Tan Choo Leng Explained

Tan Choo Leng
Native Name Lang:zh-sg
Office:Spouse of the Prime Minister of Singapore
Term Start:28 November 1990
Term End:12 August 2004
Term Label:In role
Primeminister:Goh Chok Tong
Predecessor:Kwa Geok Choo
Successor:Ho Ching
Party:People's Action Party
Spouse:Goh Chok Tong (m. 1965)
Profession:Lawyer
Education:University of Singapore (LLB)

Tan Choo Leng is a Singaporean lawyer.

Choo is the spouse of the second Prime Minister, Goh Chok Tong.

Choo took the role of the spouse of the Prime Minister of Singapore between 1990 and 2004.

Early life and career

Tan graduated from the University of Singapore (now the National University of Singapore) with Bachelor of Laws degree. She is currently an advocate and solicitor for WongPartnership LLP.

Controversy

She has given her support to many charities, and was best known for being a patron of the National Kidney Foundation (NKF).

During the 2005 NKF scandal, she commented that the annual salary of S$600,000 drawn by NKF's chief executive officer T. T. Durai was considered "peanuts" as compared to the hundreds of millions of dollars managed by the NKF. Her remark was subsequently met with negative reactions from many Singaporeans.

Tan stepped down as a patron after Durai and the NKF's board of directors resigned under public pressure on 14 July 2005. Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong later told the press that his wife regretted making that comment.[1]

Notes and References

  1. News: Ex-NKF patron Mrs Goh Chok Tong regrets remarks about TT Durai's pay: SM Goh . Channel NewsAsia . 16 July 2005 .