PAP Relatives: Former and Current MPs

Thanks to some readers for contributing this list of names. Links below for verification.

1. FONG SIP CHEE = Father of ARTHUR FONG

Fong Sip Chee is the father of Arthur Fong.

Major Fong Sip Chee was Minister of State (Culture) in the 1980’s.

Arthur Fong, NLB.

Arthur Fong stepped down from politics in August 2015; he was the Assistant VP of OCBC bank from 1996-2000, and has been an NLB board member since 2011.

2. HO SEE BENG = Father of HO GEOK CHOO

Ho See Beng is the father of Ho Geok Choo.

Ho See Beng was NTUC’s first president from 1964 to 1966, and described by PM LHL as “the archetypical grassroots MP.”

Ho Geok Choo was elected as a Member of Parliament for the West Coast GRC from 2001 to 2011. A former Vice Chairman of the PAP Women’s Wing, Mdm Ho has close to 30 years of experience in GLCs and the private sector.

3. CHOO WEE KHIANG = Uncle of DESMOND CHOO

Former PAP MP Choo Wee Khiang is the uncle of Desmond Choo Pey Ching, PAP candidate for Tampines GRC.

Choo Wee Khiang was charged with 3 counts of corruption in 2011. A quote by Mr. Choo below.

“One evening, I drove to Little India and it was pitch dark but not because there was no light, but because there were too many Indians around.”
— Former PAP MP Mr Choo Wee Khiang, in a speech in Parliament in 1992

4. ONG AH HENG = Father of ONG TENG KOON

Ong Ah Heng was the Member of Parliament for Nee Soon Central until 2011. He was appointed a non-executive Director of ComfortDelGro Corporation Limited on 18 February 2003.

Ong Ah Heng is the father of Ong Teng Koon, a commodities trader and MP for Sembawang GRC.

5. LEE YOCK SUAN = Father of DESMOND LEE TI-SENG

Lee Yock Suan is a former cabinet minister and member of Parliament. His son is Desmond Lee Ti-Seng.

6. CYNTHIA PHUA = Sister of DENISE PHUA

Denise Phua and husband Tay Kiong Hong (right); Denise Phua and younger siblings (left). Source: ST

• Reader Tip: Mentioned in Chinese newspapers during former elections that Cynthia Phua is the sister of Denise Phua.

7. CHUA SIAN CHIN = Father of CHUA ENG LEONG

Former cabinet minister Chua Sian Chin is the father of Chua Eng Leong.

8. LIM KIM SAN = Uncle of PANG KIM HIN and LIM BOON HENG

Lim Kim San was a former senior cabinet minister and trusted political confidante of Lee Kuan Yew.

Pang Kim Hin is his nephew. A reader says that the Chinese newspapers reported that Lim Boon Heng is a nephew of Lim Kim San as well.

Powerful Siblings in Singapore

Links and text below for verification. Thanks to everyone who contributed to this post.

Reader Tip:  

“In Russia, they have the oligarchs and China the Princelings. In Singapore, we have the Siblings.”

// UPDATE (4 Sept 2015):

Will update the bigger image later (Chew siblings; grandchildren of Tan Chin Tuan).

Grandchildren of Tan Chin Tuan (uncle of President Tony Tan): Chew Gek Khim, Chew Kwee San and Chew Gek Hiang. They are relatives of Kwa Geok Choo through Tan Chin Tuan.

Chew Kwee San is an Advocate and Solicitor of the Supreme Court in Singapore. He is a Member of the Heritage Industry Incentive Program (Hi2P) Approval Committee of the National Heritage Board of Singapore and Member of Audit and Investment Committee of the Boy’s Brigade in Singapore.

Chew Gek Khim sits on the board of Singapore Exchange Limited and is a Member of the Securities Industry Council of Singapore, the SSO Council and Board of Governors of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies. She was Chairman of the National Environment Agency Board of Singapore from 2008 to 2015.

Chew Gek Hiang serves on the advisory panel of the GST Review Board.

