Dr. Lee Choo Neo (Mrs. Teo Koon Lim) | 李珠娘
Dr. Lee Choo Neo (1895–1947) was Singapore's first practising Straits Chinese female doctor and a pioneering advocate for women's rights. She co-founded the Chinese Ladies' Association and wrote the influential 1912 article "The Chinese Girl in Singapore." She died on her 52nd birthday after a short illness.
Genealogy & Burial Location
Dr. Lee Choo Neo (1895–1947)
Family Details:
Father: Lee Hoon Leong (Managing Director, Heap Eng Moh Steamship Co.)
Husband: Teo Koon Lim (Married 21 September 1922)
Children: Lionel Teo Cheng Ann, Winnie Teo Cheng Kim, Eileen Teo Cheng Sim
Lionel and Winnie were the biological children of Mr. and Mrs. Chia Yee Soh (Mrs. Chia was the sister of Seow Poh Leng), adopted into the Teo/Lee family. Connections extend to half-brother Lee Chin Koon (father of Lee Kuan Yew). Husband Teo Koon Lim was the son of Teo Chye Yong (張才勇).
Burial Location:
Cemetery: Bukit Brown Cemetery
Location: Block 1, Division B, Plot 446
🔍 Related Tombs
- Father: Lee Hoon Leong (Bukit Brown)
- Father-in-law: Teo Chye Yong (張才勇) (Bukit Brown, Block 3 Section C Plot 859)
Tomb Inscriptions & Observations
Professional Practice: The Clinic
Lee Dispensary at 11 Selegie Road (circa 1930), collection of Mrs. Vera Teo. Initial clinic at 270 Middle Road.
Lee Dispensary at Bras Basah Road, courtesy of Pat Lim
Dr. Lee specialised in women's and children's health, moving clinics from Middle Road to Selegie Road and finally to 74-3 Bras Basah Road, which also served as her residence.
Historical Records & Transcripts
Pinang Gazette and Straits Chronicle, 23 September 1930, Page 6
"At a time when some Chinese parents were still averse from sending their daughters to school, Miss (now Dr.) Lee Choo Neo got through her Senior Cambridge Examination and joined the local College of Medicine, where she graduated in 1919.
After graduation Dr. Lee Choo Neo joined the Straits Medical Service and for over two years she was attached to the Female Ward of the General Hospital. Thereafter she was transferred to the Women and Children's Outpatient Department at Kandang Kerbau, where she worked for about six years.
As the first Chinese lady to join and to graduate from the Medical College, Dr. Lee Choo Neo is also the first Chinese lady to set up private practice in Singapore, which she has done at the Lee Dispensary, 270, Middle Road (junction of Selegie Road).
The experience gained at the Female Ward of the General Hospital and at the Women and Children's Outpatient Department at Kandang Kerbau will be of assistance to Dr. Lee Choo Neo in her private practice, which is confined to women and children."
The Straits Times, 9 September 1947, Page 6
"Dr. Lee Choo Neo passed away on 7 September 1947 after a short illness. Survived by husband Teo Koon Lim, one son, and two daughters. Burial at Bukit Brown Cemetery."
Marriage to Teo Koon Lim
Historical Feature: "The Chinese Girl in Singapore" (1912)
The Chinese Girl in Singapore
By Dr. Lee Choo Neo
Originally published in The Queen, 1912
I must own that the lot of a Chinese girl bears a most striking resemblance to that of the English girl of the early Victorian period, thereby presenting a strong and obvious contrast to that of the modern English maiden.
The Chinese girl's life in the Straits Settlements, though freer and less irksome than that of her sister in China, is not an enviable one. Its monotony is intolerable, and the Western girl may well express her astonishment at the marvellous way in which the former resigns herself to her fate, and afterwards becomes reconciled to it.
She is apparently well contented with her lot, for she makes no complaint whatever, so accustomed is she to her surroundings that were she placed in the English girl's shoes, she would feel quite out of her element. She does not appear desirous of changing her lot for a more worldly one and does not chafe at the bonds which bind her. No English girl would ever dream of leading such a dull existence and being kept so out of contact with the world.
Happiest
The life of a Straits-born Chinese girl is, as I have said, a quiet and uneventful one, devoid of all amusements and recreations. The happiest and merriest period of her life is that spent during her childhood, when no restraint whatever is put upon her actions. She is permitted to associate with boys and romp about the house and streets (there being no nursery) to her heart’s content, which accounts for the dirty and unkempt appearance she sometimes presents.
