Seet Ai Mee (Dr) (b. 31 March 1943, Singapore–) was Singapore’s first female Cabinet minister. She assumed the position in July 1991 when she was appointed Acting Minister for Community Development in a cabinet reshuffle. Seet is also known for her contributions ...

Ong Eng Guan (b. 1925, Malacca–d. 2008, location unknown) was a trained accountant, politician and former minister. He was the mayor of Singapore from 1957 to 1959 and the minister for national development between 1959 and 1960 while a member of the People’s Action ...

Fong Chong Pik (b. 1926, China–d. 6 February 2004, Hat Yai, Thailand), also known as Fang Chuang Pi, was a political activist and member of the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM), otherwise known as the Malayan Communist Party (MCP). He was the CPM’s representative, ...

David Saul Marshall (b. 12 March 1908, Singapore–d. 12 December 1995, Singapore), Singapore’s first elected chief minister from 6 April 1955 to 7 June 1956, was a diplomat, top-notch criminal lawyer, leader of the Labour Front and founder of the Workers’ Party. ...

Polar Puffs & Cakes is a food manufacturer and operator of a confectionary chain best known for its curry puffs. Originally known as Polar Café, Hong Kong immigrant Chan Hinky began running the business from 1926. The first Polar Café, a landmark on High Street, ...

Chan Choy Siong (b. 1934, Singapore–d. 11 February 1981, Singapore) was a pioneering female politician and activist for women’s rights, and was influential in enacting the Women’s Charter.

Claire Chiang (b. 4 October 1951, Singapore–) is a social activist, entrepreneur and author. She was Singapore’s Woman of the Year in 1999, and a former nominated member of parliament. Married to Ho Kwon Ping, president of the Wah Chang/Thai Wah group of companies, ...

Elizabeth Choy Su Moi nee Elizabeth Yong, also known as Yong Su Moi (b. 29 November 1910, Kudat, Sabah–d. 14 September 2006, Singapore), is noted for being a war-time heroine during the Japanese Occupation and the only woman member in the Legislative Council in ...

Thio Chan Bee (b. 5 April 1904, Medan, Sumatra, Indonesia–d. 13 December 1978, location unknown) was an educationist and politician. He was the first Asian principal of the Anglo-Chinese School (ACS), serving in the position from 1952 to 1960. His political career ...

Lim Hock Siew (Dr) (b. 21 February 1931, Singapore–d. 4 June 2012, Singapore) was a medical doctor, politician and political detainee. A founding member of the People’s Action Party (PAP), he later joined the Barisan Sosialis (Malay for “Socialist Front”) and was ...

Shunmugam Jayakumar (b. 12 August 1939, Singapore–), better known as S. Jayakumar, is a former Singapore politician and diplomat. Trained as a lawyer, Jayakumar entered politics in 1980 as a People’s Action Party (PAP) candidate and held several key ministerial ...

Ahmad bin Mohamed Mattar (Dr) (b. 13 August 1940, Singapore–), better known as Ahmad Mattar, is a former academic and People’s Action Party (PAP) politician. As the minister-in-charge of muslim affairs, Ahmad spearheaded the formation of the Mendaki Foundation ...

Ho Kah Leong (b. 21 September 1937, Singapore -) a Cantonese, who established his name as both a politician and an artist. The former Member of Parliament of Jurong Constituency also served as Parliamentary Secretary in various ministries. He is an acclaimed amateur ...

Othman Wok (b. 8 October 1924, Singapore–d. 17 April 2017, Singapore) is a former politician who took on the social affairs (1963–77) and culture (1965–68) ministerial portfolios, as well as served as a People’s Action Party (PAP) member of parliament (MP) for ...

Lee Khoon Choy (b. 1924, Penang–27 February 2016, Singapore) served as a politician and diplomat for almost three decades. Before he retired from public service in 1988, he had held many positions in the government, including member of Parliament (MP) and senior ...

Ong Pang Boon (b. 28 March 1929, Kuala Lumpur, Malaya–) was a politician and a prominent member of the People’s Action Party (PAP). He was appointed the minister for home affairs in the first cabinet of Singapore following the party’s victory in the 1959 Legislative ...

Tan Tong Hye (Tan Sri) (b. 31 October 1914, Singapore–d. 3 November 1985, Malaysia), better known as T. H. Tan, was a Singapore-born journalist and politician who became the secretary of the Malayan Chinese Association (MCA) in 1954 and served as the first honorary ...

Chua Mia Tee (b. 25 November 1931, Shantou, Guangdong, China–) is one of Singapore’s foremost realist painters. He is best known for his oil paintings that depict Singapore’s vanishing traditional urban landscape. He is also a much sought-after portrait artist ...

Haji Ya’acob bin Mohamed (b. 25 January 1925, Kelantan, Malaya –d. 11 October 1989, Singapore ) was a former politician and diplomat. He was a staunch advocate of Malay interests in Singapore and played a key role in winning Malay support for the People’s Action ...

Govindasamy Kandasamy (b. 23 May 1921, Province Wellesley, Penang–d. 20 March 1999, Singapore), better known as G. Kandasamy, was a veteran union leader, politician and community leader. He founded the Amalgamated Union of Public Employees (AUPE) in 1959 and served ...