# A. J. Braga

Armand Joseph Braga (10 June 1900 – 7 November 1968), better known as A. J. Braga, was a Singaporean politician and lawyer who served as the first Minister for Health between 1955 and 1959 in the first Legislative Assembly of Singapore. A member of Labour Front, he served as the Member of the Legislative Assembly representing Katong Constituency.
Born in Singapore under British rule, he studied in both Singapore and Hong Kong. Originally studying medicine, he stopped in 1918 and eventually moved to London to study law, where he was later called to the bar. He returned to Singapore in 1935 and served as senior municipal commissioner for three terms.

## Early life and education

Braga was born on 10 June 1900 in the Straits Settlements (present-day Singapore) to Joseph Vicente Braga and Bertha Asmus, an established Eurasian family from Macao. He completed his secondary education at St. Joseph's Institution, Singapore and St. Joseph's School in Hong Kong.
Braga's father then sent him to Queen's College, University of Hong Kong, to study medicine. However, Braga preferred law and left the university to become a clerk to an articled lawyer in the British colony from 1918 to 1921. He later went to London to study law and was called to the bar in May 1927 and admitted to Middle Temple in 1927.

## Career
### Law career

Braga later returned to Singapore, and from 1935 to 1942, Braga was the senior municipal commissioner, having served three terms. After the war, Braga decided to commit himself to serving the people of Singapore and its independence.

### Political career

During the 1955 general election, Braga won the election and was elected as the Member of Parliament for Katong.
In 1955, Braga was a member of the first Council of Ministers under the Rendel Constitution and served as the first Minister of Health in the Labour Front government, having served under both David Marshall and Lim Yew Hock. He was also elected to the Legislative Assembly of Singapore and helped expand the facilities to train nurses in Singapore. In 1956, Braga went to London under the 13-party mission led by Marshall for the Merdeka Talks, which led to internal self-governance.
In 1957, allegations of corruption in Singapore hospitals were investigated, with Braga stating that "Hospital graft is being probed". In 1958, Braga and his wife went to Tokyo.
In 1959, Braga opened the new Toa Payoh Hospital, costing S$4.1 million. Braga stated that he would not contest the Mountbatten Division in the 1959 general election because of ill-health.
After the Pulau Senang riots, Braga was one of 9 lawyers representing the 59 Palau Senang prisoners.

## Personal life

In 1931, Braga married his first wife, Mona Patricia Braga. In 1934, Braga was involved in a car accident at the junction of Orchard and Cairnhill roads. His car was turned over with him, his wife, and his syce, inside. Braga received a wound on his forehead.
In 1948, Braga divorced his wife after she stated that he had allegedly participated in adultery. He argued back that Mona had also committed adultery with Naval Commander John Fry. In 1949, Braga married his second wife, Amy Wong.
Braga has two daughters, Patricia Anne Braga (1931–1948) and Myrna Braga-Blake (1935–2019).

### Death

On 7 November 1968, Braga was found dead after he collapsed and died at his house in Lloyd Gardens at approximately 9pm.