Lee Boon Yang

Lee Boon Yang (Chinese: 李文献; pinyin: Lǐ Wénxiàn; born 1 October 1947) is a Singaporean former politician who served as Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts between 2003 and 2009, Minister for Manpower between 1992 and 2003, and Minister for Defence in 1994 and 1995. A former member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Jalan Besar Constituency between 1984 and 1988, and the Jalan Besar division of Jalan Besar Group Representation Constituency (GRC) between 1988 and 2011.

Lee Boon Yang
李文献
Lee in 2005
Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts
In office 12 May 2003 – 31 March 2009
Prime Minister	Goh Chok Tong Lee Hsien Loong
Second Minister	Vivian Balakrishnan (2006–2008)
Preceded by	David Lim Tik En
Succeeded by	Lui Tuck Yew
Minister for Defence
In office 2 July 1994 – 31 July 1995 2nd Minister: 7 September 1991-1 July 1994
Prime Minister	Goh Chok Tong
Preceded by	Yeo Ning Hong
Succeeded by	Tony Tan
Minister for Manpower
In office 2 January 1992 – 12 May 2003
Prime Minister	Goh Chok Tong
Preceded by	Lee Yock Suan
Succeeded by	Ng Eng Hen
Minister in the Prime Minister's Office
In office 1 July 1991 – 1 January 1992
Prime Minister	Goh Chok Tong
Party Whip of the People's Action Party
In office 13 September 1988 – 31 March 2007
Preceded by	Lee Yiok Seng
Succeeded by	Lim Swee Say
Member of the Singapore Parliament for Jalan Besar GRC
In office 3 September 1988 – 18 April 2011
Preceded by	Constituency established
Succeeded by	Constituency abolished
Member of the Singapore Parliament for Jalan Besar Constituency
In office 22 December 1984 – 17 August 1988
Preceded by	Chan Chee Seng
Succeeded by	Constituency abolished
Personal details
Born	(1947-10-01) 1 October 1947 (age 77) Colony of Singapore
Political party	People's Action Party (1984–2011)
Spouse	Yap Mee Mee
Children	1
Relatives	Lee Boon Wang (brother) Chua Mia Tee (brother-in-law)
Alma mater	University of Queensland (BVSc)

In this Chinese name, the family name is Lee.

Lee retired from politics in 2011, and served as Chairman of Singapore Press Holdings between 2011 and 2022.

Education

Lee was awarded a Colombo Plan scholarship to study veterinary science at the University of Queensland, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Veterinary Science degree in 1971.^[1]

In 2015, Lee was conferred an honorary doctorate by the University of Queensland.^[1]

Career

Lee began his career as a veterinary surgeon and worked as a research and development officer in the Singapore Government's Primary Production Department between 1972 and 1981.

Lee subsequently worked at the US Feed Grains Council as Assistant Regional Director and later Senior Project Manager for Primary Industries Enterprise between 1981 and 1984.^[2]

Political career

Lee was first elected to Parliament in 1984.

He was subsequently appointed 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 the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Lee was appointed Minister in the Prime Minister's Office in 1991. He served as Minister for Labour between 1992 and 2003. He simultaneously also served as Minister for Defence in 1994 and 1995. He was subsequently appointed Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts in 2003, where he served until 2009.

Lee resigned from the Cabinet in 2009 but remained as a Member of Parliament on the backbenches until his retirement from politics in 2011.^{[citation needed]}

Post-political career

Lee was appointed Chairman of the Board of Keppel Corporation in 2009, after resigning from the Cabinet, where he served until 2021.^[3][4][5]

He also served as Chairman of Singapore Press Holdings between 2011 and 2022, before he was succeeded by Christopher Lim.^[6][7]

Personal life

Lee has an elder brother Lee Boon Wang, a landscape painter and a sister Lee Boon Ngan.^[8]

Lee is married to Yap Mee Mee and they have a daughter.^[9]