100 Inspiring Rafflesians

The following sections are included:

• Contents

• Foreword

• Preface

• Acknowledgements

Abdul Jamil bin Haji Ahmad was the first Rafflesian to receive his training at the Royal Military College at Sandhurst. He retired with the exalted rank of Lieutenant-General and was the person directly responsible for the national security of Peninsular Malaysia. He was also the first Malaysian Commandant of the Royal Military College. In his 32 years of distinguished service, he soldiered through the Malayan Emergency, with the UN in the Congo and also during the Indonesian Confrontation…

Zaibedah Ahmad has the unique distinction of being the first woman Ambassador in the Malaysian Foreign Service. Her diplomatic career coincided with the gradual shift in Malaysian foreign policy away from her traditional ties with Britain and the Commonwealth. She also witnessed the beginnings of the collapse of the Soviet-styled client states of Eastern Europe. She diligently applied herself to her tasks with distinction, winning new friends for Malaysia with her intellect, beauty and charm…

Velauthar Ambiavagar was a student, teacher and Principal of Raffles Institution. He was the school's 16th Principal and the first Singaporean to hold this exalted office — the only superscale post in the teaching service…

Johnny Ang is the first Singaporean to receive the International Victory Award, which recognises physically and mentally disabled people who show courage and strength, and are role models for others. He is also a journalist and mouth artist…

Ang Swee Chai is an orthopaedic surgeon who risked her own life to save the lives of others. Her courage and self-sacrifice in the Palestinian refugee camps of Sabra and Shatila in the 1980s are legendary…

When he was a schoolboy, Edmund William Barker read how the British Empire was won on the playing fields of Eton. His sporting feats in Raffles Institution, Raffles College and Cambridge were later equalled by his political achievements in a newly independent Singapore. He was highly regarded as a lawyer and government minister, and known for his sense of humour. As a sportsman and a politician, he always played the game…

Cham Tao Soon wanted to be a musician. However, his father discouraged him and he graduated with a degree in Engineering. He became an academic and subsequently, the founding President of Nanyang Technological University. He was responsible for transforming NTU from a small engineering institute into a premier university in Asia. As a person, Cham does not confine himself only to the nuts and bolts of his profession but also has a passion for the arts, rabbits and fish head curry…

Michael Chan Chew Koon alias Lord Chan of Oxton read Dick Whittington, and how the streets of London were paved with gold as a schoolboy and a British subject. As Lord Chan of Oxton, he journeyed there to debate with the British nobility and aristocracy. He was the first Singaporean and the first Chinese to be appointed as an independent life peer in the House of Lords. His father, Chan Chieu Kim, was a former Principal of RI and the first Commissioner for Civil Defence…

Alan Chan Heng Loon has risen to the top of his career in both the public and private sectors. A former Permanent Secretary in the Singapore Administrative Service, he is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Singapore Press Holdings. He was an outstanding student leader and a President's Scholar…

Kit Chan's full name is Chan Kit Ee. As a schoolgirl, she loved to sing and act. She has often been credited to be the first Singaporean pop singer to break into the regional Chinese pop scene. A phenomenal recording star, she has been extensively featured in television and stage musicals. She has also published a book of poetry, and co-wrote a novel with her best friend from RGS. Besides her achievements in the field of entertainment, Kit Chan is also recognised as a trailblazer in humanitarian and youth work, becoming Youth Ambassador for the National Youth Council from 1998–2000, and then going on to win the Singapore Youth Award for Arts and Culture in 2001, and the Commonwealth Youth Programme Asia Award for Excellence in Youth Work in 2002. She served in the committee for NYC from 2001–2004, and currently serves as a board member on the National Heritage Board, as well as contributes to the Resource Panel for the MICA Government Parliamentary Committee…

The name Betty Chen is synonymous with the Chinese Women's Association, which runs the Henderson Senior Citizens' Home, a sheltered home for the elderly, a torch which she has been carrying for her mother, May Wong, who was the Association's President for life…

Bertie Cheng Shao Shiong nearly became a teacher and a policeman. Instead, he devoted his whole working life to the postal service and became the Chief Executive Officer of the Post Office Savings Bank. Under his leadership, the POSB became the first local bank to computerise and introduce the ATM…

