Elizabeth Choy Story

In December 1929, she came to Singapore to further her studies at the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus at Victoria Street. She shone academically, obtaining the Prize of Honor in her first year of school in December 1930. The untimely death of her mother in 1931 and the onset of the Great Depression placed upon her the burden of raising her six younger siblings. Thus she forwent a college education, even a possible scholarship, to start work so she could finance the education of her younger siblings.

Husband: Choy Khun Heng (b. Hongkong - ), whom she married on 16 August 1941, the brother of the fiancé of an old school friend. It was a double wedding held in conjunction with her brother, Kon Vui's wedding. Khun Heng worked as a book-keeper at the Borneo Company before the war.

She returned to Singapore in December 1949 and was persuaded to stand for elections in December 1950 for the West Ward or Cairnhill constituency under the banner of the Labour Party, founded in 1948 by V. J. Mendis. However, she lost in the 1951 City Council Elections, to the Progressive Party representative, Soh Ghee Soon. However, she was nominated into the Legislative Council in 1951, becoming the only woman member there. She served for a full five-year term. As a member of the Legislative Council, she represented Singapore at the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in June 1953. She later stood for elections in Queenstown but bowed out from politics thereafter, believing she could do more for the country as a teacher.

In the 1950s, she joined the women's auxiliary of the Singapore Volunteers Corps, and was instrumental in expanding the organisation when she recruited many of her friends and colleagues.

1949 : Began a stint as an artist's model, when she was 39 years old and was working in London. She posed for the famed sculptress, Dora Gordine, who did two works of her entitled Serene Jade and Flawless Crystal.

End 1953 - beginning 1954 : Conducted a lecture tour of Malaya in the US and Canada at the request of the Foreign Office in London. Prior to the tour, she took time to visit Malaya to get a better understanding of the country. At that time, it was in the throes of Emergency.

Elizabeth passed away on 14 September 2006 at her home in MacKenzie Road. She was diagnosed with advanced cancer of the pancreas one month before her death.