FIRST COLUMN

1. Alan Chan Heng Loon, Public Service Commission (PSC) Member and former principal private secretary to Lee Kuan Yew, has two “illustrious siblings“: Professor Chan Heng Chee and Chan Heng Wing.

According to Singapore’s Constitution and PSC’s 2012 Annual Report:

The Public Service Commission (PSC)’s constitutional role is to appoint, confirm, promote, transfer, dismiss and exercise disciplinary control over public officers in Singapore.

It considers the suitability of candidates for appointment as Chief Executive Officers of Statutory Boards; it is also responsible for the planning and administration of scholarships provided by the Government of Singapore.

Kate Middleton, Prince William, PM LHL, and Ho Ching. Source: Getty

2. Ho Ching, wife of PM Lee Hsien Loong, has two brothers and a sister. Her sister is Ho Peng and one of her brothers is Ho Sing.

3. Teo Chee Hean has three sisters by the names of Hee Lian, Chai Lian and Swee Lian.

There is a Teo Swee Lian (director) in Singtel who was formerly a Special Advisor in the Managing Director’s Office at the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). There is a Teo Hee Lian who was formerly the Director of Institute of Public Administration and Management (IPAM). This Teo Hee Lian has had “extensive experience writing cabinet memoranda, parliamentary replies, reports, papers, minutes of meetings, and speeches.”

Will update this section if anyone can verify that these two ladies are Teo Chee Hean’s sisters. Images below from CSCollege and Singtel.

Teo Hee Lian. Source: CSCollege

Teo Swee Lian. Source: Singtel

Pic of Teo Swee Lian. Source: MAS

4. Richard Ong and Charles Ong are Chinese-Malaysian brothers. Charles Ong spent 10 years managing investment projects for Temasek Holdings, and was described as the “right-hand man” to Temasek chief Ho Ching.

The last two funds Richard led or co-led (in 2011) raised around $5 billion combined. At a 2 percent management fee — an industry standard — that’s $100 million in annual fees alone.

According to Wikipedia and China Economic Review:

. . .the true reason that the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) denied Goldman permission to name [Richard] Ong to his new position was due to his family ties to Singaporean sovereign wealth fund Temasek Holdings and his own role in the money-losing sale of former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s Shin Corporation to Temasek.

• NOTE: Ho Ching’s (CEO of Temasek Holdings since 2004; wife of PM Lee Hsien Loong; on the Forbes Power Woman list every year since 2004) mother, Chan Chiew Ping, was from Taiping, Malaysia.

SECOND COLUMN

1. Ng Chee Meng has two notable brothers: Ng Chee Khern and Ng Chee Peng (both were President’s Scholars). Ng Chee Khern was Chief of Air Force from 2006 – 2009. Ng Chee Peng was Chief of Navy from 2011 – 2014, and was appointed the CEO of CPF in Jan 2015. Former defence chief, Ng Chee Meng, has been touted as a potential office-bearer.

Ng Brothers | Image by Roy Ngerng

As Roy Ngerng wrote in a FB post:

“Ng Chee Meng is expected to run for the PAP and would be the highest-ranking military officer to run for election. He could even potentially become a prime minister. This means that he could head the government. If so, the Ng family would control the government, the military and our CPF.“

2. Dr. Yaacob Ibrahim has a sister, Zuraidah Ibrahim (political deputy editor at The Straits Times, married to Cherian George). Yaacob and Zuraidah have a brother, Ismail Ibrahim, who was the first Malay President’s Scholar in SIngapore. Thanks to The Unseen Singapore for making the original identification.

3.  Kwa Soon Bee, former Permanent Secretary for Health and Director of Medical Services, is a brother of Kwa Geok Choo (Mrs. Lee Kuan Yew). Kwa Soon Chuan was the first local appointed to the Colonial Administration. He is a brother of Kwa Geok Choo.

4. Lee Su Shyan, Money Editor / Business Editor at The Straits Times, is said to be the sister of Lee Yi Shyan. Will update this section if anyone can provide more verification.

