User:Sengkang/Sketchpad/Howe Yoon Chong

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Howe Yoon Chong (simplified Chinese: 侯永昌; pinyin: Hóu Yóngchāng; born 1923 in China; died 21 August 2007 in Singapore) was a Minister in the Cabinet of Singapore and a Member of Parliament for Potong Pasir. He was key in developing Singapore's infrastructural and financial framework, and was instrumental with issues of the aged during his term as Minister for Health.

Contents 1 Early life 2 Civil service career 3 Political career 4 Later years 5 Honours 6 Notes 7 References 8 Raw 8.1 1 8.2 2 8.3 3 8.4 4 8.5 5 8.6 6 8.7 7

[edit] Early life

Born in China in 1923, Howe was the son of a liquor shop owner who migrated to Malacca, British Malaya. Howe received his early education at St. Francis Institution in Malacca from 1933 to 1940, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Economics from the University of Malaya in Singapore (now National University of Singapore) in 1953.

[edit] Civil service career

Howe worked in the civil service for almost thirty years. He began his career as a teacher, then was a broadcaster for a period before taking the post of an administrative officer in the British Colonial Secretariat. Later, Howe was appointed as a police magistrate and then secretary to Singapore's Public Service Commission.

In 1960, Howe became the first Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Housing and Development Board (HDB). From 1970 to 1979, he was the Chairman of the Development Bank of Singapore (DBS), the Chairman of the Port of Singapore Authority, the Permanent Secretary in the Prime Minister's Office, and the head of Singapore's civil service. From 1979 to 1982, Howe became the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of National Development. He concurrently served as the Deputy Chairman of the Economic Development Board from 1979 to 1984.

During his tenure as a civil servant, Howe played a key role in several of Singapore's iconic infrastructural projects like the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), Changi Airport and public housing.^[1] Known by his civil service's colleagues as a fierce, tough-talking man, Howe debated vehemently with former Deputy Prime Minister Goh Keng Swee over whether to build the MRT system in Singapore. His role in setting up Changi Airport won him credit in Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew's memoirs. He also fast-tracked the housing programme while serving as HDB's CEO under then chairman Lim Kim San in the early years, solving the chronic housing shortage in the 1960s.^[2]

[edit] Political career

Howe's first call to enter politics came as early as 1953 from Lee Kuan Yew, then a practising lawyer.^[2] However, he declined Lee's invitation. In 1979, Howe was again persuaded by then Prime Minister Lee and then Minister for Finance Goh Keng Swee to enter politics, and he eventually agreed.^[1]

In 1979, upon being named as a People's Action Party (PAP) candidate in by-elections called in seven constituencies, Howe said he hoped to serve no more than five years.^[2] In the by-election, Howe beat independent Chiam See Tong with 67% of the votes to win the Potong Pasir seat. In the General Election in 1980, Mr Howe again defeated Chiam for Potong Pasir.^[3] Howe duly served as the Member of Parliament for Potong Pasir until 1984.

On 12 February 1979, Howe was sworn into the Cabinet as Minister for Defence. Directness being his hallmark, Hower said that those who dodged national service ought to be looked upon as "pariah" in the community, just six months after becoming Defence Minister. Earlier that year, after submitting his nomination papers in the by-election, Hower dismissed the opposition candidates, including Chiam, as "court jesters" who had come out "to provide comic relief".^[2]

Howe relinquished his defence post to become the Minister for Health from 1982 to 1984. There, Howe became best remembered by Singaporeans for his controversial proposal in 1984 to raise the age to withdraw Central Provident Fund (CPF) savings from 55 to 60 years. At a news conference on March 26, 1984, Howe reasoned that Singaporeans could not depend only on their children in their old age. That suggestion, part of the Howe Yoon Chong Report of the Committee on the Problems of the Aged, which he chaired, was eventually dropped. However, the report remains an important document with its forward-looking strategies to support Singapore's greying population.^[1][2][4] Taking up the suggestions in the report, the Singapore Government subsequently introduced the Minimum Sum scheme. This allows workers to withdraw some of their CPF funds at age 55, setting aside a certain minimum sum which can only be withdrawn at retirement age, currently at 62 years.^[3]

Howe retired from politics in 1984, and did not contest in the election that year.^[3]

[edit] Later years

After leaving politics, Howe returned to DBS as Chairman and CEO in 1985 and served until 1990. In 1991, he helped to set up a managed fund for the Malay self-help group Mendaki, the Council for the Development of Singapore Muslim Community.^[2]

From 1992 to 2000, he was the Executive Chairman of Great Eastern Life Assurance, and from 1992 to 2007, the President and CEO for The Straits Holding Company, an investment holding firm.