Chia Boon Leong was born on New Year's Day in 1925. Only 5 foot 3 inches tall, this 80-year-old maestro is a legend in Singapore's football. He holds the double distinction of representing China in the 1948 Olympic Games in London and being a member of the victorious Singapore team which won the Malaya Cup 1950–1952…

Claire Chiang See Ngoh is a woman of many parts. She has led an interesting life as a mother of three children, an entrepreneur, academic, author, champion of women's rights and family values, and a Nominated Member of Parliament. She attended Nan Hua Primary School and Raffles Girls' Primary School, followed by Raffles Girls' Secondary School before proceeding to the National Junior College and the University of Singapore, where she graduated with Honours in Sociology. She pursued her academic interest after marriage and achieved a Masters of Philosophy Degree in Sociology from Hong Kong University. She is multilingual, speaking easily in English, Mandarin and French, and numerous Chinese dialects…

Choor Singh came from humble beginnings. The son of a watchman, he began his working life as a solicitor's clerk and rose to the top of the Judiciary as a Supreme Court Judge. He was also an authority on Sikh history and religion…

Chua Kim Yeow was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Yet, with only nine years of schooling, he rose to the top of his profession. He was Singapore's Accountant-General. His successful career is inspiring, as he achieved it through self-study, sheer hard work and determination…

Lionel Cresson was the first Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Singapore Polytechnic. He was a pioneering industrialist, inventor and entrepreneur. As President of the Rotary Club, he launched the Rotary Tuberculosis Clinic at the Tan Tock Seng Hospital. He also initiated the UMS Fund. He possesses a distinguished record of community service and was a founder member and President of the Singapore Manufacturers Association and the Federation of Employers. He was also a Municipal councillor and a member of the Public Service Commission…

As an Ambassador-at-Large, Ridzwan bin Haji Dzafir belongs to the select company of only three Ambassadors in Singapore to be honoured with such a prestigious appointment. In his 46 years of distinguished public and community service, he has served as Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Director-General of the Trade Development Board and Non-Resident Ambassador to Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Panama. He is also a Pro-Chancellor of the NUS and a stalwart of the Malay community…

Goh Chok Tong is Singapore's second Prime Minister. He took over the helm of government at the age of 49. During his 14 years as Prime Minister, from 1990 to 2004, Singapore experienced many changes which were driven largely by external events. These included the ending of the Cold War, the primacy of American power, the Asian financial crisis and the imminent global competition posed by China and India. He became Senior Minister in 2004…

Goh Choo San achieved international fame as the resident choreographer of the famous Washington Ballet. When he died of viral colitis at the relatively young age of 39, he bequeathed a legacy of US$500,000 for the development of young dancers and choreographers…

Euleen Goh reached the pinnacle of her profession after some 21 years in banking. She is the second Singaporean woman to hold the top post of CEO of Standard Chartered Bank. In that, too, she was responsible for driving the Bank's corporate governance and strategic agenda in Singapore. She is also the Non-Executive Chairman of International Enterprise Singapore, an agency under the Ministry of Trade and Industry whose mission is to help Singapore-based companies grow and internationalise successfully…

Han Fook Kwang had his first taste of journalism, when he was a schoolboy. He loved reading and writing. Although he graduated in Mechanical Engineering, he did not practise Engineering. Instead, he served in the Administrative Service working on public policies. His first love was journalism and he yearned to make it his profession. Now, as the Editor of Singapore's largest selling daily newspaper, he has come full circle…

Albert Hong Hin Kay is a very successful architect as can be seen by his various projects, nationally and internationally. A self-made man, he is someone who donates his money generously to the arts and education, and is easily the biggest single benefactor of Raffles Institution. He was the first professional to win the 'Businessman of the Year Award'. He is quite comfortable with his dual role as a successful professional and a wealthy businessman…

As a schoolboy, Yusof Ishak dreamt of becoming a soldier but this was overtaken by his love of journalism. He pioneered the founding of the Utusan Melayu and became a legend in the Malay community. His vision was a multiracial nation and this was realised when he became Singapore's First President in 1959…

