Benjamin Sheares

Benjamin Henry Sheares (12 August 1907 – 12 May 1981) was a Singaporean physician and academic who served as the second president of Singapore from 1971 until his death in 1981. Of Eurasian descent, Sheares was born in Singapore under British rule and graduated from the King Edward VII College of Medicine. He studied obstetrics and gynaecology and worked as an obstetrician at the Kandang Kerbau Hospital (KKH), eventually serving as the Acting Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Malaya in Singapore. He later became the Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the university, a rare feat for a local as usually high-ranking colonial officers held such positions.
Sheares retired in 1960 and was in private practice before being elected as the president of Singapore by Parliament following the death of Yusof Ishak, the incumbent president, on 23 November 1970. Sheares was sworn in on 2 January 1971 following a unanimous agreement by Parliament and served as the president of Singapore for three terms, from 2 January 1971 till his death in office on 12 May 1981. He was succeeded by Devan Nair on 23 October 1981. During his presidency, he officiated multiple events and ceremonies such as the 1971 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting and the 7th South East Asian Peninsular Games.
Regarded as "the father of obstetrics and gynaecology in Singapore", Sheares was known for standardising the lower Caesarian section in Singapore and creating an artificial vagina. The lower Caesarian section has since become the standard procedure in Singapore whilst his method to create an artificial vagina has been dubbed the Sheares operation and is used to help women suffering from Mayer–Rokitansky–Küster–Hauser syndrome. Sheares remains the only president to have been elected for three terms. Both the Benjamin Sheares Bridge and Sheares Hall at the National University of Singapore are named after him.
Sheares was born on 12 August 1907 in Singapore, Straits Settlements to an Eurasian family with an English lineage. He was the second of six children to his father Edwin Henry Sheares (1863–1940), an English technical supervisor of the Public Works Department, and his mother Lilian Jane Sheares (1880–1971; née Gómez), a Singapore-born woman of Chinese and Spanish descent.
Known affectionally as Ben or Bennie when he was younger, Sheares showed ambition to become a doctor – a dream deemed almost impossible for someone who was Asian and came from a poor family in the early colonial days of Singapore. However, his sister Alice encouraged him to follow his dream against his mother's wishes for her son to take up a job as a clerk and start helping out with the family bills as soon as he completed his Senior Cambridge Examinations (present-day GCE Ordinary Level).
Sheares was educated at Methodist Girls' School, when it was co-ed, and Saint Andrew's Secondary School before transferring in 1922 to study at Raffles Institution, the only school equipped with scientific laboratories – making it an ideal place to further his ambition to become a doctor. In 1923, he enrolled into the King Edward VII College of Medicine (now the National University of Singapore) to begin his medical training. Sheares was aware that his family could not see him through the school fees afforded by the college, therefore he won a generous scholarship offered by the Council of the Medical College with his exemplary academic performance. With this scholarship, he was able to give $50 monthly to his mother for the support of his family.
Upon his graduation in March 1929, he served as an assistant medical doctor at Sepoy Lines General Hospital (present-day Singapore General Hospital) before specialising in and becoming an obstetrician at the Kandang Kerbau Hospital (KKH) in April 1931. Sheares was also the first local to become an obstetrician. By 1937, Sheares had become responsible for all obstetric patients at KKH. In 1940, Sheares was awarded the Queen's Fellowship which would have granted him a two-year postgraduate training in Britain. However, his studies were postponed due to the Second World War. During the war in 1941, whilst working at KKH, it was damaged by the bombing from the Japanese military and it was converted into an emergency general hospital for injured civilians. Later during the Japanese occupation, Sheares served as head of department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Medical Superintendent for the local patients section of the hospital.
After the war, Sheares was appointed as the Acting Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Malaya in Singapore (present-day National University of Singapore), which he held onto until May 1947 when he went to London for his postgraduate studies at London University to get a degree of Member of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (MRCOG) in January 1948. He had planned to take an examination at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh to join the Fellowship of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons but returned to Singapore after being called by then-Governor of Singapore Franklin Gimson to return to his post as Acting Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology as the previous Professor had retired.