On August 21, 2007, Howe died from a stroke after being hospitalised for three weeks. He was married to Wan Fook Yin, and had three children.^[1]

[edit] Honours

In 1963, Howe received a Malaysia Medal and Meritorious Service Medal. For his contributions to Singapore, Howe was awarded a Distinguished Service Order in 1968. In 1971, the National University of Singapore awarded him with a honorary degree of Doctor of Letters.

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

• Singapore Infopedia: Howe Yoon Chong. National Library Board. Retrieved on 2007-08-22.
• "Ex-Minister dies at 84", The New Paper, 22 August 2007. 

[edit] Raw

[edit] 1

[1]

Howe Yoon Chong (b. 1923, China - ) as one of the old guards in the Cabinet, was key in developing both Singapore's infrastructure and its financial framework. However, it was the issues of the aged, outlined in the Howe Yoon Chong Report of 1984, that left a mark with the common man. The Howe Yoon Chong Report of the Committee on the Problems of the Aged remains an important document proposing long-term strategies to support the greying population but it was its proposal that the CPF withdrawal age be raised to 60 years that caused a furore. Howe continued to back the report as Minister of Health until he retired that same year.

Education 1933 - 1940 : St Francis Institution, Malacca. 1953 : Graduated with Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Economics from University of Malaya, Singapore.

Career He worked in the civil service for almost thirty years. He began as a teacher, then for a period was a broadcaster before taking the post of an administrative officer in the Colonial Secretariat. Later he was appointed as a Police Magistrate and then Secretary to the Public Service Commission. 1960 : Served as the first Chief Executive Officer, Housing and Development Board (HDB). 1970 - 1979 : Chairman , DBS, Singapore; Chairman, Port of Singapore Authority (PSA); Permanent Secretary in the Prime Minister's Officer; Head of Civil Service. 1979 - 1982 : Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of National Development. 1979 - 1984 : Deputy Chairman of the Economic Development Board. 1980 - 1990 : Member, Board of Trustees, Eisenhower Exchange Fellowships Inc. 1985 - 1990 : Chairman and Chief Executive, DBS, Singapore. 1992 : Executive Chairman, Great Easter Life Assurance Co Ltd. 1992 - 1999 : President and Chief Executive Officer, The Straits Trading Co Ltd.

Politics 1979 - 1984 : Member of Parliament for Potong Pasir. 12 Feb 1979 : Minister of Defence. 1982 - 1984 : Minister of Health.

Awards 1963 : Malaysia Medal and Meritorious Service Medal 1968 : Distinguished Service Order. 1971 : Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters, University of Singapore.

Family Married with three children

[edit] 2

Ex-minister Howe Yoon Chong, 84, dies By Keith Lin & Lee Hui Chieh

FORMER Cabinet minister Howe Yoon Chong, who played a key role in developing Singapore's infrastructure and financial framework, died yesterday. He was 84.

The former Defence and Health minister, who was in politics from 1979 to 1984, died yesterday after being hospitalised three weeks ago when he suffered a stroke.

His death was sudden, said daughter-in-law Patrica Howe.

She said he was conscious and alert throughout his hospital stay. But yesterday afternoon, he developed breathing difficulties and failed to respond to medication.

'He was improving and doing well, and we thought he was on the road to recovery, but everything took a turn for the worse,' said Mrs Howe, 47.

Added his widow, Madam Wan Fook Yin, 81: 'We knew he wanted to go, he had been suffering. We had to respect his wishes to let him go.'

The straight-talking Mr Howe is perhaps best remembered by Singaporeans for his controversial proposal in 1984 to raise the age to withdraw CPF savings.

That suggestion, part of the Howe Yoon Chong Report of the Committee on the Problems of the Aged, was eventually dropped.

The report, however, remains an important document, with its forward-looking strategies to support Singapore's greying population.

Mr Howe also played a key role in such iconic projects as Changi Airport, the MRT and public housing, stamping his authority with grit and a can-do attitude.