THIRD COLUMN

1. Raymond Lim Siang Keat is the brother of Benny Lim, former ISD director.

2. Thio Shen Yi, President of the Law Society (2015), is the brother of Thio Li-Ann.

Thio Li-Ann’s views have been described as “anti-gay.” She described homosexuality as a “gender identity disorder,” said anal sex was akin to “shoving a straw up your nose to drink,” and opposed the repeal of a law in the penal code — known as Section 377A — that criminalizes sex between men.

[youtube.com/watch?v=vscnsmHyGhA&w=420&h=315;feature=youtu.be&]

(YouTube video of Thio Li-Ann in Parliament).

The Thio siblings’ maternal grandfather, Reverend Huang Yang Ying, was the founding Principal of Anglican High School (1956-1958).

Thio family. Source: BookSG

3. Chua Lee Hoong is the sister of Chua Mui Hoong. According to a reliable offline source, Chua Mui Hoong was a desk officer in the ISD.

4. Chew Men Leong took over from Chew Hock Yong as the chief executive of Land Transport Authority (LTA) in 2014. A reader pointed out that these two could be brothers or relatives.

Chew twin brothers. Source: Jasmine Tan / FB

5. Lieutenant-Colonel Chew Chun Chau is the identical twin brother of SLTC Chew Chun Liang. Chew Chun Liang is 1.5 hours younger than Chew Chun Chau.

6. Lim Suet Fern, wife of Lee Hsien Yang (brother of PM Lee Hsien Loong), has a brother called Lim Suet Wun, former CEO of Tan Tock Seng hospital.

PAP Internet Brigade (IB)

I wrote this post as:

1) Some people are still unaware of the “PAP IB” ;
2) A FB friend recently commented that the “PAP IB is now out in full force” re: the upcoming elections; and
3) Another friend recently got into an online argument on FB with a stranger on conservative vs. liberal politics, which got very bad until said friend deleted the entire thread.

+ + +

From a 2007 article in The Straits Times:

The People’s Action Party (PAP) is mounting a quiet counter-insurgency against its online critics.

It has members going into Internet forums and blogs to rebut anti-establishment views and putting up postings anonymously.

According to The Online Citizen:

The 50 Cent Party are the Internet commentators employed by the government of the People’s Republic of China or the Communist Party.

Their key function was to post comments on various Internet message boards, expressing a favourable opinion towards party policies, in an attempt to shape and sway public opinion.

[In Singapore], the counter-insurgency group is popularly known as the “Internet Brigade” or “IB” for short.

The man behind the PAP Internet Brigade is self-styled “moderate” Singaporean Jason Chua Chin Seng.

Jason Chua.

Some other excerpts from TOC’s excellent 3-part series on PAP Internet Brigade:

You will notice a group of individuals throwing attacks at the opposition party within minutes of the posting and with clear signs of an organised angle of attack. These are also people commonly found frequenting anti-opposition/pro-PAP fanpages such as Fabrications About The PAP (FAP) and Fabrications Led By Opposition Parties (FLOP).

This is clearly not the behaviour of common citizens who are expressing their opinions, but a deliberate attempt to mud-sling the political opposition and sway the opinion of the common folks online. By flooding a forum with comments as soon as possible, IBs aim to command the conversation through sheer number of posts.

To be fair, no one is stopping supporters of the PAP from expressing their views in public forums. Decisive and deliberate astro-turfing by IBs, on the other hand, prevents the public and policy makers alike from understanding ground sentiments. The PAP is actually not doing the government any favours by allowing this to happen.

More importantly, members of the public need to be aware of the presence of such entities so that they would not be misled on issues and matters in Singapore. Being aware of the Internet Brigade would allow us to take a step back from their vitriol and focus on the social discussions that can help shape Singapore the way it should be.