Shanmugam Jayakumar became the Deputy Prime Minister, after 24 years in politics. As a schoolboy and an undergraduate, he had already shown that he had leadership qualities. This was useful preparation for his political career to come…

Hijjas Kasturi is an internationally renowned architect. Some people say that the award-winning architect is an idealist while others say he is a visionary and a controversial thinker. It is an undeniable fact that through his buildings and patronage, Hijjas Kasturi has contributed significantly towards shaping a Malaysian identity and building a new nation. A philanthropist and a firm believer in education, he founded his own residency programme to support young architects, artists and writers…

Khoo Kay Chai has the distinction of being the first Singaporean Principal of the Singapore Polytechnic. For 30 years, he was the driving force and chief engineer of its growth and development. Under his capable and dynamic leadership, the Singapore Polytechnic was transformed from a mere technical institute into a modern institute of technology. When he retired in 1995, it had a staff of 1,500 and a student population of 15,000. Of the five polytechnics in existence today, Singapore Polytechnic remains the top choice of students…

As Khoo Tee Chuan studied British Empire history in his school lessons, he was held spellbound by the adventures of Sir Francis Drake and how the British navy defeated the Spanish Armada. But his love for the sea was not only confined to books. Living in Pulau Bukom, he was fascinated by the ships plying the Singapore harbour as he was ferried to school every morning. He also saw fishermen in sampans with their catch. Khoo decided to join the navy to see the world and to serve Singapore. By an accident of history, he served in the Malaysian Navy for 29 years and was the person responsible for the establishment of the Malaysian naval base at Lumut, Perak…

Kiang Ai Kim is the first Singaporean Professor of Chemistry. In his lifetime, he has seen the evolution of the Raffles College to the University of Malaya in Singapore and, after two more evolutions, to the current National University of Singapore. Yet this unassuming 88-year-old professor would not have realised his ambition, if fate had not smiled kindly on him on two occasions. When the Japanese forces invaded Singapore, he was forced, at rifle-point, into a concentration camp in Jalan Besar. When he was interrogated, he gave his occupation as a laboratory assistant. Somehow, this did not impress his captors and he was released after two days. Later, a friend told him that he was reporting at the Kempetai Headquarters in Orchard Road because he had heard that young men would be given jobs. For some inexplicable reason, Kiang did not follow him. His friend, a Queen's Scholar in Botany, was never seen again…

Kirpa Ram Vij is Singapore's first Chief of Armed Forces and Brigadier-General. In his 45 years of distinguished public service in Singapore, he has served in the administrative service, the armed forces, foreign service and the national shipping line. He was engaged in action during Indonesia's policy of 'confrontation' against Malaysia and played a leading role in training Singapore's pioneering batch of national servicemen and in transforming our armed forces into the lynchpin of Singapore's national defence. He had intended to be a teacher but he proceeded to the university on the advice of his teacher, which changed the course of his life…

Koh Chai Hong has the unique distinction of being Singapore's first woman pilot in the Republic of Singapore Air Force. She is the highest-ranking woman officer in holding the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel at the age of 40. In a remarkable career spanning 27 years, she has held many important posts, including Squadron Leader and Chief Instructor of Fighter Pilots. She is also a former national water-skiing champion…

Stella Kon nee Lim Sing Po, is one of Singapore's foremost playwrights. She achieved international fame with her play Emily of Emerald Hill, which has been staged in many cities throughout the world…

Kwan Sai Kheong devoted his life to education. He was a brilliant all-rounder, being a mathematician, artist, violinist, inventor, linguist and Ambassador…

It was because Kwek Siew Jin did not like the army and was rejected by the air force that he was drafted into the navy. He commanded the Singapore Navy's first minesweeper on its maiden voyage from San Francisco to Singapore. After 27 years of distinguished service, he retired as Chief of the Navy with the rank of Rear-Admiral (Two-Star). On returning to civvy street, he presided over the SMRT Corporation Ltd and Singapore Power. He is currently the President of the National Council of Social Services and Chairman of the National Centre for Philanthropy and Volunteerism…