Former colleagues yesterday highlighted the many roles he played in almost 30 years of public service, as well as his years as corporate chieftain in such companies as DBS Bank and Great Eastern Life Assurance.

No matter what hat he wore, they remembered Mr Howe as a man who stuck to his values.

'He stood for honesty and integrity,' said Ms Elsie Foh, managing director of DBS Bank, where Mr Howe was once chairman. 'If someone made a wrong decision but at all times had told the truth, he would say, 'That's okay.

Born in China in 1923, Mr Howe first caught the public eye for his role in solving the chronic housing shortage in the 1960s as the HDB's first chief executive officer.

A former head of the civil service, Mr Howe was the original reluctant politician. But he was persuaded by then prime minister Lee Kuan Yew and then finance minister Goh Keng Swee to enter politics in 1979.

He beat Mr Chiam See Tong to win the Potong Pasir seat for the People's Action Party. He retired from politics in 1984.

Mr Howe is survived by his wife, three children and two grandchildren. The wake is at his home at 9 Binjai Walk, until Friday. He will be cremated at Mandai Crematorium.

[edit] 3

A long and illustrious career • 1923: Born in China • 1953: Graduated with Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Economics from University of Malaya, Singapore. • 1960: Became Housing and Development Board's (HDB) first chief executive officer. • 1970 to 1979: Held various positions as chairman of DBS and Port of Singapore Authority (PSA), Permanent Secretary in the Prime Minister's Office, and Head of the Civil Service. • 1979: Entered politics as Member of Parliament for Potong Pasir. Sworn into Cabinet as Minister of Defence that year. • 1979 to 1982: Minister of Defence • 1982 to 1984: Minister of Health • 1984: Retired from politics • 1985 to 1990: Returned to DBS as chairman and chief executive officer. • 1992 to 2000: Chairman, Great Eastern Life Assurance. • 1992 to 2007: Chairman, The Straits Holding Company, an investment holding firm. • August 21 2007: Dies after suffering stroke three weeks ago.

[edit] 4

The reluctant politician 'I've no liking for politics,' said veteran civil servant who played key role in iconic projects like MRT but was MP for just five years By Jeremy Au Yong

IF THE reluctant politician is a Singaporean stereotype, then the late Howe Yoon Chong must surely be its poster boy.

He put most of his time and energy into his career in the civil service - playing a key role in iconic projects like the MRT, Changi Airport and public housing - and was an elected Member of Parliament for five years.

In 1979, upon being named a PAP candidate in by-elections called in seven constituencies, he said point-blank that he hoped to serve no more than five years.

'And then I'll retire honourably,' he said, declaring his retirement at the press conference called to announce his candidacy.

Getting him into office was a task in itself.

The first call to enter politics had come as early as 1953 from Mr Lee Kuan Yew, then a practising lawyer. But the son of a liquor shop owner from Malacca, then a magistrate, said no thanks.

After serving his five years in Potong Pasir, which he won by beating then-independent candidate Chiam See Tong, Mr Howe said in a 1984 interview granted just after he had - as promised - retired from politics:

'By temperament, I've no liking for politics.'

The man knew himself.

His civil service peers also knew him for the fierce, tough-talking man who let fly more than a few clangers in his time.

Mr Sim Kee Boon, 77, who took over as civil service head when Mr Howe entered public office, recalled:

'I remember when he was MP for Potong Pasir, his voters came and asked him for all sorts of things. Some asked him to lower the CPF withdrawal age from 55 to 50.

'He scolded them: 'You all don't know what is good for you.'

'Somebody went to tell him he shouldn't scold his voters like that!'

Mr Howe would go on, several years later, to recommend in a controversial report on ageing issues that the CPF withdrawal age be raised from 55 to 60 and later, 65.

While that suggestion was eventually dropped, the Report of the Committee on the Problems of the Aged remains to date an important document with its forward-looking strategies to support Singapore's greying population.

Mr Teo Chong Tee, 64, MP for Changi from 1976 to 1996, said of Mr Howe's firm style: 'Yes means yes. No means no. But when he said yes, he would go out of his way to help his residents.'

Dr Tan Cheng Bock, 67, MP for Ayer Rajah between 1980 and 2006, went so far as to say that Mr Howe was no politician:

'As a person, you would have liked him. He was a very genuine man and I respected him for that.