You can read all three articles in the series here:

• Part 1: Evolution of PAP Internet Brigade
• Part 2: How to Spot PAP IB’s
• Part 3: Cause and Effect of PAP IB

While the PAP Internet Brigade responds quickly to opportunities to denigrate the opposition, PM Lee Hsien Loong has been known to block less-than-glowing comments from being posted on his Facebook page (which, incidentally, brings to mind PM Lee talking at length about “Batman, Superman, Tarzan, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” during an #AskPMLee QnA, instead of providing “solid answers” to hard questions).

PM Lee once said that he stays positive online by being “flame-proof.” Perhaps it is this same quality which allows him to ignore the severity of the Singapore government’s long history of authoritarian rule.

If the PM can block or ignore less-than-savoury comments, there’s no reason why the rest of us shouldn’t feel free to block and/or ignore aggressive cyber-bullying types of online comments, whether they’re written by PAP IB’s or members of the public who have a different view.

I only came to know of the PAP IB’s existence earlier this year. I’ve rarely gotten into online arguments which centre around politics, because I prefer to allocate my time and energy to more sane, relaxing, and constructive matters (like research, reading, or socio-political blogging…).

Occasionally I do respond to a seemingly aggressive or hostile comment left on a Facebook post. I usually keep my responses short, around 1-2 sentences at maximum. Sometimes I add a link to an article that objectively backs up whatever it is I’d like to express, so that other people who happen to read the comment later can click on the link for more info if they so desire.

When it comes to reasoning and clarity of thought, perhaps Tan Wah Piow said it best:

Read carefully, and think slowly.

I am also reminded of this Tarot card, which is an interesting symbol to think about when you’re considering whether it’s worth it to engage in a debate/argument.

Temperance.

Joan Bunning explains the meaning of this card as follows:

Being temperate:

• Showing moderation
• Mitigating a harsh position
• Reaching a compromise

Maintaining balance:

• Achieving equilibrium
• Recognizing all sides
• Feeling centered and secure

Experiencing health:

• Renewing energy and vigor
• Enjoying well-being
• Recovering

Combining forces:

• Joining with others
• Creating synthesis
• Getting it all together

The Over-Hyped National Day Rally

* Blog post by former ISD director Mr. Yoong Siew Wah, who blogs at SG Recalcitrant. Originally posted on TR Emeritus.

There was a publicity overdrive on PM Lee Hsien Loong’s National Day Rally as it was obvious he was anxious that his Sermon on the Mount would reach as wide an audience as possible. As it turned out it was nothing more than a captive audience comprising mainly PAP minister, MPs, grassroots leaders, PAP supporters and a sprinkling of students, who listened in awesome attention to his so called exquisite oratory.

The Workers’ Party MPs very wisely gave the Rally a miss as it would have put them in an untenable position having to endorse the electioneering effort and excessive extolment of the late Lee Kuan Yew which they anticipated would be a feature of the Rally speech. They instead organised a dinner for their supporters to celebrate Singapore’s Golden Jubilee. Other opposition parties had also organised separate social events on that day.

The attendees at the Rally were a captive audience and PM Lee was at his best in mesmerizing his audience with his absorbing narrative on what social and political problems Singapore was facing and the Government’s efforts in overcoming them. He was seen to be in his element when he delivered his speech with such finesse that he had the audience applauding from time to time whenever he made a significant point.

It would have been a consummation of his oratory if he had refrained from extolling ad nauseam the so-called virtues of his late father Lee Kuan Yew and turning the Rally into an electioneering stunt calling for the election of the PAP team in the general election.

Of course the attendees by their very nature would be the PAP’s loyal electors. But how widely this will percolate down to the electorate will be a million-dollar question.

The PAP has the distinct advantage in its early announcement of its candidates for the general election and the fawning write-ups by a subservient press. The opposition has not disclosed its complete line-ups but the Workers’ Party will be defending its incumbent constituencies. So everything seems to be ready except the announcement of an election date by PM Lee which is thought to be likely in early September (update: September 11). The biggest PAP casualty so far seems to be the Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew who is portrayed as resigning to take the rap (引 咎辞聀）for the SMRT breakdowns. Ministers Lim Swee Say and Vivian Balakhrishnan who were given commendable mention by PM Lee in his Rally speech may have their work cut out in defending their seats because of their poor esteem with the electors.