This is the time when she goes about everywhere and we may feel assured that she makes the utmost of the golden opportunity offered her, for she is well aware that all these harmless games must cease when she arrives at the age of thirteen or fourteen. Her seclusion dates from this time, and everything considered unladylike is forbidden her.
The parents here do not look upon their daughters as being altogether worthless, and never seek to get rid of them by the cruel and inhuman measures so commonly resorted to in China. No girl is ever sold into slavery. When unwanted, she is usually given away to be adopted into some family, and there treated as a daughter of the house.
Cooking
As soon as she is thirteen or fourteen, she has to make herself useful in the household and to undergo a course of training in cooking and sewing. These two are essential accomplishments to achieve, without which she has scant hope of securing a good match. Education is not yet considered necessary, but her value would be very much enhanced were she able to read and write a little English. The only books ever perused are printed in Romanised Malay, the mother tongue here being Malay, and the Chinese language practically unknown.
Her sewing comprises the embroidering of slippers, pouches, belts, etc. which form features of a Chinese girl's trousseau. This sort of work entails a great amount of patience, and it is not everyone who can perform such a task creditably. The attire of a Chinese girl is very simple and quite easy to make, consisting merely of a long dress called a kebaya, which extends below the knees, a sarong, and a short jacket. Slippers are worn without any stockings, and the dress, which opens in front, is fastened by means of three brooches, or kerosangs, of three different shapes. This costume is almost an exact replica of the Malay woman's, the only difference being the mode of dressing the hair, into which in the case of the former are stuck three hair pins. Some of the girls have adopted the Chinese costume on a modified scale, as being more suitable to their nationality.
A Lonely Existence
Her life is lonely and monotonous. She is scarcely permitted to step beyond the threshold of her home except to visit relatives. When she does venture out, she travels only in the most closely covered carriage, accompanied by her mother or an elderly female relative. She lives entirely within her own narrow circle, completely cut off from male society.
Few Chinese girls receive any advanced education; completing the third or fourth standard is deemed sufficient. As a result, she remains very vague about English manners and customs. Parents consider educating daughters a waste of money, never imagining that the girls might one day need to support the family. Consequently, in accordance with Chinese tradition, it is regarded as improper and shameful for a girl to work outside the home, as that would require her to appear constantly in public.
Marriage at Eighteen or Nineteen
Chinese girls usually marry at eighteen or nineteen, sometimes two or three years earlier—particularly among the wealthier classes. Marriages are entirely arranged by the parents, and in most cases the bride and groom have never met before the wedding day. The girl remains wholly under her parents’ control, and her own wishes are never taken into account. Indeed, she knows nothing at all about the matter—not the character, status, age, or even the appearance of her future husband.
The bridal attire is the traditional Chinese wedding dress, weighed down with an astonishing quantity of heavy jewellery. Delicate brides sometimes faint while performing the prolonged kneeling ceremonies before parents and relatives. A young wife counts herself fortunate if there is no mother-in-law in the household, for mothers-in-law are frequently tyrannical, forcing the bride to lead a wretched existence. Harshness and injustice toward the daughter-in-law are regarded as the mother-in-law’s prerogative; she feels no remorse for her severity and no compassion for her victim. The unfortunate young wife becomes little more than a household drudge, obliged to attend constantly upon her mother-in-law. Exceptions exist, but they are exceedingly rare.
Changes Are Beginning
In the past three or four years, however, certain changes have begun to appear, and they are steadily growing. Girls are no longer kept under such strict confinement; some now enjoy a measure of freedom, as parents have come to see that their children benefit from the modest liberty and education afforded them. Education is increasingly viewed as essential, and even among the lower classes the ancient customs of the ancestors are being slightly relaxed. Wherever parents can afford it, girls are receiving an education equal to that given to boys. It is to be hoped that these changes will continue to progress with time, permitting greater intellectual development and wider scope for women. Many young Chinese men who return to Singapore after university studies abroad frequently excuse their frequenting of clubs by complaining that their wives are unable to converse interestingly on any subject beyond domestic affairs. If we remove that excuse by providing better education for women, the situation will surely begin to improve.
References:
1. Lee, Choo Neo. (1912). "The Chinese Girl in Singapore." The Queen.
2. Pinang Gazette and Straits Chronicle, 23 September 1930, Page 6.
3. The Straits Times, 9 September 1947, Page 6 (obituary).
4. Genealogy and photographs from collections of Mrs. Vera Teo and Pat Lim.
5. Burial records: Bukit Brown Cemetery, Block 1, Division B, Plot 446.