Tan Soo Khoon
Encyclopedia
Tan Soo Khoon is a former Member
of the Parliament of Singapore
, and a member of the current ruling party, the People's Action Party
. He was first elected in 1976, and stepped down in April 2006 after seven terms as the PAP began fielding new candidates for the nation's 12th General Elections
. Then 27, he is the youngest person ever to be elected to the Parliament of Singapore. He and former Prime Minister
Goh Chok Tong
were elected to public office at the same time. He held the Office of Deputy Speaker from 1985 to 1989, and was the Speaker of Parliament from 1989 to 2002. He is married and has two daughters.
(ACS) from Primary 1 through pre-University. He graduated in 1971 from the former University of Singapore (currently the National University of Singapore) with an honors undergraduate degree in Business Administration. His maternal grandfather is Lee Wee Nam, born 1880, who is one of the most prominent Chinese-Teochew figures in Singapore history, and founder of Lee Hiok Kee Pte Ltd.
During his stint as the Speaker, he was also President of the AIPO (ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Organization) for the 1989-1990, 1994-1995 and 1999-2000 sessions. He also twice served ex officio as acting president
when the President of the Republic
and Deputy Prime Minister were both out of the country on official business.
Tan also supervised the building of the new Parliament House, heading the Committee on the Parliament Complex Development Project. The new building was completed in 1999, and a ceremony was conducted to officiate the "move" from the old Parliament House near the Supreme Court to the new one along the Singapore River.
In a tribute by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
on April 15th 2006, he said of Tan, "He makes very good speeches in Parliament. Sometimes, he draws blood... Sometimes he has offended ministers, but he has spoken his mind."
Having retired from politics, he aims to devote more of his time to his business, his family and friends. Most of all, he will be spending more time with his band, a group of schoolmates from ACS and university, known as The Young Once, which has been a regular appearance on charity events, since they formed in the late 1990s, while Tan was still Speaker of Parliament.
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
of the Parliament of Singapore
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...
, and a member of the current ruling party, 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....
. He was first elected in 1976, and stepped down in April 2006 after seven terms as the PAP began fielding new candidates for the nation's 12th General Elections
Singapore general election, 2006
The 2006 Singapore parliamentary general election was held on 6 May 2006. 1.22 million out of the 2.16 million eligible Singaporeans voted for Members of Parliament and elected their next government. The People's Action Party , in its first election under Lee Hsien Loong, won 66.6% of the overall...
. Then 27, he is the youngest person ever to be elected to the Parliament of Singapore. He and former Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Singapore
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore is the head of the government of the Republic of Singapore. The President of Singapore appoints as Prime Minister a Member of Parliament who, in his opinion, is most likely to command the confidence of a majority of MPs.The office of Prime Minister...
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...
were elected to public office at the same time. He held the Office of Deputy Speaker from 1985 to 1989, and was the Speaker of Parliament from 1989 to 2002. He is married and has two daughters.
Early life and education
The former-Speaker was born and raised in a middle-class family, where he attended the prestigious Anglo-Chinese SchoolAnglo-Chinese School
The Anglo-Chinese School ; is a family of Methodist schools in Singapore, and Indonesia.The name is usually abbreviated as "ACS", with the junior college as "ACJC", and its students and alumni referred to as "ACSians" , or "ACS boys" .ACS was the first school...
(ACS) from Primary 1 through pre-University. He graduated in 1971 from the former University of Singapore (currently the National University of Singapore) with an honors undergraduate degree in Business Administration. His maternal grandfather is Lee Wee Nam, born 1880, who is one of the most prominent Chinese-Teochew figures in Singapore history, and founder of Lee Hiok Kee Pte Ltd.
Political career
In 1969, Tan served as the general secretary of the university students' union. In 1972, he began assisting in Kuo Chuan constituency, where he learned about the needs of the working-class of Singapore society. It is his strong desire for social equality and improving the lives of the less fortunate that has made his Parliamentary speeches well-known amongst his fellow MPs. Tan took a 13-year break from speech-making when he became Speaker. He is remembered for his fairness to both sides of the floor of the House, allowing members of both the ruling party and the opposition to speak their minds. He is also remembered for his sense of humor, for his notes to fellow MPs would be signed off "The Watchman", a take on his private business, and his role as Speaker.During his stint as the Speaker, he was also President of the AIPO (ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Organization) for the 1989-1990, 1994-1995 and 1999-2000 sessions. He also twice served ex officio as acting president
Acting president
An Acting President is a person who temporarily fills the role of an organization's or country's president, either when the real president is unavailable or when the post is vacant .-See also:*Acting *Acting President of Pakistan*Acting President of Malta*Acting President of...
when the President of the Republic
President of Singapore
The President of the Republic of Singapore is Singapore's head of state. In a Westminster parliamentary system, as which Singapore governs itself, the prime minister is the head of the government while the position of president is largely ceremonial. Before 1993, the President of Singapore was...
and Deputy Prime Minister were both out of the country on official business.
Tan also supervised the building of the new Parliament House, heading the Committee on the Parliament Complex Development Project. The new building was completed in 1999, and a ceremony was conducted to officiate the "move" from the old Parliament House near the Supreme Court to the new one along the Singapore River.
Backbenching
In April 2002, when he stepped down as Speaker after 13 years, Tan immediately made it known that as a backbencher, with his brutal honesty and openness, he could still "shake the House". Many of his speeches provided witty, pointed, even scathing, remarks about certain government policies and expenditures, such as the extravagance of certain public buildings and the rising cost of public transportation.In a tribute by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
Lee Hsien Loong
Lee Hsien Loong is the third and current Prime Minister of Singapore. He is married to Ho Ching, who is the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Temasek Holdings. He is the eldest son of Singapore's first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew....
on April 15th 2006, he said of Tan, "He makes very good speeches in Parliament. Sometimes, he draws blood... Sometimes he has offended ministers, but he has spoken his mind."
Having retired from politics, he aims to devote more of his time to his business, his family and friends. Most of all, he will be spending more time with his band, a group of schoolmates from ACS and university, known as The Young Once, which has been a regular appearance on charity events, since they formed in the late 1990s, while Tan was still Speaker of Parliament.