Lee Yiok Seng dies aged 87; housing efforts remembered

Parliamentary records show that Lee was among MPs, in a sitting in 1978, who had argued for the then Minister for Labour to give favourable consideration to applications for work permits for individuals whose spouse and children are Singapore citizens or permanent residents.

In 1984, as senior parliamentary secretary for national development, Lee spoke about the Government’s resettlement efforts at a community event, describing it as a practical approach dictated by Singapore’s limited land resources, growing population and economic development.

He said that squatters who were citizens, and affected by resettlement action, were given help to purchase HDB flats with a reduced down payment of $100, and given priority to buy the flats.

The Government also paid out compensation. Lee said that in the first 10 years of resettlement, from 1960 to 1969, a total of 37,153 squatters were resettled and paid $29 million in compensation.

From 1970 to 1979, the number of squatters resettled increased to 104,643 and compensation totalling $305.7 million was paid out. From 1980 to 1983, the pace of resettlement was further accelerated, with a total of 60,512 squatters resettled and paid $505.4 million in compensation.

Lee had noted the aspiration of Singaporeans living in slums and squatter areas for a better standard of housing, saying that “resettlement has never been a pleasant or easy task. However, our achievements in this field have been exemplary”.

Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC MP Alex Yam described Lee as always approachable, friendly and encouraging. He said Lee had just celebrated his 87th birthday on Oct 11.

“Marsiling, Woodgrove, Sembawang and Bukit Panjang were his old stomping grounds. Even long after retiring from politics, he continued to attend our community events and keep in touch with many of his old grassroots leaders.”

Yam added: “He was also Government Whip during some rather interesting years in Parliament, including when founding PAP chairman, Dr Toh Chin Chye, challenged the Government’s position on legislation from the backbench.

“It could hardly have been an easy job keeping such formidable personalities in line!”

Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs and Senior Minister of State for Defence Zaqy Mohamad said Lee was at at the Marsiling Community Club for a homecoming event in May, alongside other former advisers.

Zaqy, who is also an MP for Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC, said Lee’s years of service and contributions will always be remembered as part of Marsiling’s history.

In his Facebook post, Yam said that as the years pass, the PAP is gradually saying goodbye to a generation of politicians who gave their lives to Singapore.

“Their contributions live on not only in the institutions and communities they helped build, but also in the friendships they kept and the people whose lives they touched,” he said.