Alvin Yeo, ex-MP & lawyer, dies aged 60 after 2-year battle with cancer

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Alvin Yeo, a lawyer and former Member of Parliament (MP), died aged 60 on Saturday morning, July 30, following a two-year battle with cancer.

The former two-term MP was elected for Hong Kah GRC from 2006 to 2011, and for Chua Chu Kang GRC from 2011 to 2015 on the People's Action Party ticket.

He retired from politics after 2015.

Passing announced by law firm he started

His passing was announced in a statement by law firm WongPartnership, where Yeo was the co-founder, chairman and senior partner.

The statement said Yeo was an inspiring leader and mentor and a "luminary in his field".

WongPartnership also noted Yeo's achievement of being appointed senior counsel in 2000 at the age of 37, making him the youngest ever to be appointed.

Yeo co-founded WongPartnership in 1992.

Tributes

Yee Chia Hsing, who ran in Chua Chu Kang GRC in 2015 after Yeo stepped down, said in a Facebook post: "It's with much sadness that I received news that former Nanyang MP, Mr Alvin Yeo, had passed on this morning after battling cancer for the last two years."

He added: "Residents remember him fondly and he is the perfect gentleman."Current Chua Chu Kang MP Low Yen Ling, who joined politics in 2011 and worked with Yeo, said he was like a big brother to her.

Low, who is the Minister of State for Trade and Industry, as well as Culture, Community and Youth, said: “We had regular lunches before Covid-19. When I received news that he was battling cancer two years ago, I stayed in touch with Alvin, cheering him on and keeping him in my prayers.”Alex Yam, an MP for Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC, highlighted Yeo's accomplishments as a lawyer and said he was kind and positive.

Yam said: "While he towered over everyone with his height, he was gentle at heart, a big brother who guided and treated me with great kindness."

He added: "I found out towards the end of 2020 that he was ill. He was undergoing treatment then and yet he remained positive, saying that he looked forward to meeting up with a few of us in 2022 when he was fully recovered."According to The Straits Times, Yeo was called to the bar in 1988 and had an illustrious career specialising in various fields, including banking and corporate disputes, as well as construction-related matters.

Yeo was inducted into the Hall of Fame by Legal 500 in 2021.

Yeo was also an Arsenal fan, and who enjoyed watching football.

Top photos via Yee Chia Hsing Facebook & Alex Yam Facebook