Seet Ai Mee, Dr (b. 31 March 1943, Singapore -), became the first female cabinet minister in Singapore when she was named Acting Minister for Community Development, in a cabinet reshuffle in July 1991. However, she was also the first cabinet member to lose a parliamentary seat when she lost by a narrow margin to Ling How Doong of the Singapore Democratic Party in the 1991 general elections.
Education
Her early education was at Methodist Girls School and later the High School at Malacca. She was awarded a Colombo Plan scholarship to study at the University of Adelaide where she graduated with First Class Honours in Biochemistry in 1964. She obtained her PhD. Clinical Biochemistry from the University of Singapore in 1969.
Career
1965 : Research Fellow and Tutor, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur.
1966 : Biochemist, Ministry of Health, Singapore.
1973 : Senior research fellow, Singapore Institute of Standards and Industrial Research (SISIR).
1977 : Managing Director, AML Sci-Ed Consultants Pte Ltd.
1984-1988 : Chairman, School Executive Committee of Blangah Rise Primary School.
1985-1988 : President, Singapore Association for the Deaf.
1992 : Founder Chairman, Dover Park Hospice Governing Council.
1992 : Director, Courts (S) Ltd.
1994 : Director, Informatics Holdings Ltd.
1995 : First Chairman, Singapore Hospice Council.
1995 : Director, Datacraft Asia Ltd.
1996 : Director, Ming Wah Universal (Bermuda) Co Ltd.
1997 : Director, Jade Technologies (S) Ltd.
Politics
1988 : Member of Parliament for Bukit Gombak.
1 Nov 1988 - 30 Jun 1991 : Minister of State for Education and Community Development.
1 Jul 1991 - 6 Sep 1991 : Acting Minister for Community Development and Sports.
1991 : Lost the parliamentary seat to Ling How Doong of the Singapore Democratic Party by a narrow defeat of 1.4% votes.
Family
Husband: Dr Seet Lip Chai.
Children: One son and a daughter
Awards
1997 : Bintang Bakti Masyarakat (Public Service Star)
1998 : Justice of the Peace.
In 1984, she along with three other women broke a 14- year lull in women's representation in the Singapore Parliament. The other three women MPs were Dr. Dixie Tan, a medical doctor; Dr. Aline Wong, a university lecturer; and Mrs. Yu-Foo Yee Shoon, a trade unionist. Prior to their presence, the last woman to hold a parliamentary seat was Madam Chan Choy Siong who retired from Parliament in 1970.
Education
Her early education was at Methodist Girls School and later the High School at Malacca. She was awarded a Colombo Plan scholarship to study at the University of Adelaide where she graduated with First Class Honours in Biochemistry in 1964. She obtained her PhD. Clinical Biochemistry from the University of Singapore in 1969.
Career
1965 : Research Fellow and Tutor, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur.
1966 : Biochemist, Ministry of Health, Singapore.
1973 : Senior research fellow, Singapore Institute of Standards and Industrial Research (SISIR).
1977 : Managing Director, AML Sci-Ed Consultants Pte Ltd.
1984-1988 : Chairman, School Executive Committee of Blangah Rise Primary School.
1985-1988 : President, Singapore Association for the Deaf.
1992 : Founder Chairman, Dover Park Hospice Governing Council.
1992 : Director, Courts (S) Ltd.
1994 : Director, Informatics Holdings Ltd.
1995 : First Chairman, Singapore Hospice Council.
1995 : Director, Datacraft Asia Ltd.
1996 : Director, Ming Wah Universal (Bermuda) Co Ltd.
1997 : Director, Jade Technologies (S) Ltd.
Politics
1988 : Member of Parliament for Bukit Gombak.
1 Nov 1988 - 30 Jun 1991 : Minister of State for Education and Community Development.
1 Jul 1991 - 6 Sep 1991 : Acting Minister for Community Development and Sports.
1991 : Lost the parliamentary seat to Ling How Doong of the Singapore Democratic Party by a narrow defeat of 1.4% votes.
Family
Husband: Dr Seet Lip Chai.
Children: One son and a daughter
Awards
1997 : Bintang Bakti Masyarakat (Public Service Star)
1998 : Justice of the Peace.
In 1984, she along with three other women broke a 14- year lull in women's representation in the Singapore Parliament. The other three women MPs were Dr. Dixie Tan, a medical doctor; Dr. Aline Wong, a university lecturer; and Mrs. Yu-Foo Yee Shoon, a trade unionist. Prior to their presence, the last woman to hold a parliamentary seat was Madam Chan Choy Siong who retired from Parliament in 1970.
