Tribute by President Tony Tan Keng Yam to Dr Toh Chin Chye

        Dr Toh Chin Chye had an illustrious political and ministerial career spanning more than three decades since the 1950s. 

        Dr Toh’s political awakening began during his student days in London in the post-war years.  He was, in his words, “Chairman, Editor and everything else” of the Malayan Forum, a student body started by Dr Goh Keng Swee and Tun Abdul Razak in London .  After he returned to Singapore in 1953, he linked up with Mr Lee Kuan Yew and became a fixture of the “basement meetings” at Mr Lee’s house on Oxley Road.  In 1954, Dr Toh pushed for the group to be registered as a political party, leading to the People’s Action Party (PAP) being established and launched at a public meeting at the Victoria Memorial Hall.  Dr Toh was thus Founder Chairman of the PAP, and remained its Chairman for 27 years.  As Chairman, he steered the PAP through the internal split in 1961, and other challenges in its earlier years, including battling the Communist United Front and dealing with the racial riots in the early 1960s.  

        After the PAP swept into power following elections for Singapore’s first self-governing Legislative Assembly, Dr Toh was assigned to helm a committee to design a new flag for Singapore.  The new flag was unveiled on 3 Dec 1959 together with the state crest and the national anthem at the installation of the new Head of State the Yang di-Pertuan Negara.  It replaced the Union Jack, which had flown over for 140 years since 1819.  Upon Singapore's independence in 1965, it was adopted as Singapore's national flag.

        Dr Toh held several Cabinet appointments in a span of more than 20 years in Government.  He was Deputy Prime Minister from Jun 1959 to Apr 1968, Minister for Science & Technology from Apr 1968 to Jun 1975, and Minister for Health from Jun 1975 to Jan 1981.

        Dr Toh was concurrently Vice Chancellor of the then University of Singapore (now National University of Singapore) when he was Minister for Science & Technology and Chairman of the Singapore Polytechnic (SP) Board of Governors from 1959 to 1975.  Recognising the need for new campuses to accommodate the rapidly expanding student population in the tertiary educational institutions, Dr Toh was a prime mover for the establishment of the University’s campus at Kent Ridge, and in planning the relocation of SP to its present day campus at Dover Road.

        Even after Dr Toh left the Cabinet in 1981, he continued to contribute actively in Parliament as an outspoken backbencher.  When Dr Toh retired from politics in 1988, he was conferred the Order of Nila Utama (First Class) in 1990. 

        Singaporeans will certainly remember Dr Toh as one of our founding fathers who made lasting contributions towards Singapore’s political development and progress into what Singapore is today.   

PRESIDENT'S OFFICE
ISTANA
3 FEBRUARY 2012