Wong Lin Ken

Introduction

Wong Lin Ken (黄麟根; 1931–1983), was a Professor of History at the National University of Singapore. Born in Penang, he was educated at St George’s Boys School and the Penang Free School before entering the University of Malaya where he graduated with a First Class Honours degree in history in 1954.

After obtaining his Masters in 1955, he received a Queen’s Scholarship and graduated from the University of London with a PhD in History in 1959. He became a history lecturer at the University of Singapore. In 1964, Professor Wong became the director of the PAP’s external affairs bureau and a member of its political bureau. He was appointed as the first ambassador to the United States from 1967 to 1968. In 1968, he ran for and secured the seat in the Alexandra constituency. He was appointed the Minister for Home Affairs from 1970 to September 1972. He continued as Member of Parliament for Alexandra until 1976 and returned to head the National University of Singapore Department of History from 1973 to 1983.

Selected books on Wong Lin Ken

• 周南京. (主编). (1993). 世界华侨华人词典 [Who’s who in the Chinese community of Singapore]. 北京 : 北京大学出版社, p. 728. Call no.: RSING q305.8951 DIC. The book contains the biographies of 7,000 overseas Chinese personalities around the world. Wong Lin Ken’s biography is also included.

Selected books by Wong Lin Ken

• Wong, Lin Ken. (1961). The trade of Singapore, 1819–69. Singapore: Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society. Call no.: RCLOS 382.095957 WON. This is a study of the trade of Singapore from the year of its establishment to 1869, when the opening of the Suez Canal marked the beginning of a new era of trade between Europe and Asia.

• Wong, Lin Ken. (1965). The Malayan tin industry to 1914: With special reference to the states of Perak, Selangor, Negri, Sembilan, and Pahang. Tucson: Published for the Association for Asian Studies by the University of Arizona Press. Call no.: RCLOS 338.27453 WON. In the second half of the 19th century, British advancement into the Malay Peninsula led to the rise of tin mining and commercial agriculture as two important economic pillars of Malaya. This book covers Chinese involvement in and contributions to the Malayan tin industry.

• Wong, Lin Ken. (1978). 20th century Malayan economic history: A select bibliographic, survey. Singapore: Wong Lin Ken. Call no.: RCLOS 016.3309595 WON. At the invitation from the Journal of Economic History, Professor Wong wrote a bibliographic essay on the economic history of Malaysia, which turned out to be an exploration into the possibility of writing a general economic history of Malaysia.

Selected articles on Wong Lin Ken

• Portrait of Dr Wong Lin Ken, Minister for Home Affairs. Retrieved from NL Online. This is a head-and-shoulder portrait of Dr Wong Lin Ken, Minister for Home Affairs from September 1970 to September 1972. He was a lecturer and later Head of the History Department at the University of Singapore and the National University of Singapore (1959–1983); Member of the Cinematograph Films Appeal Committee (1963); Chairman of the Singapore Adult Education Board (1964–1967); the first Ambassador to the United State (1967–1968); People’s Action Party Member of Parliament for Alexandra (1968–1976); and Patron of the Junior Chamber of Singapore. He was conferred the Public Service Star in 1966.

Selected newspaper articles on Wong Lin Ken

• (1953, July 15). The year’s best students. The Straits Times, p.8. Retrieved from NewspaperSG. Wong Lin Ken was awarded the University Scholarship from the University of Malaya in 1953.

• (1953, October 11). TOP SCHOLARS. Sunday Standard, p.5. Retrieved from NewspaperSG. Wong Lin Ken was one of four top scholars conferred with Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Malaya in 1953.

• (1954, July 30). Student Wins Six Varsity Awards. Singapore Standard, p.4. Retrieved from NewspaperSG. Wong Lin Ken was awarded the Book Prize by the University of Malaya in 1954.

• (1955, February 23). Two Doctors, Lecturer Get Queen’s Study Gifts. The Straits Times, p.7. Retrieved from NewspaperSG. In 1955, the Federation Government of Malaya awarded a Queen’s Scholarship to Wong Lin Ken, a graduate assistant lecturer in history at the University of Malaya. Born in Penang, he was awarded First Class Honors on his Bachelor of Arts degree in history in 1954. On his Queen’s Scholarship, he studied for his doctorate of Philosophy in History at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London in October 1955.

• Chong, Elena. (1983, April 1). Professor Wong’s death: It’s suicide. The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG. Wong Lin Ken’s widow, Mrs Lilli Wong, told the reporter that her husband had been working extra hard and under some mental stress. This report also includes his biography.