Aline Wong Explained

Aline Wong
Office:Minister of State for Ministry of Health
Term Start:28 November 1990
Term End:16 April 1995
Constituency Mp1:Tampines GRC
(Tampines Changkat)
Parliament1:Singapore
Term Start1:3 September 1988
Term End1:18 October 2001
Predecessor1:Constituency established
Successor1:Irene Ng Phek Hoong
Constituency Mp2:Changkat SMC
Parliament2:Singapore
Term Start2:22 December 1984
Term End2:17 August 1988
Predecessor2:Constituency established
Successor2:Constituency disestablished
Birth Name:Kan Lai Chung
Birth Place:British Hong Kong
Party:People's Action Party
Nationality:Singaporean
Occupation:Sociologist and politician
Known For:Chancellor, SIM University

Aline Wong (born Kan Lai Chung, [1] in 1941) is a Singaporean sociologist and former politician. She was one of the first women Parliament members in Singapore, elected in 1984. She went on to have a career in both politics and education. In 2001, she retired from politics, but continued to be active in the community and in education. In 2015, she became the first woman in Singapore to hold the position of chancellor, working at SIM University.

Biography

Wong was born in Hong Kong in 1941.

Wong studied sociology and worked on issues involving the way Singapore's families were changing and how women were becoming involved in different areas of culture and the economy. Wong started her academic career as a lecturer at the University of Singapore (NUS) in 1971. Wong and Vivienne Wee started the first gender studies class in Singapore at NUS in 1987.[2] Wong became a fellow at the Kennedy School of Government in 2002.[3] Wong became an academic adviser for SIM University (UniSIM) starting in 2005.[4] In 2015, she became the first woman named as chancellor of UniSIM and the first woman chancellor in education throughout all of Singapore.

In 1984, Wong, Dixie Tan and Yu-Foo Yee Shoon became the first women elected to Singapore's Parliament.[5] Wong was a member of the People's Action Party (PAP) and represented Changkat. From 1988 to 2001, she represented Tampines GRC. In Parliament, she worked to advance issues that affected the lives of women and advocate for women's equality in public life. PAP's Women's Wing was run by Wong until 2001. Wong also become the Minister of State for Health in 1990 and five years later rose to the position of Senior Minister of State, where she focused on education. In 2001, she retired from working in politics. She worked on the Housing and Development Board (HDB) as chair between 2003 and 2007. Wong was also sent as the Women's Rights Representative from Singapore to the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women (ACWC) in Children in 2010.

Wong was inducted into the Singapore Women's Hall of Fame in 2014.[6]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Portrait of Dr. Aline Wong, former Member of Parliament for Changkat. BookSG - National Library Board, Singapore. 9 November 2019.
  2. Book: Stivens, Maila. https://books.google.com/books?id=QAOUAgAAQBAJ&q=%22aline+wong%22&pg=PT2171. Routledge International Encyclopedia of Women: Global Women's Issues and Knowledge. Routledge. 2000. 9781135963156. Kramarae. Cheris. New York. 2111. en. Women's Studies: Southeast Asia. Spender. Dale.
  3. News: Kennedy School's New Firepower. 21 February 2002. The Boston Globe. 9 November 2019. 29. Newspapers.com.
  4. Web site: SIM University appoints first female chancellor. Yeo. Sam Jo. 25 September 2015. The Straits Times. en. 9 November 2019.
  5. Web site: PM Lee on late MP Dixie Tan: 'She fulfilled her public as well as family duties amply'. Goh. Chin Lian. 24 April 2014. The Straits Times. en. 9 November 2019.
  6. Web site: Aline Wong. Singapore Women's Hall of Fame. en-GB. 9 November 2019.