Lee Kuan Yew is the founding father of independent Singapore. Born exactly 100 years after the founding of Raffles Institution, he is without a doubt the most eminent Rafflesian. In 1959, he became Singapore's first Prime Minister at the age of 36. For 31 years he ruled supreme, transforming Singapore from a Third World colonial entrepôt into a First World nation. He is primus egalitus among his Cabinet colleagues. He was appointed Senior Minister in 1991 and Minister Mentor in 2004…

Lee Siow Mong (seated in photo) held the rare distinction of being in the pioneering batch of civil servants in the Singapore Administrative Service. He was an internationally renowned authority on Chinese art and culture and also the driving force of the China Society. He was probably the last of the Chinese Scholar-Mandarins of Singapore…

Lee Suet Fern is the founder and Senior Director of Stamford Law Corporation. Her firm was the first law corporation to be established under the Legal Profession Act of Singapore. Stamford Law is a corporate law firm focusing on mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance and capital markets related work. She has found her niche in this very specialised area of Law. She is also an advocate and benefactor of women's education…

Leong Cheng Chit is an internationally renowned origamist. Many of his designs have been published in journals of origami societies in Japan, USA and Europe. He is acclaimed not only for his immaculate folding, but also for his erudition in the great variety of his work, which ranges from mathematical models to sculptures…

Lim Boon Keng's success story is the stuff of which every schoolboy's dreams are made of. At the age of 16, he was faced with the prospect of leaving school, but he became the first Singaporean Queen's Scholar. The Queen's Scholarship was a prestigious scholarship previously awarded only to the children of expatriates. Later, Lim Boon Keng used his wealth and influence for the benefit of education and the community. In the 1950s, he was affectionately known as 'The Grand Old Man of Singapore'…

Lim Bo Seng was a wealthy young man when Singapore fell to the Japanese forces in 1942. He abandoned his life of luxury and ease to become a guerilla and freedom fighter. He sacrificed his life for his country and was only thirty-five when he died…

Carmee Lim nee Carmee Lee has the triple distinction of being a former student, teacher and Principal of Raffles Girls' School. Under her leadership, RGS moved to Anderson Road and became an independent school and also held the distinction of being the first school to introduce computers…

Lim Chin Beng is popularly known as 'Mr SIA' He started as an administrative trainee, became a Managing Director and culminated his 30-year career with SIA as its Deputy Chairman. He is a pioneer in civil aviation, having nurtured and transformed the Singapore International Airlines (SIA) into one of the world's leading carriers. He is a pioneer in civil aviation…

Lim Hng Kiang dealt with explosives when he was a soldier. As a young boy, he witnessed the nearby Bukit Ho Swee fire and the Hock Lee Bus riots. He was confronted with the most hazardous situation when he was the Health Minister during the SARS outbreak. In his 12 years of distinguished service, as CEO of the Housing and Development Board, Deputy Secretary and Minister for National Development, he engineered the upgrading of HDB flats and the blueprint for the revised Concept Plan for Singapore…

Lim Hsiu Mei reached the pinnacle of her career after 37 years of distinguished service in the elite Administrative Service of Singapore. She has played an invaluable guiding role in the Girl Guides movement, her alma mater, as well as in public and community service. She is also one of the pioneers in hospice care development. She was the first Chairperson on the Board of Governors when RGS became an independent school…

Lim Kim Choon is the Chief of the Republic of Singapore Air Force with the rank of Major-General. He is a qualified F16 and A4 fighter pilot who has held many top appointments in the RSAF. In his distinguished 24-year career, he served as Head of Air Intelligence Department, as well as Head of Air Operations Department. He was also the Commander of Tengah Air Base and Chief of Air Staff. He became Chief of Air Force in 2001 at the age of 44…

The name of Lim Kok Ann is synonymous with the game of chess in Singapore. In his lifetime, he had coached and inspired many National Grand Masters. As they grappled with him across the chessboard, his protégés would have known that their mentor was a Queen's Scholar and a Professor of Virology. They were soon put at ease by the unassuming ways and infectious sense of humour of the bespectacled professor…

