LINUS July 1995
Wong Kah Wei, Hon Sui Sen Memorial Library
The Hon Sui Sen Memorial Library was built in memory of the late Mr Hon Sui Sen (1916-1983), former Minister for Finance of Singapore (1970-1983), who was also the Member of Parliament for the Havelock Constituency (1970-1983).
The Havelock Community Centre leaders and senior civil servants mooted the idea to start a fund to build a library as a fitting memorial to the late Mr Hon's selfless dedication to society and the country. Following the Government's approval in 1984 to set up the library at NUS, the Hon Sui Sen Memorial Library Fund Raising Committee was formed. In December 1984, Mrs Lee-Wang Cheng Yeng was appointed Hon Sui Sen Memorial Library Head-Designate and Chairperson of the Planning Committee, whose members were Mr Ng Kok Koon and Mrs Chan Chew Ee.
On 5 October 1984, the foundation stone for the building was laid by Mrs Annie Hon, wife of the late Mr Hon Sui Sen. Construction work on the building started in November 1984 and was completed 25 months later. The building was then handed over to the University by the Public Works Department, who was in charge of the project, on 12 January 1987, in a ceremony graced by Dr Tony Tan, the Minister for Education.
The Library started operations on 15 June 1987 and was declared officially opened by Mr Goh Chok Tong, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence on 15 January 1988. Mrs Lee-Wang was the first Head of the Library until June 1991, when she resigned to go to the United States with her husband. Miss Lim Bee Lum took over as the Head of the Library.
The whole building consists of the Library (approximately 3,000 sq m), a 190-seat auditorium and a multi-function hall. At present the hall serves as the offices of an independent organisation. A special feature of the Library is the Hon Sui Sen Room which houses the memorabilia contributed by his family and the Ministry of Finance.
The Library's collection focuses mainly on business, finance and management as it caters primarily to the NUS Business School. It also has a special collection on annual reports of Singapore companies. The Library is linked by a covered walkway to the School, for easy access by staff and students.
| 1987-1991 | Mrs Lee-Wang Cheng Yeng |
| 1991-2001 | Miss Lim Bee Lum |
| 2001- | Mrs Kwok-Foo Yan Chuin |
Lee-Wang Cheng Yeng, Head of HSSML (1987-1991)
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When I was asked about my experiences with the setting up of HSSML, this incident came to mind: The architect recommended fabric chairs to be provided for the users. However, we felt that fabric would wear out quickly and would be difficult to maintain. We decided to get PVC-covered chairs. In fact after using the chairs, some students liked them so much that they even asked where they could buy them. Unfortunately, these chairs were custom-made and were not available commercially. |
HSSML colour scheme is grey with touches of pink |
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