Chua Sian Chin

Chua Sian Chin (26 November 1933 – 26 February 2014) was a Singaporean politician who held several ministerial portfolios of Health, Education and Home Affairs in the early era of Singapore. He was 34 years of age when appointed as Health Minister in 1968 which made him the youngest minister in Singapore.

Early life and education Chua was born in Malacca and attended the Malacca High School. After obtaining his bachelor’s degree from the University of Malaya in 1954, Chua travelled to England to study law at the University of London where he completed his law degree in 1958. He was then called to the bar by the Inner Temple in 1959. During his studies, Chua was active in student affairs. At the University of Malaya, he was a member of the University Socialist Club’s central working committee. He then served as secretary of the Malayan Forum and editor of the forum’s newsletter, Suara Merdeka, while studying in London.

Legal career After returning to Singapore in 1959, Chua joined the law firm of Lee and Lee where he became a partner in 1965. At the firm, Chua served as a legal adviser to numerous associations and trade unions such as the Singapore Hawkers’ Petty Traders Association, the Chinese Teachers’ Union, as well as the Chua and Ong clan associations. He also represented the Minister for Education Yong Nyuk Lin at the Commission of Inquiry on the Secondary Four Students’ Boycott in 1962.

Personal life Chua had two sons and one daughter. His eldest son was Chua Eng Leong, who served as a branch chairman for the Eunos division for the Workers' Party-held Aljunied GRC from 2012 to August 2024. He contested and lost the constituency twice in the 2015 and the 2020 general elections under the PAP ticket.

On 26 February 2014, he died at the age of 80 after suffering from heart failure.

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