PM Lee has said in his Rally speech that the coming general election is a critical one and that the PAP is going all out to win the election. He thinks the ground is favourable to the PAP for the general election to be called. This hustings may turn out to be a watershed election.

— Yoong Siew Wah / Singapore Recalcitrant

* Mr. Yoong Siew Wah was the director of Singapore’s Internal Security Department from 1971 to 1974. Before that, he was the director of the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB). Mr Yoong is now retired and blogs at singaporerecalcitrant.blogspot.com.

* Stay educated with some excerpts by Mr. Yoong (Part 1 and Part 2).

Tony Tan – Related to Lee Hsien Loong?

* Chart and verification below. If readers know of any inaccuracies, please contact me to verify the data. Thank you :)

Short Version: Tony Tan is related to Lee Hsien Loong.

Longer Version:

1. Tony Tan’s father is Tan Seng Hwee.

Tony Tan, Family | Source: NLB

2. According to Geni, Tan Seng Hwee’s half-brother is Tan Chin Tuan.

In this newspaper article, Tan Chin Tuan is referred to as the “adopted son” of Tan Seng Hwee’s mother. A reader says “half-sibling” is correct since Tan Chin Tuan and Tan Seng Hwee had the same father (different mother). | Source: NLB (25 Nov 1934)

3. Tan Chin Tuan (Tony Tan’s uncle) was married to Helen Wee, who is the sister of Wee Yew Neo. (Sources: Geni, NLB, Veritas and Rojak Librarian).

Tan Chin Tuan (Mrs. LKY’s uncle-in-law) and Kwa Siew Tee (Mrs. LKY’s father) = sons-in-law of Wee Theam Seng. Source: Veritas and NLB (4 Feb 1946)

Wife of Tan Chin Tuan = “Helen.” Source: NLB (10 June 1954)

4. Kwa Siew Tee married Wee Yew Neo in 1910. They are the parents of Kwa Geok Choo (Mrs. LKY).

5. Tony Tan’s mother is Jessie Lim Neo Swee (refer to screenshot on Point #1).

6. Jessie Lim is the sister of Lim Geok Neo, who is the wife of Seet Cheng Kang.

Lim Geok Neo is the only portion in the family tree where I could not verify the information from more than one reliable source. However, the Geni profile for Lim Geok Neo was added by a family member (private profile), and is currently being managed by a fellow family member (Jimmy Seet).

Lim Geok Neo was the wife of Seet Cheng Kang. Profile was added by a Seet, and is currently managed by Jimmy Seet (son of Seet Cheng Kang). Source: Geni.

Jimmy Seet, son of Seet Cheng Kang. Source: Geni

7. Seet Cheng Kang’s second wife was Chua Swee Neo, who is the sister of Chua Jim Neo, who is the mother of Lee Kuan Yew.

8. This means that Tony Tan is related to Lee Hsien Loong through the family members of both Mr. and Mrs. Lee Kuan Yew.

Lee Kuan Yew: On Ministers’ Salaries

[LKY ON MINISTERS’ SALARIES (1980’s)]

1) “In Singapore, [wealth and power] are two different things. And we should keep them as two different entities.”
— LKY, National Day Rally 1984

2) “Recently, we persuaded a graduate, who is a journalist, to be a candidate for the next elections. He went through a stretch of soul-searching. He decided to take up the responsibility.

