Yu-Foo Yee Shoon
{{Short description|Singaporean politician}}
{{BLP sources|date=November 2010}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Yu-Foo Yee Shoon
| native_name = {{nobold|符喜泉}}
| native_name_lang = zh
| image =
| imagesize =
| caption =
| constituency_MP1 = Holland–Bukit Timah GRC (Bukit Timah)
| parliament1 = Singapore
| term_start1 = 6 May 2006
| term_end1 = 19 April 2011
| majority1 =
| predecessor1 = Wang Kai Yuen (Bukit Timah SMC)
| successor1 = Sim Ann
| constituency_MP2 = Jurong GRC (Yuhua)
| parliament2 = Singapore
| term_start2 = 3 November 2001
| term_end2 = 6 May 2006
| predecessor2 = herself (Bukit Timah GRC - Yuhua ward)
| successor2 = Grace Fu Hai Yien
| constituency_MP3 = Bukit Timah GRC (Yuhua)
| parliament3 = Singapore
| term_start3 = 2 January 1997
| term_end3 = 3 November 2001
| predecessor3 = herself (Yuhua SMC)
| successor3 = herself (Jurong GRC - Yuhua ward)
| constituency_MP4 = Yuhua SMC
| parliament4 = Singapore
| term_start4 = 22 December 1984
| term_end4 = 2 January 1997
| predecessor4 = Seat created
| successor4 = herself (Bukit Timah GRC - Yuhua ward)
|office5 = Mayor of South West District
|term_start5 = November 2001
|term_end5 = August 2004
|primeminister5 = Goh Chok Tong
Lee Hsien Loong
|predecessor5 = New Office
|successor5 = Amy Khor
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1950|2|17|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Colony of Singapore, British Malaya
| nationality = Singaporean
| party = People's Action Party (1984–2011)
| spouse = Yu Lee Wu
| children = 3
}}{{family name hatnote|Yu-Foo|lang=Chinese}}
Yu-Foo Yee Shoon ({{zh|c=符喜泉|p=Fú Xǐquán}}; born 17 February 1950) is a former Singaporean politician. A member of the country's governing People's Action Party (PAP), she served as a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1984 to 2011. Her political appointments included Mayor of South West District of Singapore and Minister of State at the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports.{{cite web | url=http://app1.mcys.gov.sg/AboutMCYS/OurPeople/MinisterofState.aspx | title=Minister of State, Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon | publisher=Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports | access-date=2 March 2011 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101016003545/http://app1.mcys.gov.sg/AboutMCYS/OurPeople/MinisterofState.aspx | archive-date=16 October 2010 | url-status=dead }}
Political career
Yu-Foo was first elected to Parliament in the 1984 general election. She was then one of only three female Members of Parliament at the time (and she went on to become one of the longest serving women politicians in Singapore).
In June 1999, Yu-Foo was appointed Senior Parliamentary Secretary at the Ministry of Community Development and Sports (MCDS).
In November 2001, Yu-Foo was appointed Mayor of the Bukit Timah Community Development Council (CDC), which subsequently expanded to become the South West CDC. With her appointment, she became the first woman Mayor in Singapore.
In August 2004, Yu-Foo was appointed Minister of State at the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS).
At the 2011 general election, Yu-Foo retired from politics after serving six terms in Parliament. She was succeeded as Minister of State at the MCYS by Halimah Yacob on 21 May 2011.{{cite web|title=GE: Yu-Foo Yee Shoon steps down|url=http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1121710/1/.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110513142059/http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1121710/1/.html|archive-date=13 May 2011|access-date=16 May 2011|publisher=Channel NewsAsia}}
Career outside politics
Yu-Foo started her career as a Senior Industrial Relations Officer with the National Trade Union Congress (NTUC) soon after graduating from university. Over the years, she has been Chairman, Vice-President, Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Secretary-General of the NTUC.
Her other appointments have included:
- Member of the Professional Advisory Council of NTUC Childcare Co-operative Ltd
- Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Singapore National Co-operative Federation (SNCF)
- First woman to chair the NTUC Central Co-operative Fund Committee (CCFC)
She has also served as a board member of several statutory boards, co-operatives and listed companies such as:{{cite web | url=http://www.parliament.gov.sg/AboutUs/Org-MP-CV-FooYeeShoon.htm | title=Curriculum Vitae Yu-Foo Yee Shoon | publisher=Parliament of Singapore | access-date=2 March 2011 | archive-date=27 February 2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100227043722/http://www.parliament.gov.sg/AboutUs/Org-MP-CV-FooYeeShoon.htm | url-status=live }}
- Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB)
- Singapore Telecommunications
- NTUC Insurance Co-operative (INCOME)
- NTUC FairPrice
- NTUC Childcare
- National Environment Agency (NEA)
- Jurong Town Corporation (JTC)
- People's Association (PA)
Achievements and accolades
Named "Woman of the Year" in 1995 by Her World magazine,{{cite web | url=http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_686_2005-01-12.html | title=Yu-Foo Yee Shoon | publisher=National Library Board | access-date=25 November 2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120307153201/http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_686_2005-01-12.html | archive-date=7 March 2012 | url-status=dead }} Yu-Foo was awarded the Rochdale Medal by the Singapore National Co-operative Federation in 1997.
In 2005, she received the Alumni Achievement Award from the Nanyang Technological University.
In May 2008, she was conferred the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Education by Wheelock College, Boston, USA.
The Singapore Council of Women's Organisations (SCWO) inducted her to its Wall of Fame in 2009.
Education
Yu-Foo attended Nanyang Girls' High School from 1962 to 1967, and graduated from Nanyang University in 1971 with a Bachelor of Commerce. In 1996, she completed a Master of Business at the Nanyang Technological Institute.{{cite web | url=http://www.ntu.edu.sg/NanyangAlumniAwards/Recipients/PreviousYearAwardRecipients/2005/Pages/MrsYu-FooYeeShoon%E7%AC%A6%E5%96%9C%E6%B3%89%E5%A5%B3%E5%A3%AB.aspx | title=Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon 符喜泉女士 | publisher=Nanyang Technological University | access-date=25 November 2010 | archive-date=7 March 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120307194955/http://www.ntu.edu.sg/NanyangAlumniAwards/Recipients/PreviousYearAwardRecipients/2005/Pages/MrsYu-FooYeeShoon%E7%AC%A6%E5%96%9C%E6%B3%89%E5%A5%B3%E5%A3%AB.aspx | url-status=live }}
Family background
Yu-Foo was born in Singapore in 1950. Her father, Foo Tuck Sun, was a Hainanese immigrant who served as principal of Pei Chun Public School from the 1940s until his retirement in 1971, and her maiden name is Fu. She is married to Yu Lee Wu, an engineering lecturer. The couple have three children.
References
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{{11th Parliament of Singapore}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Yu-Foo, Yee Shoon}}
Category:Members of the Parliament of Singapore
Category:People's Action Party politicians
Category:Singaporean women in politics
Category:Singaporean people of Hainanese descent