'But I always remember him as a man who was not a politician. He spoke his mind. He did not sugar- coat.'

Indeed, directness was Mr Howe's hallmark.

In 1979, just six months after becoming Defence Minister, he said that those who dodged national service ought to be looked upon as 'pariah' in the community.

Earlier that year, after submitting his nomination papers in that by-election, he dismissed the opposition candidates - including Mr Chiam - as 'court jesters' who had come out 'to provide comic relief'.

But a soft heart lay behind the bluster.

Mr Sim said of him fondly: 'I think that's what people didn't know about him - that even though he was fierce when he didn't like you, the next day he would forget.'

'The face of a mafia chief, but a heart of gold' was how former PAP MP Rohan Kamis described him. His tenure in the House matched Mr Howe's.

Mr Rohan also paid tribute to Mr Howe as the best administrator he had ever seen, from the fuss-free way he helped in setting up a managed fund for the Malay self-help group Mendaki.

Mr Rohan said he had no takers when he proposed the idea of a guaranteed fund that was 'halal'.

All he did was go see Mr Howe, then the DBS chairman, and the Mendaki Growth Fund was born in 1991.

That bit of help was extended to the Malay community without fanfare. Said Mr Rohan: 'He was humble and didn't want people to know. He said: 'I know. You know. Good enough'.'

The people though, remember him best for his recommendation to raise the CPF withdrawal age.

Dr Tan, describing it as an idea 'a little ahead of its time', said: 'I think that issue hijacked the whole report and the other good policies in it were not looked at seriously.'

For his peers, Mr Howe's contributions lay in the MRT, Changi Airport and public housing, not that ruckus-raising CPF suggestion.

Mr Sim said he was the one who fast-tracked the housing programme while serving as the Housing Board's chief executive under then-HDB chairman Lim Kim San in the early years.

And his role in setting up Changi Airport had won him credit in Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew's memoirs.

He also famously locked horns with former deputy prime minister Goh Keng Swee over whether to build an MRT system.

In the end, reluctant politician or not, his service to the country loomed large.

When asked to recall something about the man that had nothing to do with the Government, Mr Sim - who had known him for half a century - replied simply: 'But whatever he did was always to do with the Government.'

[edit] 5

[2]

Howe Yoon Chong was a man ahead of his time: Gerard Ee By Julia Ng, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 21 August 2007 2153 hrs

SINGAPORE: A man ahead of his time - that's how the chairman of the National Kidney Foundation Gerard Ee remembers the late Howe Yoon Chong.

Mr Ee, who was formerly with accounting firm Ernst and Young, had worked with Mr Howe when Mr Howe was the president and chief executive officer of The Straits Trading Company.

He said that Mr Howe was very exemplary of someone who follows a belief and deals with it with total confidence and energy.

"Those of us in the social service sector will always remember the well-known Howe Yoon Chong report, which was way ahead of its time and therefore, unfortunately, a good thing ahead of its time is seldom totally welcomed," said Mr Ee.

Mr Ee was referring to the 1984 Report of the Committee for the Aged which made several policy recommendations on preparing for an ageing population, among which was the controversial suggestion to raise the CPF withdrawal age from 55 to 60 years as Singaporeans cannot depend only on their children in their old age.

"A man of great vision, great courage to pursue his vision. And certainly the energy, the commitment. In spite of his health, he maintained his sense of humour and worked right up to his last moment," said Mr Ee of Mr Howe. - CNA/ir

[edit] 6

Aug 23, 2007 Leaders pay tribute to a man with far-sighted vision By Li Xueying

HE WAS a man with a far-sighted vision who held fast to his convictions, never mind the naysayers.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday paid tribute to former Cabinet Minister Howe Yoon Chong, saying he was 'a man of action, with a relentless drive to get things done'.

Mr Howe also formulated and implemented many major policies as a civil servant, added PM Lee.

Mr Howe died on Tuesday. The 84-year-old had a stroke three weeks ago.

Mr Lee and his wife Ho Ching, Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong and Mrs Goh, and Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew paid their respects at his wake last night.

Others who were there ranged from his former constituent Chan Lai Peng, 40, who was a 12-year-old when Mr Howe was elected an MP for Potong Pasir in 1979, to his old grassroots leader Lim Teow Kim, 67.