Upon his arrival back to Singapore, he was appointed the Acting Professor and the job of Professor was advertised in the British Medical Journal. Sheares faced prejudice as despite serving as the Acting Professor for two years prior, the role of Professor was not given to him as he was a local and high-ranking colonials usually held such positions. He needed two referrals but neither his previous boss nor the Principal Medical Officer gave him references. Sheares eventually got his referrals from the Chairman of the Board of Examiners, who had previously examined him for his MRCOG, and the professor at Royal Postgraduate Medical School in Hammersmith. With these referrals, Sheares met with the Selection Board in London and, in January 1950, became the first local Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Malaya in Singapore. In December 1951, Sheares used the remainder of his Queen's Fellowship study to go to the United States for a year. During this period, he studied at different teaching institutions in the United States, such as Mayo Clinic.
From 1953 to 1955, Sheares helped design new additions to the KKH building such as the out-patient department and the front block of the hospital, stating that, "[KKH] was initially just a maternity hospital and I had to design the new buildings in such a way that the maternity operating theatres were in a different block from the gynaecological operating theatres." In 1955, Sheares became the first Singaporean to be awarded a fellowship by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, following his contributions to the sector. In 1959, Sheares advocated for voluntary sterilisation as a way to reduce population growth instead of legalising abortion, which he garnered criticism for. Sheares explained that even if abortions were made legal, people would still perform abortions illegally. He later stated that he believed that his critics assumed he was advocating for forced sterilisation, when he was really advocating for voluntary sterilisation, further saying, "they also did not understand the consequences of letting the population grow un-checked." Sheares retired in June 1960 from the National University of Singapore as he was suffering from health complications such as gastric ulcers. He went into private practice and worked at a clinic at Battery Road. He had been serving as a Honorary Consultant at KKH after his retirement. In June 1970, he and Albert Winsemius were given the honorary degree of Doctor of Letters at the National University of Singapore.
Regarded as "the father of obstetrics and gynaecology in Singapore", contributions by Sheares to obstetrics include the lower Caesarian section, which he standardised, that resulted in a lower mortality and morbidity rate in pregnant women than the upper Caesarian section. Initially, very few Caesarian sections were carried out in Singapore and, when they were, used the upper Caesarian section which was the established method at that time. Despite this, the upper Caesarian section was not used much as it had a high risk of damaging the uterine scar at the woman's next pregnancy. Sheares knew that the lower Caesarian section would be more effective but was unable to perform it under the previous Professor, J. S. English.
During the Japanese occupation, Sheares became the head of department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at KKH. This allowed him to perform the first lower Caesarian section in Singapore which eventually became the standard routine. Sheares also created a technique to make an artificial vagina for those born without one. This gained him worldwide recognition after he published the method in a 1960 paper titled Congenital Atresia of the Vagina: A New Technique for Tunnelling the Space Between Bladder and Rectum and Construction of the New Vagina. The technique became known as the Sheares operation and is used to help women suffering from Mayer–Rokitansky–Küster–Hauser syndrome, also known as vaginal agenesis.
Following the death of incumbent president Yusof Ishak, six people – Yeoh Ghim Seng, Othman Wok, Wee Chong Jin, Ismail bin Abdul, Punch Coomaraswamy, and A. P. Rajah – were considered to be the most likely candidates for the role in November 1970, given that the president was elected on by Parliament instead of by popular vote. At the 1970 presidential election, then-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew nominated Sheares to become president and he became the second president of Singapore on 2 January 1971 after he was sworn in, following a unanimous agreement by Parliament. His mother was 91 years old when she learnt that her son had become the president of Singapore. Just two weeks before she died, she said "God has blessed Bennie especially after the way he looked after us and me."
