Lee Boon Yang (李文献; 李文獻; Lǐ Wén Xiàn; POJ=Lí Bûn-hiàn; born 1 October 1947) is a Singaporean business executive and a former politician and veterinarian. He is the current chairman of Keppel Corporation and Singapore Press Holdings. Lee served in the Cabinet of Singapore from July 1991 to April 2009 in various portfolios, including Minister for Defence, Minister for Manpower, and Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts. He was also a Member of Parliament (MP) for Jalan Besar GRC from 1984 to 2011, representing the governing People's Action Party (PAP). He left politics in 2011.
Career[]
Lee Boon Yang began his career as a veterinary surgeon. He worked as a research and development officer in the Singapore government's Primary Production Department from 1972 to 1981. From 1981 to 1984, Dr. Lee worked at US Feed Grains Council as Assistant Regional Director and later as Senior Project Manager for Primary Industries Enterprise.[1]
Political career[]
Lee was first elected to the Singapore Parliament in 1984. He was appointed a Parliamentary Secretary in 1985, and went on to hold positions in the Ministry of the Environment, Ministry of Communications and Information, Ministry of Finance, and Ministry of Home Affairs.
Lee was brought into the Cabinet in 1991 as a Minister in the Prime Minister's Office. He was made Minister for Labour in 1992 (the role was renamed Minister for Manpower in 1998), and held this post until 2003. He also served concurrently as Minister for Defence from 1994-5. He became Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts in 2003 and served in that post until 2009.
Lee retired from the Cabinet on 1 April 2009. He remained a Member of Parliament for the Jalan Besar Group Representation Constituency (Jalan Besar GRC) until his retirement from politics in 2011.
Post-political career[]
Lee was appointed as the chairman of the board of Keppel Corporation in 2009, after leaving his cabinet position.[2] He is also the chairman of Singapore Press Holdings, taking over from former president Tony Tan since 23 June 2011.[3]
Keppel Bribery Scandal[]
On 6 January 2018, the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) issued a strongly worded statement for Lee Boon Yang and his entire board of directors to resign over dereliction of its duty to oversee the company's executives, resulting in the largest bribery case in Singapore's history going undetected. However, after investigations, Lee Boon Yang was found not responsible. The Board of Directors is not responsible for the day to day operations of the company.
Personal life[]
Lee was awarded a Colombo Plan scholarship and studied veterinary science at University of Queensland (UQ).[4] He graduated with a Bachelor of Veterinary Science in 1971. In 2015, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by UQ.[4] He is younger brother of Lee Boon Wang, a landscape painter and Lee Boon Ngan, who married the painter Chua Mia Tee.[5] He is married to Yam Mee Mee and has a daughter.[6]