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During his tenure as a senior civil servant, Howe played a key role in several of Singapore's iconic infrastructural projects like the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), Singapore Changi Airport and public housing.[4] Known by his civil service's colleagues as a fierce, tough-talking man, Howe debated vehemently with former Deputy Prime MinisterGoh Keng Swee over whether to build the MRT system in Singapore. His role in setting up Changi Airport won him credit in Lee Kuan Yew's memoirs. He also fast-tracked the public housing programme while serving as the HDB's CEO under then-chairman Lim Kim San in the early years, solving the chronic housing shortage in the 1960s.[2] As a chairman of PSA, now known as PSA Corporation, Howe went against the advice of professionals to build Singapore's first container terminal in the early 1970s.
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 as he believed that Singapore needed civil servants in light of the repatriation of British forces during the post-World War II period.[3] 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.[4]
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. After submitting his nomination papers in the by-election, Howe dismissed the opposition candidates, including independentChiam See Tong, as "court jesters" who had come out "to provide comic relief".[2] Howe eventually beat Chiam with almost 67% of the votes to win the Potong Pasir seat. In the 1980 general election, Howe again defeated Chiam for Potong Pasir,[5] and duly served as the Member of Parliament for the constituency until 1984.
On 12 February1979, Howe was sworn into the Cabinet as Minister for Defence. Directness being his hallmark, just six months after becoming Defence Minister Howe said that those who dodged national service ought to be looked upon as "pariahs" in the community.[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 for the withdrawal of Central Provident Fund (CPF) savings from 55 to 60 years. At a news conference on 26 March1984, Howe reasoned that Singaporeans could not depend only on their children in their old age. That suggestion, part of the 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.[2][4][6][7] 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.[5] To encourage the employment of aged workers, the CPF contribution rates for both employer and the aged employee were cut in July 1988.[3]
Howe did not contest the general election in 1984. As a result of Howe's controversial report, the PAP lost more than 10% of the overall votes in that election, and conceded the Potong Pasir ward to Chiam.[3] Howe retired from politics that year.[5]
In a letter of appreciation to Howe on his retirement, the then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew said he was indebted to Howe for the devoted work he had put in for the people. Lee also predicted that when workers in their 20s and 30s reached their 60s, they would see how difficult it was for children to stretch their salaries to support aged parents. They would then be grateful to Howe for the furore he had stirred by the report on the problems of the aged.[5]
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, the Mendaki Growth Fund, for the Malay self-help group Mendaki, the Council for the Development of Singapore Muslim Community.[2]
Howe was married to Wan Fook Yin. They had three children – two sons, Tet Sen and Tze Sen, and a daughter, Hwee Siew – and two grandchildren.[8]
Notes
^Clement Mesenas (2007-08-22). "'The man who raised a storm'". Today. p. 4. ((cite news)): Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
^ abcdCai Tiancheng (22 August2007). "Ex-Minister Howe Yoon Chong dies at 84". Lianhe Zaobao. ((cite news)): Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
^ abcdKeith Lin and Lee Hui Chieh (22 August2007). "Ex-minister Howe Yoon Chong, 84, dies". The Straits Times. p. 3. ((cite news)): Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
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