During his career, Lim Neo Chian has worn many hats, distinguishing himself in the army, industry and tourism. He was Chief of Army holding the exalted rank of Major-General. As Chief Executive and Chairman of the Jurong Town Corporation, he was a key mover in the development of the wafer fabrication parks and the establishment of Jurong Island as a worldclass chemical hub. Now, as Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive of the Singapore Tourism Board, he is charged with the responsibility of developing Singapore's tourism sector into a key economic driver for Singapore…

Lim Pin ran a campus of 1,600 lecturers and 30,000 undergraduates. He is the first to be conferred the title of University Professor by the NUS for his visionary academic leadership…

Lim Soo Hoon has the unique distinction of being Singapore's first woman Permanent Secretary. After 18 years in the administrative service, she has reached the top of her career and is a role model for women who aspire to succeed in the public service…

Lim Yew Hock was not born great. By his own admission, he did not achieve greatness. When he became Singapore's second Chief Minister, he had greatness thrust upon him…

Low Boon Chye is the Senior Scientist and Director of the National Centre for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) High Altitude Observatory at Boulder in Colorado, USA. He belongs to the select company of research scientists who specialise in studying the atmosphere and the sun. As a young man, he had to decide whether to be a shipbuilder or a space scientist…

David Saul Marshall was a legend in his lifetime. When he became Singapore's first Chief Minister, he was already a famous criminal lawyer. At seventy, he began his diplomatic career as Singapore's Ambassador to France…

Ernest Steven Monteiro was a pioneer in Preventive Medicine. He led the fight against poliomyelitis and beriberi in the 1950s, a period when Sigapore was plagued by many diseases…

Mohamed Javad Namazie was a Persian who originally practised law in Malacca Street. A Legislative Councillor, he was a pioneer in participatory politics in colonial Singapore. He had a distinguished record of public and community service, and was a highly respected leader of the Muslim Community. A gentleman and a gentle man, he never compromised on his principles…

Noel Evelyn Norris has the triple distinction of being a former student, teacher and Principal of Raffles Girls' School. A veteran educator, she is also noted for her contribution to the community, drama, the Girl Guides movement and animal welfare…

G. E. N. Oehlers, or 'Geno' as he was popularly known to his friends, was a hockey legend. He also presided over the Singapore Legislative Assembly and the Industrial Court in Malaysia. With his stature and height, he strode like a Colossus among the Eurasian community…

Mae Noleen Oehlers holds the honour of being the first Singaporean to head Raffles Girls' School, a post previously reserved for British expatriates. She was the only woman to hold a super-scale post in the teaching service. In her 29 years of association with her alma mater, she had the triple distinction of having been a student, teacher and Principal of RGS. She was an excellent administrator, noted for her thoroughness and ability to organise…

Mohamed Taib bin Osman was the second Malaysian Vice-Chancellor of the University of Malaya in Pantai Valley, which was founded in 1961. The university had only four faculties — Arts, Science, Engineering and Agriculture — and was inadequately equipped to meet the developmental needs of a newly independent nation. Taib Osman joined it at its birth and witnessed its transformation into a national university producing competent and skilled graduates in various fields of endeavour. He retired as its Vice-Chancellor after 34 years of distinguished academic service. He created a precedent by promoting 30 academics to professors in order to avert a brain drain into the private sector. He was directly responsible for the establishment of the Faculty of Computer Science and Technology as well as the Academy of Islamic Studies and Malay Studies…

Indra Padmanathan was the first Malaysian medical doctor to serve as a Public Health specialist with the World Bank. She achieved this prestigious international recognition for her pioneering work in Public Health Medicine in Malaysia and Sri Lanka. Her training manual in Health Systems research is extensively used worldwide, while her World Bank publication on how to make childbearing safer is internationally acclaimed…

Pang Eng Fong is an academic and a diplomat with a difference. As someone who performs both his tasks very seriously, he also has his funny side. As an academic, he challenges his students to reach their limits. As an Ambassador, he is never seen without his haversack. Thus, he is both a contrarian and a conformist rolled into one, who is not afraid to do the unusual or take the unconventional route…

Phay Seng Whatt gave up his medical practice to serve the Public Service Commission. He had the formidable task of reforming, restructuring and streamlining the public service in the newly self-governing Singapore…

