THE LIFE OF MRS LEE KUAN YEW

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2 MDM KWA

3 OTHER BOOKS BY MORGAN CHUA LKY: Political Cartoons (2015) Tiananmen: 25th Anniversary Edition (2014) In Memory of Madam Kwa Geok Choo (2011) THE LIFE OF MRS LEE KUAN YEW Divercity Singapore: A Cartoon History of Immigration (2010) My Singapore (2000, 2008) Tiananmen (1989) MORGAN CHUA

4 Copyright 2016 by Morgan Chua Author portrait by Zunzi Wong Kei-kwan All rights reserved. Published in Singapore by Epigram Books. National Library Board, Singapore Cataloguing-in-Publication Data Name(s): Chua, Morgan, Title: Mdm Kwa: the life of Mrs Lee Kuan Yew / Morgan Chua. Other titles: Life of Mrs Lee Kuan Yew. Description: 2nd edition. Singapore : Epigram Books, [2016] Previously published: Sang Kancil Publications, Identifier(s): OCN ISBN (paperback) ISBN (ebook) Subject(s): LCSH: Kwa, Geok Choo, Caricatures and cartoons. Lee, Kuan Yew, Caricatures and cartoons. Prime ministers spouses Singapore Biography Caricatures and cartoons. Singapore Politics and government Caricatures and cartoons. Singapore History Caricatures and cartoons. To the sons and daughters of Singapore. Classification: DDC dc First published by Sang Kancil Publications in 2011 in a different format as In Memory of Madam Kwa Geok Choo

5 vi MORGAN CHUA MDM KWA: THE LIFE OF MRS LEE KUAN YEW vii Foreword to the First Edition Madam Kwa Geok Choo was great in many ways as a legal luminary, as a mother of an illustrious family, and, more than that, for her stoic presence next to Mr Lee Kuan Yew during times of turbulence and tension in the many years of his political struggle. She was always by his side, giving him her full support in his chosen path in politics, sharing his preoccupation with the good of Singapore before anything else. She was his companion, confidante and counsel. As she walked that long road with Mr Lee, she made quiet but important contributions to Singapore, many of which younger Singaporeans came to know about only after she passed away in October This publication of sketches by Morgan Chua presents the milestones in Madam Kwa s life in a lighthearted manner. I hope that it will stir interest among younger Singaporeans to get to know this remarkable lady better. President SR Nathan 28 June 2011

6 MDM KWA: THE LIFE OF MRS LEE KUAN YEW 1 Introduction Mrs Lee Kuan Yew, aged 89, passed away peacefully at home today at 5.40pm I was sipping on a cup of coffee in a crowded coffee shop in Ang Mo Kio when I heard the news. Suddenly, Singapore stood still with an air of silence. Grim-faced locals froze, stunned in deep grief. All of them knew that she was the wife of Prime Minister, Senior Minister and later Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew. He was known as Harry in his younger days, and that was what Geok Choo always called him. He was later known by his initials, LKY.

7 2 MORGAN CHUA MDM KWA: THE LIFE OF MRS LEE KUAN YEW 3 MADAM KWA S PARENTS KWA GEOK CHOO AND HER SIBLINGS Kwa Siew Tee, He arrived in Singapore in 1898 from the bustling town of Semarang, central Java, in Indonesia. He was sent at the tender age of ten by his father, Kwa Wan Tjioe, to attend school in Singapore, and also to learn more about new technologies that were available at the turn of the century. He became a teacher, tin miner, rubber planter, secretary and finally general manager with Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC) in 1932 until his retirement in He married Miss Wee Yew Neo in Wee Yew Neo, Kwa Soon Thye Died in infancy. Kwa Soon Hock Died of myasthenia gravis Kwa Geok Neo Kwa Soon Lock Taken by the Japanese. Presumed dead. Kwa Soon Siew She was born to the Peranakan family of Mr and Mrs Wee Theam Seng and raised by her maternal grandmother in Kuala Lumpur, Malaya, after the sudden death of her mother. She was educated at the Methodist Girls School in Kuala Lumpur. Together with her husband, she successfully raised their brood of ten children. She taught them the art of speaking and good manners. A typical nonya housewife, she was famed for her skill in Peranakan cooking. Kwa Geok Lan Kwa Geok Choo Kwa Soon Chuan Kwa Geok Lian Kwa Soon Bee Kwa Geok Eng

8 4 MORGAN CHUA MDM KWA: THE LIFE OF MRS LEE KUAN YEW 5 PASIR PANJANG ROAD IN 1920 Born on 21 Dec 1920 Kwa Geok Choo was the seventh child born to the Peranakan family of Mr and Mrs Kwa Siew Tee. The family house at Pasir Panjang Road was situated at the junction of West Coast Road and Clementi Road. It faced the sea. Her father was a manager with OCBC from 1932 to Her mother was a nonya housewife. Singapore, then part of Malaya, witnessed the birth of one of her more remarkable daughters. This is the lighter side of her story. A scene in Pasir Panjang in 1920 In Malay, pasir means sand, and panjang means long. Pasir Panjang referred to the long sandy beach, and it was an area where many wealthy Chinese built their bungalows along the coast.

9 6 MORGAN CHUA MDM KWA: THE LIFE OF MRS LEE KUAN YEW 7 KNOWLEDGE IS POWER 1922 Miss Kwa Geok Choo s happy childhood was spent with an illustrious family who loved all that life had to offer, from nature to modern inventions. Her parents paid much attention to their children s education so that they could have a better future.

10 8 MORGAN CHUA MDM KWA: THE LIFE OF MRS LEE KUAN YEW 9 SARONG PARTY (SWIMMING) GIRLS 1930s When swimming, the women would wear a sarong tied between their legs and knotted at the top. The sarong was inflated by blowing in air, much like a inflated balloon, which enabled them to float.

11 10 MORGAN CHUA MDM KWA: THE LIFE OF MRS LEE KUAN YEW 11 METHODIST GIRLS SCHOOL DAYS 1936 Geok Choo played the part of a coolie in the stage production of Lady Precious Stream at Methodist Girls School (MGS). Lady Precious Stream is an old Chinese opera. In 1935, Hsiung Shih-i, a playwright, rewrote it for the stage in the West End, London. It ran for 1,000 nights. In 1934, the English version was published in a book by Methuen.

12 12 MORGAN CHUA MDM KWA: THE LIFE OF MRS LEE KUAN YEW 13 BEST OF THE BEST 1936 Geok Choo was one of the most illustrious students at her school. She completed her secondary education at MGS and scored first place in the whole of Malaya in the Senior Cambridge Examinations.

13 134 MORGAN CHUA MDM KWA: THE LIFE OF MRS LEE KUAN YEW 135 About the Author and Illustrator Morgan Chua started drawing for the Singapore Herald in When the paper was closed down by the government in 1971, he moved to Hong Kong and joined The Asian for nine months. He then joined the prestigious Far Eastern Economic Review, where he started as an editorial artist and over 24 years, rose to the post of creative director. At the Review, he was known for his incisive single-panel political cartoons and for arresting and provocative magazine cover choices. He has also drawn cartoons for Hong Kong s Next Magazine and Apple Daily. Chua s publications include Tiananmen (1989, 2014), My Singapore (2000, 2008), Divercity Singapore: A Cartoon History of Immigration (2010) and LKY: Political Cartoons (2015). Most recently, Chua illustrated former President SR Nathan s 50 Stories from My Life (2013).

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