Lee Khoon Choy — a former senior minister of state (Foreign Affairs), Ambassador, journalist, and writer — passed away on Saturday morning (3am) in the National University Hospital at the age of 92.
Many politicians, including Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, President Tony Tan, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean and Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, have paid glowing tributes to a member of the PAP Old Guard.
PM Lee: "Pioneers like him" help "put Singapore on the path it is today".
Deeply'>
saddened by the passing of Mr Lee Khoon Choy, a member of the PAP Old Guard, at the ripe old age of 92.Khoon...
Now, many of you, especially those born after his retirement from politics in 1984, might be hearing his name for the first time.This snapshot of Lee's life and dedication to Singapore may help you understand who he was better:
A member of the PAP old guard
Lee was one of the 43 PAP candidates who won in the 1959 Legislative Assembly election. He was elected as assemblyman for Bukit Panjang.
He subsequently lost his seat in Bukit Panjang, but was in 1965 elected as the assemblyman for Hong Lim in a legislative assembly by-election. Lee was later a Member of Parliament for Braddell Heights before retiring from politics in 1984.
One of Singapore's pioneer diplomats
Lee's diplomatic career saw him serving as Singapore's Ambassador to eight countries: Egypt (1968-1970), Yugoslavia, Ethiopia, Lebanon, Pakistan, Indonesia (1970-1974), Japan (1984-1988) and South Korea (1984-1988).
He retired from public service in 1988.
Mission Impossible 1: Testing waters among the Arab nations
In Lee's reflections in The Little Red Dot (2005), he recalled that the late Foreign Minister S. Rajaratnam sprang a surprise on him, asking him to be Singapore's Ambassador to Egypt.
The mission: Singapore planned to establish diplomatic relations with Israel as they had sent military experts to help build our SAF. Lee's mission was to soften the reaction from the Arab countries when Singapore declared its recognition of Israel.
The result?
When Singapore recognised Israel and took into account the feelings of the Arabs regarding the Israeli-occupied territories, there was no protest from Egypt. This was after much legwork by Lee, who had by then met with many key Egyptian leaders.
In contrast, Romania's Ambassador to Eygpt was asked to leave the country after his home country recognised Israel. That, despite the fact that Romania was a donor country to Egypt.
Mission Impossible 2: The bridge between Singapore and Indonesia
As Ambassador to Indonesia, Lee oversaw one of the most difficult periods in Singapore-Indonesia relations following Konfrontasi and Singapore's decision in 1968 to hang two Indonesian marines who detonated a bomb at MacDonald House that killed three people.
The Mission: To mend bilateral relations with Indonesia and while at it, establish rapport between the two leaders — then-PM Lee Kuan Yew and President Suharto.
The result?
As Lee recalled in The Little Red Dot (2005), it took him three years (1970-1973) — golf with many key Indonesian Generals, the study of Javanese culture, being at the receiving end of death threats from Indonesians, and an initial visit by Finance Minister Goh Keng Swee — to arrange for an official visit for then-PM Lee to Indonesia in 1973.
Armed with his deep understanding of Javanese culture, Lee advised the late Lee to scatter flowers over the graves of the two Marines. The act brought tears to Indonesia's then-Ambassador to Singapore.
The gesture closed a difficult chapter in Singapore-Indonesia ties, with a visit from President Suharto to Singapore the following year.
Man of many talents
Before entering politics, Lee was a journalist and worked at both English and Mandarin publications including The Straits Times and Nanyang Siang Pau.
After stepping down in 1984, he wrote many books.
According to Channel NewsAsia, Lee was an artist who had staged several exhibitions, played three instruments and spoke five languages — including Arabic.
He is survived by his second wife Eng Ah Siam, seven children and 11 grandchildren.
February 28, 05:22 PM 
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