Judith Evelyn Jyothi Prakash belongs to the new generation of woman lawyers who have risen to the top of their profession. Now, a High Court Judge, she still recalls her schooldays when she used to dance the rock 'n' roll…

Arumugam Ponnurajah was a lawyer, politician, diplomat and judge. He was affectionately known to his friends and colleagues as A. P. Rajah. He brought to the various high offices that he held his own inimitable warmth, sensitivity, charm, urbane wit and sense of humanity…

Quah Kim Song represented Singapore in football when he was only a schoolboy at the age of 17. His greatest triumph came in 1977 when he scored the winning goal against Penang, which enabled Singapore to win the Malaysia Cup after a 13-year drought. His deadly strike made him a national icon to thousands of his adoring fans, who had almost given up any hope of Singapore ever winning the Malaysia Cup again…

Sinnathamby Rajaratnam is one of the founding fathers of an independent Singapore. His life was devoted to building Singapore into a multiracial nation, uniting people of diverse ethnicities and cultures…

Zainul Abidin Rasheed is a Mayor with the common touch. His North East Community Development Council handles the collective responsibility of looking after 700,000 people. A highly respected leader in the Malay community, he passionately believes in a multiracial Singapore. In his varied career as a trade unionist, journalist, community leader and politician, he is constantly reminded of the experiences and lessons he had learned as a schoolboy. They became invaluable preparation for his adult life…

T. Kanaga Sabapathy is one of the most respected and highly regarded art historians in Southeast Asia. As a historian, curator, critic and adviser he has influenced artistic opinion and shaped knowledge of visual art for over 30 years. He is in his element when he extols the beauty and splendour of Angkor Wat and Borobodur to rapt audiences. His love for antiquity belies his prowess as a rugged sportsman when he was a young man. Kanaga was a national schoolboy champion miler. He also represented Singapore in hockey…

Viswa Sadasivan was a very familiar face on Singapore television for many years. He anchored and presented programmes, such as Talking Point, Feedback and Today in Parliament, and also covered and directed parliamentary reports and the General Elections. In his 24 years of television experience, he held top posts in the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation, Singapore Press Holdings and UTV International. He was Chairman of the Right Angle group of companies until March 2007. Since then, he formed Strategic Moves — a strategic crisis and communications training, and corporate strategy consultancy firm for top management in Fortune 500 companies as well as in Singapore's public sector. If this was not enough, in May 2007, Viswa started up yet another company with a partner. Called MagikAsia, it strives to create and distribute showcase animation features, and create innovative content in the new media and Interactive Digital Media (IDM) space that will help put Singapore on the world map…

Rosie Seow was a pioneering stage actress in the 1950s, when Singapore's English language theatre was in its infancy. The drama world was then dominated by the British expatriate community. In the 1950s and 60s, she acted under her stage name of 'Kheng Lim'…

Benjamin Henry Sheares is affectionately regarded as the father of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in Singapore. He was undoubtedly one of the most illustrious graduates of the King Edward VII College of Medicine, who pioneered a procedure which is named after him. He was made Singapore's second President, in recognition of his distinguished service…

Ming Yi was born in 1962 and was twentyeight when he became the abbot of the Foo Hai Ch'an Monastery in Geylang East in 1990. He was previously attached to a small temple in Mountbatten Road. The old temple was a small two-storey building and in need of much repair. It was then that he had his bold vision. Instead of repairing it, he dreamt of building a new one and making it an open sanctuary for meditation and contemplation. He envisaged a Tang-style temple complex, like those in Japan. He realised that there was a growing number of people, especially the young, who were interested in Buddhism…

Siow Lee Chin is a world-renowned violinist. A child prodigy and now only in her thirties, she has performed with many famous conductors and orchestras in many leading cities of the world. She is the Professor of Strings in the University of Charleston, North Carolina, in the United States…

Soh Ghee Soon was the longest serving President of the Singapore Amateur Football Association in the 1950s. They were the golden years of Singapore football and under his dynamic leadership, Singapore remained the Malaya Cup champion for three years. He was also the founding Vice-President of the Asian Football Confederation. He had a distinguished record in community service and was both a City Councillor as well as an elected member of the Legislative Assembly…

