While people all around the globe celebrate Michelle Yeoh’s historic Best Actress win at the 95th Academy Awards on Sunday (12 Mar), Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s wife Ho Ching has recalled her personal relationship with a member of the Malaysian star’s family.
Ms. Ho stated that four notable members of the prosperous Ipoh Yeoh family settled themselves in Singapore and worked as top surgeons, clearly demonstrating the family's extensive network. Three of the retired surgeons – Dr Yeoh Kian Hian and his two brothers – are Ms Yeoh’s uncles while the most notable Singapore Yeoh, Prof Yeoh Ghim Seng, is her granduncle.
Formerly touted as "the biggest but fastest surgeon," Prof. Yeoh was also a member of the governing party. His political career started in 1966 when the People's Action Party (PAP) recruited him to run in a by-election in Joo Chiat.
He won by a walkover and served as the representative for the area for 22 years. He was too busy practicing medicine to become a minister, therefore the PAP appointed him as the Speaker of Parliament. In 1977, he became the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Organization’s very first president.
Apart from being one of the longest-serving speakers of any parliament in the world, Prof Yeoh also served briefly as the interim president of Singapore between the death of Yusof Ishak on 23 November 1970 and the inauguration of President Benjamin Sheares on 2 January 1971.
Being the wife of Prime Minister Lee and daughter-in-law of Singapore's founding Prime Minister, the late Lee Kuan Yew, Ms. Ho has personally met Prof. Yeoh. She recounted on Facebook, today (14 Mar):
“He used to have mangoes after dinner, and he would expertly slice the mango and extract the seed cleanly. It was his means of retaining his abilities, but also his way of amusing his fellow diners.”
Mdm Ho also complimented Michelle Yeoh, his grandniece. She stated that the 60-year-old celebrity inspired pride in women all around the world, stating, "All of us in Malaysia, Singapore, Asia, and women elsewhere can be proud of her and the enthusiasm for life she embodies. Never Give Up! Bravo and well done!”
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