In his condolence letter to Mr Howe's wife, Madam Wan Fook Yin, 81, PM Lee recounted how it was 23 years ago that Mr Howe proposed the Central Provident Fund withdrawal age be raised from 55 to 60 - to great controversy.

Today, it is 'a poignant tribute to Mr Howe's soundness and foresight' that Singapore is embarking on changes to the CPF scheme, 'as we mourn his passing', said PM Lee.

Mr Howe, as Health Minister, had proposed several long-term strategies to prepare for an ageing population.

Among them: to defer the CPF withdrawal age.

'This stirred a large controversy, but in fact the report was correct in identifying and anticipating the problem of inadequate savings for old age,' wrote PM Lee, who on Sunday had announced that the age at which CPF members can start drawing down their Minimum Sum will go up, starting from 2012.

It was hardly the only issue on which Mr Howe battled sceptics - and was ultimately proven right.

As SM Goh wrote in his condolence letter: 'He showed foresight, took calculated risks and won for Singapore.'

PM Lee recounted that as the first chairman of the then-Port of Singapore Authority, now known as PSA Corp, Mr Howe went against the advice of professionals to build Singapore's first container terminal in the early 70s.

Then, the technique of handling cargo with containers and container ships was still 'relatively new'.

'This far-sighted decision gave Singapore first-mover advantage, and set PSA on the path to become one of the top container ports today.'

Later, Mr Howe advocated the building of a new airport in Changi. He also played a 'key role' in the development of the MRT system.

Said PM Lee: 'He was strongly in favour of the MRT as the backbone of our public transport, arguing against Dr Goh Keng Swee who advocated a more economical all-bus alternative.

'The outcome today has shown that Mr Howe was one of the rare persons to prove Dr Goh mistaken on something.' Dr Goh, an economic guru, is one of Singapore's founding fathers.

On a more personal note, PM Lee remembers a man who 'under the gruff exterior was a kind and caring man'.

A simple man, stubborn at most times, a stern taskmaster - but always kind at heart, was how President SR Nathan described Mr Howe.

'Because he was forthright with his views and manners, opinions about him could differ,' he wrote. 'But for those who have been his close friends, that is the memory he has left behind.'

Former Cabinet Minister S. Dhanabalan tells a story that shows Mr Howe to be an exacting perfectionist who, at the same time, was a compassionate man. Both men were then running DBS Bank.

An officer was incompetent, and Mr Howe fired him. 'Mr Howe then went out of his way to help him get another job and make a fresh start.'

xueying@sph.com.sg

[edit] 7

Aug 23, 2007 TRIBUTE TO HOWE YOON CHONG He left his mark on today's top leaders Mr Howe was a role model to many in the civil service who hail his honesty, integrity By Li Xueying

PRIME Minister Lee Hsien Loong called him 'a civil servant without compare'.

And Mr Howe Yoon Chong, in turn, helped to groom a generation of civil servants who later came into their own - from Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan to the current head of civil service Peter Ho.

Today, Mr Khaw credited MrHowe for helping him become a 'better officer and a better Health Minister as a result'.

Mr Howe was head of civil service when Mr Khaw started his civil service career in 1978 as a young officer.

'Our paths hardly crossed,' Mr Khaw told The Straits Times. 'But his reputation as a 'bulldozer' who ramped through obstacles to get things done was well known among civil servants.'

When Mr Howe became Health Minister in 1982, 'many of my MOH colleagues received the news with trepidation', recalled Mr Khaw.

'But we were pleasantly surprised to discover quickly that he was not such a terror. Perhaps he had mellowed...I certainly found him to be a good boss and a caring one.

'He's one of my most favourite bosses.'

But his exacting standards meant 'we got our fair share of scoldings'.

'I think I became a better officer and a better Health Minister today as a result,' said Mr Khaw.

Indeed, he was a role model for young civil servants, said Mr J.Y. Pillay, who was previously Permanent Secretary at the Finance and National Development ministries.

He was 'resourceful, energetic, realistic, fearless and intellectually honest, sometimes to a fault', said Mr Pillay, now chairman of the Singapore Exchange.

'He lived life to the full, gave of himself completely and expected the same diligence and dedication from his people.'