Robert Solomon did not pursue his medical profession. Instead, he opted for his vocation as a priest. As the Methodist Bishop, he looks after his flock of 30,000. He also has a doctorate in Pastoral Theology…

Song Ong Siang (extreme right in photo) was a pioneer in many areas of his endeavours. He was a Queen's Scholar, lawyer, legislator, author and community leader. Born in 1889, Song was one of the most prominent and respected members of the Chinese community. He was the best known Rafflesian of his time…

Su Guaning had always wanted to be an academic. Instead, he worked for 30 years as a Defence Scientist. Finally at fifty-two, he realised his ambition and became the second President of Nanyang Technological University in Singapore…

Leaena Tambyah nee Chelliah, qualified as a professional social worker. However, she has devoted the greater part of her life to voluntary service, especially for children and young adults with special needs. Under her inspiring leadership of more than 30 years, the Asian Women's Welfare Association's (AWWA's) General Welfare Services, grew to be the forerunner of Singapore's Family Service Centres. She is best known for her pioneering work in caring for, and starting Singapore's first school for children with multiple disabilities in 1979. Leaena also introduced a mobile therapy service for students with physical disabilities in mainstream education, whose parents could not afford the money or the time to take their children to hospitals for therapy. This is a feature of AWWA's Therapy and Education for Children in Mainstream Education or TEACH ME Services. Raffles Girls' Secondary School became the first school in Singapore to become completely disabledfriendly for students with physical disabilities…

Tan Cheng Bock has been the most prominent government backbencher for the past 25 years. He is highly regarded by Members of Parliament for his forthright views, sincerity and humility. Speaking without fear or favour, he has occasionally incurred the wrath of ministers. In his dual role as doctor and politician, he is eminently qualified to feel the pulse of Singaporeans…

Tan Cheng Lock is one of the greatest and best known of Malayan leaders. Called 'The Sage of Malacca', he championed many reforms for the Chinese community. As one of the architects of Malayan Independence, he has earned his niche in Malayan history…

Tan Eng Liang is Singapore's first Rhodes Scholar. While still in school, he represented Singapore in water polo at the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne. An outstanding sportsman all his life, he was the 'Supremo of Sports'. He was also a Corporate Chairman and a former Minister of State…

Tan Eng Yoon was the fastest man in Singapore in the 1950s. He represented Singapore in the Olympic Games in Melbourne in 1956. He coached the post-War generation of national and international athletes. In a lifetime dedicated to athletics, he was a pioneer blazing the way as an Olympian, teacher, coach, author and administrator…

Tan Hwee Hock can be included in the select company of famous sportsmen who have won gold medals at international sports events. He achieved this remarkable feat when he represented Singapore in water polo at the 1954 Asian Games in the Philippines. He has devoted 55 years of his life to swimming and water polo as a national champion, lecturer, Physical Education specialist, administrator and technical adviser. A modest role model, he has coached and inspired many of our aquatic sportsmen, who have won national and international honours…

The name of Tan Lian Ann ranks second only to Lim Kok Ann in the game of chess in Singapore. A chess prodigy and an international Chess Master, he reigned supreme in the 1950s and 60s as the Singapore and Malayan Chess Champion. He also scored phenomenal successes in international tournaments. In one epic encounter, he drew his match with Boris Spassky, the world champion…

He nearly had to live his life encased in an iron lung. He spent his childhood years crawling around. Called a 'crippled' boy, he was regarded good enough for a life in a sheltered workshop making handicrafts…

Margaret Leng Tan has the unique distinction of being the first woman to graduate with a doctorate in music from Juilliard. She is one of those rare pianists whose performance style takes equal billing with the music, using sound, choreography and drama. Hailed as the world's premier prepared piano virtuoso and the diva avant-garde pianist, she is reputed for her performances of Asian and American music which defy the conventional boundaries of the instrument…

Tan Swan Beng was an engineer with a strong passion for engineering excellence and innovation. He was a champion of technology. He was undoubtedly an engineer of great distinction who reached the pinnacle of his profession as Director-General of the Public Works Department. His lifelong work encompassed his considerable contribution to the construction industry, academia and civil aviation…

