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Top 10 Most Famous Women from Singapore

Singapore comes from the Malay name Singapura which is the Sanskrit word for lion city. Known as the Republic of Singapore, this Southeast Asia nation comprises 63 satellite islands, one main island and one outlying islet. Extensive land reclamation projects increased the nation’s size by 25 per cent. Singapore has amazing aspects which include the ten popular women below.

1. She was one of Singapore’s first gynaecologist and obstetrician

Singaporean physician Oon Chiew Seng (1916–2022). Photo by www.swhf.sg/

Born in 1916 in Penang, Oon Chiew Seng was one of Singapore’s first obstetricians and gynaecologists. Seng studied in Singapore and India before opening her private practice. Over the years, Seng received several awards.

Her awards include the 2000 Public Service Medal, the 2011 Lifetime Achievement Award and the 2013 Public Service Star. In 2014, Seng was inducted into the Singapore Women’s Hall of Fame. Additionally, she received the 2021 honorary doctorate from the National University of Singapore.

Seng tested positive for COVID-19 in January 2022. She lost her appetite and her vision from the malady. At the age of 106, Seng passed away on 31 March 2022.

2. She was the first Singaporean female to compete in the Olympic Games

Women running on a track. Photo by Jonathan Chng on

Born on 11 October 1933, Tang Pui Wah was a former Singaporean sprinter. At the 1952 Summer Olympics, Wah participated in the women’s 80 metres hurdles and women’s 100 metres. The first female Singaporean to compete in the Olympics

Wah retired from athletics in 1955. She was 22 years at the time. After the Second World War, Wah was admitted to Nanyang Girls’ High School. She later joined Raffles Girls’ School. In 2014, Wah was inducted into the Singapore Women’s Hall of Fame. Her induction was in the sports category.

3. She is a Singaporean Swimmer and Paralympic medallist

Born on 16 February 1987, Theresa Goh Rui Si BBM is a Singaporean swimmer and Paralympic medallist. Goh is the World records holder for 200 metres breaststroke and SB4 50 metres.

Goh does not have use of her legs due to spina bifida. Nonetheless, Goh began swimming at the age of five years. She began swimming competitively at the age of 12 years. Goh quickly set herself apart and won several medals.

Goh took part in several competitions such as the Far East and South Pacific Games Federation for the Disabled (FESPIC). She also took part in 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2008 ASEAN Para Games.

4. She was one of Singapore’s longest-serving female politicians

Yu-Foo Yee Shoon is a former Singaporean politician. Born on 17 February 1950, Shoon was a member of the People’s Action Party (PAP), the country’s governing party. From 1984 to 2011, Shoon served as a Member of Parliament.

During the 1984 general elections, Shoon was elected into parliament. Over the years, she has served as the Minister of State at the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports. She also served as the Mayor of Singapore’s South West District.

Serving as one of Singapore’s longest female politicians, Her World magazine named Shoon the 1995 ‘Woman of the Year. In 1997, she also received Singapore’s National Co-operative Federation Rochdale Medal.

5. She was Singapore’s first Police Inspector and a hall of fame inductee

1950 image of Mary Quintal. Photo by eresources.nlb.gov.sg/

Née Voon and born in 1929, Mary Quintal served as Singapore’s Assistant Superintendent of police from 1961 to 1974. The first Singaporean female police inspector, Quintal was a former badminton player.

After undergoing training at the Thomson Road Police Training School, Quintal joined Singapore’s Police Force on 1 March 1949. She became a constable and was later promoted to inspector after six months.

Quintal, who was inducted into the Singapore Women’s Hall of Fame in 2014 married assistant Marine Department engineer Victor Quintal. They got married on 24 September 1953 and have a son together.

6. Singapore’s visually impaired multi-media artist and printmaker

Chng Seok Tin was a visually impaired Singapore multi-media artist, sculptor and printmaker. Born on 6 October 1946, Tin’s work was inspired by Buddhism and i-Ching. Her internationally recognized work has had more than 26 solo shows as well as 100 group shows.

In addition to her art, Tin wrote 11 books in Chinese and advocated for artists with disabilities. She was not born blind but suffered an injury that resulted in her blindness.

Tin and her students were visiting a European museum in June 1988 when she fell and hit her head on a pavement in London while trying to catch a bus. After several bouts of dizziness, it was discovered that Tin had a brain abscess.

In 1988, after surgery on the abscess, Tin lost 90 per cent of her vision. Tin died on 6 September 2019, a month before her 73^rd birthday. She had however been inducted into the Singapore Women’s Hall of Fame in 2014.

7. She is a CEO and the wife of Prime Minister Loong

Ho Ching speaking at a press conference in Singapore in 2009. Photo by Lucasmatti/

Ho Ching is probably one of the most influential women in Singapore. Ching is the wife of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. In 2020, she was on the Forbes list of the world’s most influential women coming in at number 46, ahead of Queen Elizabeth II.

Ching is the CEO of Temasek Holdings and is credited with its expansion in Asia. During her 17-year tenure, Ching grew the organisation’s portfolio from SG$90 billion in 2004 to over SG$300 billion at the beginning of 2021.

8. Claire Chiang is a hotel owner and advocate of social issues

The Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts is founded on the principles of sustainability. The portfolio has five brands which include Banyan Tree, Laguna, Dhawa, Cassia and Angsana. In addition to being the hotel’s co-founder, Chiang also advocates for social issues.

Chiang raises awareness on several issues including work-life balance, female board representation, family violence, and animal conservation. In addition, she is a member of the National Arts Council and the Singapore Book Council chairperson. Chiang is also the Wildlife Reserves Singapore Conservation Fund trustee.

9. Professor Lily Kong is the first female Singaporean in charge of a university

Professor Lily Kong, fifth President of Singapore Management University (SMU). Photo by Ray Chua/

Lily Kong is Singapore Management University’s (SMU) fifth president. The first female Singaporean at the helm of a local university, Professor Kong has been in the academic field for almost three decades.

Previously the National University of Singapore’s geography department’s faculty member and a former provost at SMU, Professor Kong also worked in public service. In 2006, Professor Kong received the Public Administration Silver Medal.

In January 2009, Professor Kong was appointed as a Member of the Public Service Commission and she later received the Public Service Star award in 2020. For her study on religion, Professor Kong received the Robert Stoddard Award from the Association of American Geographers.

Over the years she received several international fellowship awards. The awards include the Fulbright Fellowship Award and the Commonwealth Fellowship Award.

10. She was the first Singaporean to win a World Champion Title

A bowling ball and bowling pins. Photo by Michelle McEwen on

Born in 1965, Adelene Wee was the first Singaporean to win the World Championship Title. Now retired, the bowling champion was the youngest winner at the World Games.

Wee whose father and brother were also bowlers, began bowling at the age of 12. In 1981, Wee participated in the Philippines Women’s Open Masters. At the age of 15, she was the youngest gold medal winner.

At the Sukhumvit Open the following year, she broke the world record for the six-game singles in ten-pin bowling. Wee also won the Singapore International Bowling Championship. At the Asian FIQ youth championships in June 1985, Wee won three gold medals.