He explained it this way: In Malaysia, Dr Mahathir [warned] of dangers of using vast sums of money to buy voters. To be elected is the way to power and to wealth. This journalist found [that] in Singapore no one was fighting to be elected either into the Central Executive Committee of the PAP or into Parliament. There was no money to be made. . .no dishonest or opportunistic or selfish and greedy types [should] ever get into positions of powers.”
— Lee Kuan Yew (16 August 1984 / PDF Download)

[LKY ON MINISTERS’ SALARIES (1990’s)]

3) “It is possible that politically and socially uncommitted people from the higher management and professional brackets will be attracted to the idea of public office for this higher pay. . .[but] if this salary formula can draw out higher quality men into politics, whatever their motivations, I say, let us have them.”
— Lee Kuan Yew (1 November 1994)

4) “Ministers who deal with billions of dollars cannot be paid low salaries without risking a system malfunction. Low salaries will not attract able men who are or can be successful in their professions or business. Low salaries will draw in the hypocrites who sweet talk their way into power in the name of public services, but once in charge will show their true colour, and ruin the country.”
— Lee Kuan Yew (19 July 1996)

5) “Equality is an aspiration: it is not reality, it is not practical.”
— Lee Kuan Yew (19 August 2009)

[PERSPECTIVES ON SG MINISTERS’ SALARIES]

6) Mr Jeyaretnam: “The Prime Minister more than once said, “Let’s be honest with ourselves.” Well, let us be honest. What is the Prime Minister saying? Is he saying that his present Cabinet Ministers or the new recruits into his Party would not have come in unless they were promised huge sums of money by way of high salaries? . . . If they are only interested in the money, there is no integrity.”
— 1985 Budget Debate (via Roy Ngerng)

7) “How much money does it take to keep a Singapore government minister happy? The government says a million dollars is not enough.”
— NYT (2007)

8) “The broader issue is that politics is a public service. Other corruption-free countries such as Denmark and New Zealand do not need to pay their ministers astronomical salaries to keep them clean.”
— Tan Jee Say, former senior civil servant and fund manager (2011)

9) “Given that ministers get to decide on their salaries, aren’t we in essence giving them a blank check in the name of preventing corruption?”
— Aaron Chew (2011)

* ‘Blank Check’ Definition: An unlimited freedom of action.

10) “DPM [Teo Chee Hean] talked of the ethos of political service. How this can be reconciled with paying themselves obscenely high salaries in order to serve the people? Is this service to the people or self-serving?”
— Singapore Recalcitrant (11 March 2015)

Teo Chee Hean – Related to Lee Hsien Loong?

* Thanks to Veritas for making the original identification.

I have included a family tree chart and verification below.

Short Version: Teo Chee Hean is related to Lee Hsien Loong.

Long Version:

1) Kwa Geok Choo is the mother of Lee Hsien Loong.

2) Kwa Soon Chuan is the brother of Kwa Geok Choo.

Image from NLB.

3) Kwa Soon Chuan is the husband of Ivy Lim Seok Cheng.

4) Ivy Lim Seok Cheng is the daughter of Lim Chong Pang, a prominent businessman.

5) Lim Chong Pang is the son of Lim Nee Soon, one of the pioneers of rubber planting.

6) Lim Nee Soon is the son of Lim Peng Guan, who married Teo Lee’s eldest daughter (Teo Choon Lian). He died in 1887 and left his son Nee Soon in the care of his maternal grandfather, Teo Lee (1833).

7) Teo Lee was the husband of Tan Poh Neo, the granddaughter of the Kapitan Cina from Muntok. Teo Lee is the great-great-grandfather of Teo Chee Hean.

• Teo Bah Tan = 5th son of Teo Lee.
• Teo Eng Hock = Uncle of Teo Beng Wan (great-granduncle of Teo Chee Hean).
• Teo Eng Hock = Brother of Teo Choon Lian and Teo Bah Tan (Father of Teo Beng Wan). 
• Teo Beng Wan = Father of Teo Cheng Guan
• Teo Cheng Guan = Father of Teo Chee Hean

+ + +

Some closing words by Veritas:

It has been wildly speculated [that] family members of top civil servants and elected officers from PAP either own big businesses or hold important appointments. Although information regarding families of our politicians are held almost like a top secret, some interesting dots between them can still be connected thanks to the Internet.