PAP stalwart Phua Bah Lee dies at 89

Former People's Action Party (PAP) MP Phua Bah Lee, a key figure in the building of a raft of institutions in post-independence Singapore, died on Sunday. He was 89.

Mr Phua was elected MP for Tampines constituency in 1968, the same year he took political office as parliamentary secretary for communications.

In 1971, he was promoted to senior parliamentary secretary at the Ministry of Defence. He held the position until 1988, when he stepped down from politics.

Born in 1932, Mr Phua graduated from Nanyang University, or Nantah, in 1959 and joined the civil service in 1960 before entering politics eight years later.

During his 20-year political career, he worked closely with key political leaders such as former deputy prime minister Goh Keng Swee.

He also helped to form or helm a diverse group of institutions. For instance, he was founding president of Safra from 1972 to 1989.

Mr Phua was also active in sports and the arts. He was president of the Basketball Association of Singapore from 1973 to 1991, and chairman of the Kreta Ayer People's Theatre management committee from 1977.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, in a post on the PAP Facebook page yesterday, said that Mr Phua was a dedicated and effective MP on the ground. He said that besides witnessing the transformation of Tampines from a rural constituency to a modern Housing Board township, Mr Phua also helped Dr Goh look after Kreta Ayer.

Mr Phua also stood in for Ulu Pandan MP Chiang Hai Ding when Dr Chiang had to travel overseas, PM Lee said.

PM Lee wrote: "Bah Lee was a faithful stalwart of the People's Action Party. Even after he retired from politics in 1988, he remained actively engaged, loyally supporting party and grassroots events whenever he could. He had done his part to make this a better place, and having passed on the baton to younger leaders, continued to cheer for them and support the national cause."

For his tireless service to the labour movement, Mr Phua was awarded the Friend of Labour Medal by the National Trades Union Congress in 1979, said PM Lee, whose post came with a wefie taken with Mr Phua at the PAP65 Party Convention in 2019.

Senior Minister of State for Defence Zaqy Mohamad, in a Facebook post on Sunday, said he was saddened to hear about the death of Mr Phua, whom he credited with helping to build the iconic Safra clubhouses in Toa Payoh, Bukit Merah and Tampines - of which two still stand today.

Under Mr Phua's leadership, Safra introduced new schemes and initiatives to show appreciation to operationally ready national servicemen and their families.

Social and Family Development Minister Masagos Zulkifli, who is an MP for Tampines GRC, also paid tribute to Mr Phua in a Facebook post yesterday. He said Mr Phua, during his time as Tampines MP, helped to resettle villagers who were affected by the construction of Paya Lebar Airport.

Tampines GRC MP Baey Yam Keng, in a Facebook post on Sunday, said Mr Phua played a key role in setting up the Tampines Chinese Temple to bring together the 13 village temples that had to give way to new developments.

Responding to queries, Ngee Ann Kongsi president James Teo said Mr Phua was a valuable member of Ngee Ann Kongsi and had been a member of the association's management committee from 1973 until his death. He said that Mr Phua was among the pioneers who contributed significantly to the development of Ngee Ann City.

Mr Teo also said Mr Phua played a key role in inviting some of the best Chinese physicians from China to come here during the early years of the formation of the Ngee Ann Traditional Chinese Medicine Centre.

Mr Phua leaves behind his wife, Madam Tan Cheok Tin, 85, and three children.