to regain a significant role in Singapore's political scene after this, and in 1988, the party merged with 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...
.
At the 1988 general election, Lee stood as a Workers' Party candidate in the Eunos Group Representation Constituency
Eunos Group Representation Constituency
Eunos Group Representation Constituency is a defunct Group Representation Constituency in the north-eastern region of Singapore...
along with fellow party members Francis Seow
Francis Seow
Francis Seow is a Singapore-born political dissident who is in exile from Singapore after lawsuits by the former Prime Minister Lee Kwan Yew. He was educated at Saint Joseph's Institution in Singapore and at the Middle Temple in London...
and Mohd Khalit bin Mohd Baboo. They lost very narrowly to the PAP's team in the constiuency by 49.1% of the votes to 50.9%. Only one opposition MP was returned to Parliament at that election (Chiam See Tong
Chiam See Tong
Chiam See Tong is a politician and lawyer from Singapore. He is the country's longest-serving opposition Member of Parliament . Between 1984 and 2011, he represented the constituency of Potong Pasir in Singapore's Parliament....
of the Singapore Democratic Party
Singapore Democratic Party
The Singapore Democratic Party is an opposition political party in Singapore.The party was founded in 1980 by Chiam See Tong, who as Secretary-General became the party's first Member of Parliament in 1984 when he was elected as MP for Potong Pasir...
). As the Workers' Party's team in Eunos had garnered a higher percentage of the vote than any other opposition losing candidates, the party was eligible to nominate two members of its team from Eunos to become Non-constituency MPs. The party had refused to nominate NCMPs in the past, but this time they nominated Lee and Seow to become NCMPs. Seow was subsequently accused of espionage
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
and fled to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
before he could take up his NCMP seat. But Lee became Singapore's first-ever NCMP, serving until the 1991 general election. In Parliament, he raised several issues, including the Internal Security Act
Internal Security Act
The term Internal Security Act is often given to a piece of legislation laying down regulations that enable the executive government of a jurisdiction to preserve the internal security of the nation...
, living costs and welfare.
Lee again stood in Eunos GRC at the 1991 general election. He and fellow party members Jufrie Mahmood
Jufrie Mahmood
Mohamed Jufrie bin Mahmood is a politician from Singapore. He was a prominent opposition political figure in the country in the 1980s and 1990s, when he stood in elections as a candidate for both the Singapore Democratic Party and the Workers' Party...
, Neo Choon Aik and Wee Han Kim again lost narrowly to the PAP's team by 47.6% of the votes to 52.4%. However no NCMP seats were offered following that election as the opposition parties won a combined total of four elected seats.
Lee left the Workers' Party in 1996, citing differences with the party's leader, Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam
Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam
Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam was a politician and lawyer from Singapore. He was the leader of the Workers' Party from 1971 to 2001...
.
Lee died of natural causes on 18 July 2002.