Michael Chan, Baron Chan
Encyclopedia
Michael Chew Koon Chan, Baron Chan, MBE (6 March 1940 – 21 January 2006) was a Singapore
an-British
physician
and politician
, of Chinese
descent.
Chan was born in Singapore, where his family were members of the Christian minority. He was educated at Raffles Institution
, and moved to the United Kingdom
to study medicine
at Guy's Hospital
Medical School. He trained as a paediatrician, specialising in blood diseases. He returned to Singapore after his studies, becoming a lecturer and consultant paediatrician at the University of Singapore, but returned to the UK in 1974 to study Von Willebrand's disease at the University of London
Institute of Child Health
at Great Ormond Street Hospital
. He moved to the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
in 1976, where he remained until 1994 as a senior clinical lecturer and consultant paediatrician. He was director of the NHS
Ethnic Health Unit in Leeds
between 1994 and 1997, and was successively director of two NHS primary health trusts from 1999.
He has also been active in the field of race relations, serving as an advisor to the Home Secretary
and then as a Commissioner for the Commission for Racial Equality
between 1990 and 1995, and as a member of the Sentencing Panel from 1999. He became a member of the Press Complaints Commission
in 2002, and he was chairman of the Chinese in Britain Forum. He was a committed Christian and elder of the Liverpool Chinese Gospel Church, undertaking various charitable works, for which he was appointed MBE in 1991.
He was made a life peer
in 2001, becoming Baron Chan, of Oxton
in the County of Merseyside
, chosen as a "People's Peer". He sat as a crossbencher. He became the second person of Chinese descent to take a seat in either of the Houses of Parliament
, after Baroness Dunn
. Chan was survived by his wife Irene Wei-Len Chee and their son and daughter.
As such, Lord Wei
is now the only ethnic Chinese Peer in The House of Lords.
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...
an-British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, of Chinese
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
descent.
Chan was born in Singapore, where his family were members of the Christian minority. He was educated at Raffles Institution
Raffles Institution
Raffles Institution , founded in 1823, is the oldest centre for pre-tertiary learning in Singapore. It is an independent school in Singapore providing secondary and pre-university education. RI consists of a boys-only secondary section , and a coeducational pre-university section...
, and moved to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
to study medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
at Guy's Hospital
Guy's Hospital
Guy's Hospital is a large NHS hospital in the borough of Southwark in south east London, England. It is administratively a part of Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. It is a large teaching hospital and is home to the King's College London School of Medicine...
Medical School. He trained as a paediatrician, specialising in blood diseases. He returned to Singapore after his studies, becoming a lecturer and consultant paediatrician at the University of Singapore, but returned to the UK in 1974 to study Von Willebrand's disease at the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
Institute of Child Health
UCL Institute of Child Health
The UCL Institute of Child Health is an academic department of the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences of University College London located in London, United Kingdom. It is a leading biomedical research centre and has a history in children's medical research which dates back to its founding.ICH...
at Great Ormond Street Hospital
Great Ormond Street Hospital
Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children is a children's hospital located in London, United Kingdom...
. He moved to the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
The Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine is a research and teaching institution focused on neglected tropical diseases and the control of diseases caused by poverty. It is a registered charity affiliated to the University of Liverpool...
in 1976, where he remained until 1994 as a senior clinical lecturer and consultant paediatrician. He was director of the NHS
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
Ethnic Health Unit in Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
between 1994 and 1997, and was successively director of two NHS primary health trusts from 1999.
He has also been active in the field of race relations, serving as an advisor to the Home Secretary
Home Secretary
The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...
and then as a Commissioner for the Commission for Racial Equality
Commission for Racial Equality
The Commission for Racial Equality was a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom which aimed to tackle racial discrimination and promote racial equality. Its work has been merged into the new Equality and Human Rights Commission.-History:...
between 1990 and 1995, and as a member of the Sentencing Panel from 1999. He became a member of the Press Complaints Commission
Press Complaints Commission
The Press Complaints Commission is a voluntary regulatory body for British printed newspapers and magazines, consisting of representatives of the major publishers. The PCC is funded by the annual levy it charges newspapers and magazines...
in 2002, and he was chairman of the Chinese in Britain Forum. He was a committed Christian and elder of the Liverpool Chinese Gospel Church, undertaking various charitable works, for which he was appointed MBE in 1991.
He was made a life peer
Life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
in 2001, becoming Baron Chan, of Oxton
Oxton, Merseyside
Oxton is a suburb of Birkenhead, on the Wirral Peninsula, England. Administratively it is a ward of the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral. Originally a village in its own right, it became part of the Municipal Borough of Birkenhead upon its creation in 1877...
in the County of Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
, chosen as a "People's Peer". He sat as a crossbencher. He became the second person of Chinese descent to take a seat in either of the Houses of Parliament
Palace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
, after Baroness Dunn
Lydia Dunn, Baroness Dunn
Lydia Selina Dunn, Baroness Dunn, DBE, JP was the Senior Unofficial Member of the Legislative Council and Executive Council in Hong Kong in 1985-1988 and 1988-1995, after Rogerio Hyndman Lobo and Chung Sze Yuen respectively...
. Chan was survived by his wife Irene Wei-Len Chee and their son and daughter.
As such, Lord Wei
Nat Wei, Baron Wei
Nathanael Ming-Yan Wei, Baron Wei , also known as Nat Wei, is a social entrepreneur, interested in social reform, the youngest member of the House of Lords...
is now the only ethnic Chinese Peer in The House of Lords.