Speculation on why Sheares was chosen to become the president include that he was non-partisan, as he was not a part of any political party, or that he was from a minority race in Singapore, to show the equality in the then-mostly Chinese dominated government. The Far Eastern Economic Review stated in a 1971 issue that Sheares was largely chosen due to his profession and success, along with showing diversity in the government. After the 1959 general election, where the People's Action Party (PAP) won in a landslide victory, the PAP was critical of the medical profession and the university due to their "flaccid anti-colonialism". Sheares' appointment to the presidency served as a symbol of unity between the government and academics.
During his first term in 1971, he was appointed Chancellor of the National University of Singapore and he served in that role till 1981. That same year, Sheares opened the 1971 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, holding dinners and tours for the representatives. In July 1971, Sheares awarded the first Singapore Armed Forces Overseas Scholarships, the second highest scholarship award to the President's Scholar. In October 1971, Sheares opened the S$10 million Sentosa Satellite Earth Station, the first site in Singapore to use satellites to communication. Later that month, following the British's announcement that they will withdraw their troops from Singapore in August, Sheares attended a dinner in honour of the British's role in Singapore alongside other Parliament members. The following year, Sheares spoke on the importance of maintaining relations with the British. In February 1972, Sheares hosted a 3-day visit for Queen Elizabeth II and her family's visit to Singapore. He was awarded the Honorary Knight Grand Cross of The Most Honourable Order of the Bath and gave the Order of Temasek to Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. He gave the Distinguished Service Order to Princess Anne.
In October 1972, Sheares opened the third Parliament, giving a speech about the new policies of the government for the next five years. He also announced new policies to be implemented in the government, including the periodic investigations of political parties by accountants and auditors, increased subsidiaries in health and education, and increasing the wages of workers. After the Robinsons department store fire in November 1972, Sheares appointed a three-man commission to do an inquiry into the fire in December. The report was received by Sheares in August 1973, and released to the public in December 1973. In February 1973, Sheares greeted American Vice President Spiro Agnew upon his visit to Singapore where Agnew discussed problems in Southeast Asia with other ministers. In March 1973, Sheares gave a speech at the Singapore Red Cross Society, praising their efforts in fundraising and stating that the society's status would be recognised by Singapore. In July 1973, after the setting up of the Presidential Council for Minority Rights, Sheares sworn in the Chairman of the Council Wee Chong Jin. In September 1973, Sheares opened the 7th South East Asian Peninsular Games at the National Stadium as the host country.
At the 1974 presidential election, Sheares was nominated by Lee again to continue serving as the president, delivering a motion that Sheares had shown, "courage from tenacity" and had "carried his office with unassuming dignity, application, and self-discipline". Following this motion, Sheares received a unanimous agreement by Parliament and was elected to serve a second term.
Whilst serving his second term as president in 1974, Sheares taught demonstration classes at KKH to gynaecologists. In February 1974, Sheares assented eight acts including the Arms Offences Act and the Land Acquisition (Amendment) Act. In June 1975, Sheares stated that the government expected a growth of five percent in the economy that year. In July 1975, Sheares was made an honorary fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine by Sir John Stallworthy. In November 1975, Sheares gave a speech after opening the fifth Pan-Pacific Conference of the International Society for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled at the Singapore Conference Hall, stating that more security measures should be in place to reduce workplace accidents that leave workers disabled. In October 1976, Sheares appointed Arumugam Ponnu Rajah as a Judge of the Supreme Court of Singapore. In December 1976, Sheares dissolved the third Parliament on the advice of the Cabinet, issuing Writs of Election for the 69 constituencies. In 1977, at the opening of the fourth Parliament, Sheares gave a speech addressing the economics and security of Singapore, stating that they have increased from prospects given in October 1972. Sheares also talked about adopting the science, technology, management, and marketing skills from the West.
After his second term, Sheares had originally planned to retire as he felt that he did not have the energy for another term. However, Lee persuaded him and Sheares, then aged 71, participated in the 1978 presidential election. Lee held a motion in Parliament for Sheares' re-election to the office, stating that Sheares, "undertakes his social and protocol functions with conscientious interest, never treating them as perfunctory chores."