Mr Ho, who was an officer in the Defence Ministry (Mindef) when Mr Howe was its Minister from 1979 to 1982, remembers MrHowe as a strong leader.

'He impressed me as someone who was prepared to make tough decisions if he was convinced that they were right,' said Mr Ho.

Besides being the civil service chieftain for four years, Mr Howe's contributions included overseeing the development of what are major Singapore icons today - Changi Airport, the Mass Rapid Transit system and the container port.

Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, in his condolence letter to Mr Howe's wife Madam Wan Fook Yin, 81, said: 'I learnt a lot from him when I was a board member of the PSA when he was chairman.'

Another who went to him for advice is President SR Nathan, whose civil service background included heading the Security and Intelligence Division in Mindef.

'For me personally, he was a source of great strength and support,' said Mr Nathan in his condolence letter.

'Whenever I turned to him, he always received me kindly and was lavish with his encouragement.'

Mr Howe's stamp on the civil service was clear from the outset.

On Aug 7, 1975, he delivered his first speech as head of the civil service.

He pulled no punches.

He said: 'Having observed the increasing complacency and bureaucratic attitudes of civil servants over the last few years, I think we will be fooling ourselves if we keep on repeating about how good a civil service we have, and do not stop to ask if what we say is still true.'

xueying@sph.com.sg

A STRICT BUT FAIR MAN

'He won in Potong Pasir. But he never really enjoyed being a politician. He found the frivolous demands of some of the constituents irksome. True to his character, he refused to be a populist just to please them.

'As someone who knew and worked with him, I found him to be a forthright man, honest and sincere. He was demanding and strict but fair. His temperament and manner did not make him a natural politician but still he answered the call of duty. He cared deeply for his country and his friends.'

SENIOR MINISTER GOH CHOK TONG, on Mr Howe Yoon Chong. He and his wife are seen here paying their respects, accompanied by Mr Howe's wife and her elder son, Mr Howe Tet Sen.

STARTED TOA PAYOH TOWNSHIP

'It was he who undertook with determination and dedication the politically and technically arduous task of getting the township of Toa Payoh started.

'He stood up against organised opposition to the resettlement of Toa Payoh and the removal of squatters. The opposition was formidable, as it was led by Communist United Front agitators who vehemently obstructed him to the point of violence.'

PRESIDENT S R NATHAN, 83

BELIEVED IN A STRONG AIR FORCE

'When Mr Howe was Minister for Defence, I served under him as a staff officer in the Navy responsible for long-term planning.

'Mr Howe was a strong believer in air power and was very focused on building up the air force. My Army colleagues and I therefore often had a difficult time convincing Mr Howe to agree with our proposals.

'Nevertheless, it was a good learning experience which made us more resilient. I grew to like and respect Mr Howe as a good-hearted, straight-talking and sincere man who had the courage of his convictions.'

DEFENCE MINISTER TEO CHEE HEAN, 52

INTEGRITY THE TOP PRIORITY

'The pioneering work of DBS had its inevitable problems, mistakes and setbacks. But he saw this as a learning process as long as those involved were people of integrity and learnt quickly from the mistakes.

'He set the highest priority on integrity for himself, the staff and the clients of the bank.

'He never shrank from taking risks as long as he had no doubts about the integrity of the officers in DBS dealing with a client or of the client's integrity.

'He was wary of those who were servile and fawning.'

FORMER CABINET MINISTER S. DHANABALAN, 70, who served under Mr Howe from 1971 to 1978 when he was DBS Bank's chairman

IMPROVED HOSPITALS' SERVICE

'Mr Howe foresaw that Singaporeans would demand better health care and that our hospitals had to gear up to accommodate such higher expectations.

'He formulated the hospital restructuring programme as he felt that hospitals with autonomous management would be better able to respond to patients' diverse needs and that competition among themselves would result in better service standard.'

HEALTH MINISTER KHAW BOON WAN, 54, on Mr Howe's contributions as Health Minister

A PRODIGIOUS MEMORY

'His memory was prodigious. It was astounding how effortlessly he could reach into his copious databank to extract bits and pieces of salient information from the distant past. Always entertaining.

Even past his prime, he had something interesting to say on a wide range of subjects. A well-read man, who carried his scholarship lightly.

MR J.Y. PILLAY, 73, Singapore Exchange chairman