Willie Tann Boon Guan did not walk the conventional and well trodden paths of life. He studied Law, but became a professional gambler instead. In his 45 years of playing poker, he has seen the game evolve from being played in seedy basements and smoky halls to more salubrious surroundings and prestigious venues. He is the 2005 winner of the coveted World Series of Poker 18-Carat Gold Bracelet. He gives lessons to millionaires and celebrities…

Abdullah Tarmugi was a Shakespearean actor when he was a student. As a journalist, government minister and Speaker of Parliament, he has had his fair share of real life drama…

Alice Tay Erh Soon left Singapore when she was twenty-seven and settled in Australia, where she became a Law Professor and a champion of human rights. In her lifetime, she was showered with many honorific epithets, including that of "an absolute dynamo, huge intellect, not afraid to go into battle and femme fatale"…

Tee Tua Ba was a Law graduate, but he did not practise Law. He was a crime and drug buster and Commissioner of Police. In his 30 years in the police force, his most terrifying moment was when he was held at gunpoint by a Red Brigade hijacker…

Teng Pei Wah (or Tang Pui Wah) is Singapore's first woman Olympian. At the age of 19, she represented Singapore at the Helsinki Olympic Games in 1952. She competed in the 80-metres hurdles, in which she had been the undisputed Malayan champion for four consecutive years. She also won a bronze medal at the Asian Games in Manila in 1956…

Teo Ah Hong is Singapore's first female commercial pilot. With a commercial licence, she has trained many pilots who fly the Singapore International Airlines fleet. The name 'Hong' literally means 'Phoenix', so it seems that she was destined to fly…

N. Varaprasad (or Prasad) is best known as a progressive educator and educationist. His life has been predicated on the two pillars of public service and education, where he is highly regarded as an innovator and visionary. He was a lecturer, Associate Professor and later a Deputy President at the National University of Singapore. He was the founding Principal of Temasek Polytechnic. Now in his late fifties, as Chief Executive of the National Library Board, he is entrusted with the responsibility of keeping the national institution a key player in Singapore's drive to be a knowledge-based society, gracious, creative and engaged…

Wee Kim Wee is affectionately known as 'The People's President' for bringing the highest Office of the nation to the man in the street. He is highly respected as a man without affectation and with a deep interest in people. He brought honour and dignity to the Presidency and his dedication to duty was exemplary…

Haji Othman bin Wok has played a prominent role in Singapore's political development as a trade unionist, journalist, government minister and Ambassador. He has lived through British colonialism, the Japanese Occupation, Singapore's merger with Malaysia, its separation and eventual emergence as an independent nation. He was a keen sportsman in his student days, and when he was a government minister, sports was an integral part of his portfolio…

Francis Wong Tze Kan brought a refreshing change to journalism in Singapore. Hitherto, the Press was dominated by expatriates who wrote mainly for an English-educated readership who were sadly out of touch with the rapidly changing political events…

Jackie Yi-Ru Ying has been named as one of 100 young people in the world expected to be leading 21st century innovators. At thirtyfour, she became the youngest professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She has the honour of heading the newly-established Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology as its Executive Director. Although an American citizen, she considers Singapore her home…

Emma Yong is a pioneering actress of the emerging Singapore theatre. She turned down a promising international career to keep company with other home-grown talents. Her ambition was to be a writer. She won the Angus Ross Award for topping the International Advanced Level for English from among 7,000 international candidates…

Diana Young was a very successful woman entrepreneur. She was the Chief Executive of her aerospace firm and the first woman President of the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises. Aviation was in her blood and her ambition was to be a pilot. An intrepid jet-setter, she was tragically killed in a car accident in Xi'an in Central China in 2004…

For Yu Chun Yee, going from the Chinese High School to Raffles Institution was a culture shock. Chinese High was the breeding ground for aspiring revolutionaries, drawing inspiration from an emerging China. RI was the cradle of the privileged English-educated elite who celebrated Empire Day with the song Land of Hope and Glory and were the beneficiaries of British colonial rule. But the young Yu was impressed by neither — he only wanted to be a concert pianist…

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