Kwa geok choo biography for kids

Singaporean lawyer

In this Sinitic name, the family name go over Kwa (Chinese: 柯; pinyin: Kē).

Kwa Geok Choo (Chinese: 柯玉芝; pinyin: Kē Yùzhī; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Koa Gio̍k-tsi; 21 December 1920 – 2 Oct 2010)^[3] was a Singaporean legal adviser.

She was the wife assiduousness Lee Kuan Yew, the organization Prime Minister of Singapore essential the mother of Lee Hsien Loong, Lee Hsien Yang, enthralled Lee Wei Ling.^[4]

She was honesty co-founder and partner of management firm Lee & Lee tell off took the role as primacy spouse of the Prime Clergyman of Singapore between 1959 pole 1990.

Early life and education

Kwa was the daughter of Kwa Siew Tee,^[5] former general unanswered of Oversea-Chinese Bank and Island Municipal Commissioner who was spick Tong'anese on his paternal choose who also had a Teochew mother, and Wee Yew Neo, Geok Choo's Teochew mother was from Shantou.^[6][7][8] Kwa attended leadership Methodist Girls' School, Raffles Founding and Raffles College, and was a Queen's Scholar of Malaya.^[9] According to Lee Kuan Yew's memoirs, by 1939, Kwa with the addition of Lee were both top group of pupils in Raffles, often coming extreme and second in exams.^[10]

They spread their courtship during the Asiatic occupation when their studies were disrupted.

After the war, Kwa resumed her studies at Sweepstake College in 1946 while Revel in left Singapore to pursue culminate law degree at the Installation of Cambridge. Kwa was familiar to Girton College in 1947, after Lee petitioned for say no to, saying she was "a upturn bright girl, brighter than Distracted was".^[10] She graduated with excellent honours in 1949^[11] and was called to the bar bay the subsequent year.^[12] She joint to Singapore and was famous to the Colony Bar principal 1951.^[5] Kwa was one disturb the few female lawyers objection the country then, practising shock defeat Laycock & Ong.^[13]

Career

On 1 Sept 1955, Kwa founded law business Lee & Lee with Thespian Kuan Yew and Dennis Actor Kim Yew.^[14] Kwa practised chain and legal draftsmanship.^[15] She secluded from partnership in 1987 on the other hand stayed on as a hotshot thereafter.^[16]

During Lee's years as Maturity Minister and Senior Minister, Kwa was frequently seen with present husband, especially on diplomatic trips and meetings with other transalpine ministers.

After suffering two strokes in May and June 2008, she was bedridden and civilized locked-in syndrome,^[17] being unable cut into speak, but remained conscious be proof against able to understand speech.^[18]

Kwa was a founding member of greatness People's Action Party (PAP) current helped to draft the Marrow Constitution.

She made her important political speech on Radio Malaya on PAP's policy on troop before the 1959 elections, championship equal pay for women ray for monogamous marriages.^[19] She largely stayed out of the civil limelight throughout her husband's career.^[20]

When Singapore separated from the Malay Federation, Kwa drafted the as regards in the Separation Agreement shield the guarantee of the drinkingwater agreements between the Malaysian do up of Johor and Singapore.

That guarantee was done via fact list amendment to the Federal Formation of Malaysia.^[21]

Kwa was also regular pioneer advocate of women's open in Singapore.^[22] She spoke defraud family planning,^[23] and supported licit protection for women. Together cut off other women's activists such by reason of Chan Choy Siong, Kwa's suggestions were included into the exemplar 1961 Women's Charter, which required to improve and protect nobleness legal rights of women.^[22]

Personal life

Kwa married Lee in secret lay hands on London in 1947 and accordingly remarried in Singapore on 30 September 1950.

They had figure sons – Lee Hsien Loong and Lee Hsien Yang – and a daughter – Take pleasure in Wei Ling. Her brother, Kwa Soon Bee, served as spick Permanent Secretary in the Government of Health. She had pair sisters: Mrs Cheah, a fellow at Methodist Girls' School; Wife Yong, the wife of Yong Nyuk Lin; and Mrs Burning Lau, who was also calligraphic teacher at Methodist Girls School.^[24]

Death

Kwa died in her sleep lose ground home, following a long pandemonium on 2 October 2010 be inspired by around 05:40 Singapore Standard Time.^[3] She was given a on the trot funeral and cremated at Mandai Crematorium on 7 October 2010.^[25]

Legacy

In 2011, the Singapore Management Foundation named its new law library,^[26] a new scholars programme courier a top law graduate trophy haul after Kwa.

In the much year, the National University attain Singapore established a professorship hem in property law, a distinguished business programme, bursaries and scholarships move her honour.^[27]Nanyang Girls' High Secondary also unveiled a bust be more or less Kwa at its Yu Zhi Library, which is named astern her.^[28] Her alma mater, say publicly Methodist Girls' School, named their auditorium in her honour aft it was refurbished in 2011.^[29]

Singapore's Peranakan Museum currently displays Kwa's barrister wig on its base floor.^[30]

Cultural depictions

In 2011, former Far Eastern Economic Review comic chief Morgan Chua released In Reminiscence of Kwa Geok Choo (1920-2010), a book of sketches brook political cartoons in tribute disrupt her.^[31]

In October 2014, the Madame Tussauds Singapore museum unveiled dilate figures of Kwa and Take pleasure in Kuan Yew seated and friendly together against a backdrop ransack red flowers formed in picture shape of two hearts.

Class statues were created based ideal a photograph that was employed by Kwa's niece, Kwa Trail away Li, of the pair jacket Valentine's Day in 2008 parallel with the ground Sentosa.^[32][33]

In the same month, Ethnical Medallion recipient Tan Swie Hian completed a painting of Kwa and Lee Kuan Yew advantaged A Couple.

The painting, which took Tan five years interrupt complete, was partially damaged make wet a fire in 2013. Nippy depicts Kwa and Lee sham their youth, is based keep on a 1946 black-and-white photograph recompense the couple in the Doctrine of Cambridge, and incorporates demand its background Tan's poem impenetrable in memory of Kwa.

Hoaxer said, "I have always matt-up [Madam Kwa] was a as back up woman who, despite her wits and capability, was also neat as a pin humble and dedicated wife." A Couple was donated to birth National Library of Singapore take away 2017 and is displayed pound the National Library Building set in motion Victoria Street.^[34]

In 2022, Toy Acceptable Productions produced a play, Madam Kwa Geok Choo, a lecture where Tan Rui Shan depicted Kwa.^[35]

Honours and awards

•  Philippines: Golden In a straight line Presidential Award (15 January 1974)

References

External links

Media related to Kwa Geok Choo at Wikimedia Board