Hwang Soo Jin
{{Short description|Singaporean former politician (born 1937)}}
{{family name hatnote|Hwang|lang=Chinese}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Hwang Soo Jin
| office = Member of Parliament representing Jalan Kayu Constituency
| term_start = 6 May 1968
| term_end = 4 December 1984
| predecessor = Teo Hup Teck
| successor = Heng Chiang Meng
| office1 = Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore
| term_start1 = 6 March 1981
| term_end1 = 3 December 1984
| predecessor1 = Tang See Chim
| successor1 = Tan Soo Khoon
| native_name = 黄树人
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1937}}
| birth_place = China
| nationality = Singaporean
}}
Hwang Soo Jin ({{Zh|c=黄树人}}; born 1937) is a Singaporean former politician and insurer. A former member of the People's Action Party (PAP), he served as the Member of Parliament (MP) representing Jalan Kayu Constituency from 1968 to 1984 and the Deputy Speaker of Parliament from 1981 to 1984.
Early life
Hwang was born in 1937 in China before moving to Singapore when he was three. The second son to P. K. Hwang, an insurer, he attended Chung Cheng High School and later studied in London in 1954 for 3 years. He later returned and worked at Commercial Union's Malayan organisation.{{Cite news |date=31 December 1954 |title=Malayan will get British training |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19541231-1.2.151.6? |access-date=27 June 2024 |work=The Straits Times |pages=12 |via=NewspaperSG}}
In 1959, he became an associate at the Chartered Insurance Institute and was in-charge of the Marine Department.{{Cite news |date=14 July 1959 |title=Local man gains an associates up |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19590714-1.2.95.7? |access-date=27 June 2024 |work=The Straits Times |pages=12 |via=NewspaperSG}} Before joining politics, Hwang was an assistant manager of an insurance company and was a member of the Public Service in the disciplinary panel.{{Cite news |date=13 February 1968 |title=among PAP candidates |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19680213-1.2.27? |access-date=27 June 2024 |work=The Straits Times |pages=4 |via=NewspaperSG}}
Career
= Political career =
Hwang made his political debut at the 1968 general election, contesting for Member of Parliament (MP) for Jalan Kayu Constituency against Sum Chong Meng of Workers' Party (WP).{{Cite news |last=Yeo |first=Joseph |date=13 April 1968 |title=POLLING TODAY IN SINGAPORE |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19680413-1.2.55? |access-date=27 June 2024 |work=The Straits Times |pages=8 |via=NewspaperSG}} Hwang was elected with 82.30% of the vote.{{Cite news |last=Chandran |first=R. |last2=Pestana |first2=Roderick |last3=Lee |first3=Gabriel |last4=Yeo |first4=Toon Joo |last5=Khoo |first5=Phillip |date=14 April 1968 |title=The PAP seven sweep to victory |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19680414-1.2.3? |access-date=27 June 2024 |work=The Straits Times |pages=1 |via=NewspaperSG}} At the 1972 general election, he contested for MP of Jalan Kayu Constituency again, against Madai Puthan Damodaran Nair of WP and Ong Seng Kok of United National Front. He was elected with 59.42% of the vote.{{Cite news |date=28 August 1972 |title=THE CONSTITUENCIES |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/newnation19720828-1.2.39? |access-date=27 June 2024 |work=New Nation |pages=5 |via=NewspaperSG}}
In the 1976 general election, Hwang contested for MP of Jalan Kayu Constituency again, against Madai Puthan Damodaran Nair of WP again, being elected with 61.57% of the vote.{{Cite news |date=20 December 1976 |title=Two in without a contest in two new divisions |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19761220-1.2.36.1? |access-date=27 June 2024 |work=The Straits Times |pages=10 |via=NewspaperSG}} In the following election, he contested for MP of Jalan Kayu Constituency again, against Madai Puthan Damodaran Nair again, being elected with 69.02% of the vote.{{Cite news |date=14 December 1980 |title=WHO FIGHTS WHOM AND WHERE ... |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19801214-1.2.34.1? |access-date=27 June 2024 |work=The Straits Times |pages=8 |via=NewspaperSG}} In 1981, Hwang became the Deputy Speaker of Parliament till 1984.{{Cite news |date=2 March 1985 |title=Soo Khoon is Deputy Speaker |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19850302-1.2.22.12.6? |access-date=27 June 2024 |work=The Straits Times |pages=10 |via=NewspaperSG}} He retired from politics in 1984 for personal reasons.{{Cite news |date=5 November 1984 |title=Hwang Soo Jin calls it a day |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/singmonitor19841105-2.2.5.11.3? |access-date=27 June 2024 |work=Singapore Monitor |pages=4 |via=NewspaperSG}}
= Insurer career =
In 1980, Hwang was elected the president of the General Insurance Association of Singapore.{{Cite news |date=8 April 1980 |title=Hwang elected new president of GIA |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/biztimes19800408-1.2.28.2? |access-date=27 June 2024 |work=The Business Times |pages=9 |via=NewspaperSG}} In 1982, United Overseas Bank set up a insurance subsidiary in Hong Kong with Hwang and Wee Cho Yaw serving as directors, both of them having previously served as directors at United Overseas Insurance.{{Cite news |date=5 October 1982 |title=UOB sets up insurance unit in HK |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/biztimes19821005-1.2.47? |access-date=27 June 2024 |work=The Business Times |pages=12 |via=NewspaperSG}}{{Cite news |date=1 April 1983 |title=UOI unit gets approval to operate in HK |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/biztimes19830401-1.2.58? |access-date=27 June 2024 |work=The Business Times |pages=12 |via=NewspaperSG}} In 1988, Hwang resigned as director of United Overseas Finance.{{Cite news |date=5 April 1988 |title=Hwang resigns as UOF director |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/biztimes19880405-1.2.38.2.2? |access-date=27 June 2024 |work=The Business Times |pages=15 |via=NewspaperSG}}
In the 1990s, Hwang served as the chairman of Singapore Reinsurance.{{Cite news |last=Quek |first=Hiang Whai |date=12 June 1991 |title=SingRe increases thrust into the region |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/biztimes19910612-1.2.12.3? |access-date=27 June 2024 |work=The Business Times |pages=3 |via=NewspaperSG}}{{Cite news |date=9 July 1998 |title=Sing Re boss reappointed head of insurance bureau |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/biztimes19980709-1.2.10.9? |access-date=27 June 2024 |work=The Business Times |pages=3 |via=NewspaperSG}} In 2001, Hwang donated {{SGD|100000|link=on}} to the Asian Civilisations Museum, the largest donation from a private individual.{{Cite news |date=15 July 2001 |title=Money goes to... museum |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/newpaper20010715-1.2.12.3.2? |access-date=27 June 2024 |work=The New Paper |pages=14 |via=NewspaperSG}}{{Cite news |date=20 April 2001 |title=Museum gets $100,000 donation |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/eyeball20010420-1.2.3.4.2? |access-date=27 June 2024 |work=Project Eyeball |pages=2 |via=NewspaperSG}} In 2015, Hwang served as a non-executive director at Singapore Reinsurance.{{Cite news |last=Foo |first=Jie Ying |date=15 August 2015 |title=Elections still about listening to people, say former old-time MPs |url=https://tnp.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/elections-still-about-listening-people-say-former-old-time-mps-0 |access-date=27 June 2024 |work=The New Paper}}