This received unanimous support from Parliament and Sheares was elected to a third term. This also made Sheares the first president to serve three terms. Upon his re-election, Sheares received praise for his service to the presidency from Members of Parliament Yeo Choo Kok, Sidek bin Saniff, and Ang Kok Peng.
During his third term in 1978, Sheares opened the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly at Mandarin Hotel and the sixth Asia and Oceania Congress of Endocrinology at Shangri-La Hotel. At the latter, Sheares gave a speech on how more research in family planning for women was needed to strengthen future policies. In October 1978, Sheares appointed T. S. Sinnathuray as a Judge of the Supreme Court of Singapore. In 1979, Sheares assented multiple acts such as the Money-Changing and Remittance Business Act 1979 and the State Immunity Act 1979. Throughout the 1970s, the trade union in Singapore had been growing exponentially, especially that of the National Trades Union Congress. In 1980, Sheares was involved in improving commercial and economic relations with Kuwait after a visit by the Emir of Kuwait Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah where they discussed strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries. In February 1981, Sheares opened the fifth Parliament and gave a 15-minute long speech. Sheares served his third term as president until his death in office in March 1981. Devan Nair succeeded him as president. According to a medical assistant of his, Sheares had possibly donated his entire salary as president to charity.
Sheares married Yeo Seh Geok (1919–2012), a trained midwife, in 1939 and they had three children together. Their daughter, Constance Sheares (born 1941), is an arts administrator, curator, and writer. In 1955, Sheares and his family were robbed in their bungalow, which was provided by the University of Malaya in Singapore, and had S$10,000 worth of jewellery and cash stolen from them.
In November 1971, Sheares underwent medical treatment for a vascular disorder in the United States as the operation required had not yet been developed in Singapore. He returned in February 1972.
On 2 March 1981, it was found out that Sheares had lung cancer. On May 3, Sheares suffered from a brainstem ischaemia which caused him to go unconscious. On 7 May, Sheares slipped into a coma after developing a cerebral haemorrhage. On 12 May, two nurses from the Ministry of Health and a security officer with oxygen cylinders and a stretcher were sent to his house. He died later that day at 2:10 pm.
News of his death was first announced at 2:47 pm and all scheduled radio and television programs were cancelled. The flag at City Hall was flown at half-mast in respect. An open casket was held at his home with the first visitors being Chief Justice Wee Chong Jin and his wife, Deputy Prime Minister Goh Keng Swee and his wife, and Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, Lee's wife, and Lee's daughter. Other visitors included Environment Minister Ong Pang Boon and Member of Parliament Lee Chiaw Meng.
Sheares' body was laid in state on 14 May with about 85,000 people showing up to pay their respects on 15 May. On 16 May, Sheares' coffin was carried from the Istana to Kranji State Cemetery to be buried where he was given a 21-gun salute by the Singapore Armed Forces. Foreign dignitaries who attended his funeral include Indonesian President Suharto, Thai Prime Minister Prem Tinsulanonda, Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, Governor of Malacca Syed Zahiruddin Syed Hassan, and Filipino Speaker of the House Querube Makalintal. Other countries such as New Zealand, Myanmar, Japan, South Korea, Brunei, Maldives, Nauru, Sri Lanka, United States, and Australia also sent their representatives.
Then-United States president Ronald Reagan stated that Sheares' had "an unselfish public devotion which all Americans admire." Then-Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia Sultan Ahmad Shah stated that he was "an illustrious son of Singapore who had contributed much to the existing close relationship between [the] two countries." Then-Prime Minister Lee said "his humble and unassuming manner belied an intense commitment to excellence".
Sheares is the first and only president to serve three terms and was also the longest-serving president at 10 years, before it was surpassed by S. R. Nathan in January 2010, who served for 12 years.
Locations in Singapore such as the Benjamin Sheares Bridge, Sheares Avenue, and Sheares Link are named after him. In academia, the student's residence Sheares Hall at the National University of Singapore, Benjamin Henry Sheares Professorship in Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Benjamin Sheares Professorship in Academic Medicine, and the Benjamin Sheares College at the Duke–NUS Graduate Medical School are all named after him.