S. Vasoo

Sushilan Vasoo (born 1941), commonly known as S. Vasoo, is a Singaporean former politician and social worker. A former member of the People's Action Party (PAP), he served as the Member of Parliament (MP) representing Bo Wen Constituency from 1984 to 1988, the MP of Tiong Bahru Group Representation Constituency representing the Henderson division from 1988 to 1991, and the MP of Tanjong Pagar Group Representation Constituency representing the Radin Mas division from 1991 to 2001.

Early life

Vasoo grew up in a village in Nee Soon, his father was a sub-contractor. The village was largely populated by Chinese residents, which led him to learn Mandarin.

After he finished secondary school in 1959, he worked in Kluang, Malaysia as a trainee factory supervisor at a rubber plantation. Vasoo later moved back to Singapore and worked in psychiatric nursing at the Ministry of Health (MOH), he was posted to Woodbridge Hospital (now the Institute of Mental Health).

He later went and got a diploma at the University of Singapore after he obtained a bursary from the Children's Society and from 1971 to 1972, he worked as a tutor at the University of Singapore. In 1973, he joined the Council of Society Services as a deputy director and was later given an educational grant to go to Hong Kong to get a master's degree in social work at the University of Hong Kong.

Before getting into politics, Vasoo worked as a university lecturer at the Social Work department of the National University of Singapore.

Career

In 1984, Vasoo was invited to join the People's Action Party (PAP) by then-Member of Parliament (MP) for Toa Payoh Constituency Eric Cheong. In the 1984 Singaporean general election, he contested for Bo Wen Constituency. During his rally speech, he spoke in English, Malay, Tamil, Mandarin, and Hokkien. He became the MP for Bo Wen Constituency after beating Sh Ahmad Salim of United People's Front's 25.30% with his 74.70%.

During the 1988 Singaporean general election, after the dissolution of Bo Wen Constituency, Vasoo contested for the Henderson division of the Tiong Bahru Group Representation Constituency along with Ch'ng Jit Koon and Chng Hee Kok against the Workers' Party (WP) group of Low Thia Khiang, Lim Lye Soon, and Gopalan Nair. Vasoo and his team won with 57.84% of the vote against the WP's 42.16%.

In the 1991 Singaporean general election, Vasoo contested for the Radin Mas division of Tanjong Pagar Group Representation Constituency with his team of Koo Tsai Kee, Lee Kuan Yew, and Lim Hng Kiang and were elected unopposed.

In 1993, Vasoo held a defamation suit against Singapore Democratic Party's Chee Soon Juan over allegedly defamatory remarks made about him and was paid S$210,000 in damages.

In the next general election, Vasoo contested for the Radin Mas division of Tanjong Pagar Group Representation Constituency again with his team of Lim Swee Say, Ow Chin Hock, Chay Wai Chuen, Koo Tsai Kee, and Lee Kuan Yew. They were elected unopposed again. In 2001, Vasoo retired from politics.

In 2024, Vasoo was awarded the Outstanding Lifetime Volunteer Award by Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli.

References

1. Tanjong Pagar Group Representation Constituency
2. Tiong Bahru Group Representation Constituency
3. List of Indians in Singapore
4. Gan Eng Seng School
5. 1988 Singaporean general election
6. 2001 Singaporean general election
7. 1991 Singaporean general election
8. Chee Soon Juan
9. 1997 Singaporean general election
10. Ow Chin Hock
11. Ch'ng Jit Koon
12. Singapore Indian Development Association
13. Bukit View Secondary School
14. 1984 Singaporean general election
15. Bo Wen Constituency
16. 9th Parliament of Singapore
17. 8th Parliament of Singapore
18. Gan Eng Seng School Founding Site
19. Paranjape
20. Antinuclear antibody