Topic: Reflections on My Arrest and Detention under the ISA in 1976
Speaker: Dr Poh Soo Kai
Date: Tuesday, 13 September 2011
Time: 7:00 – 10:00 p.m.
Venue: 22 Marshall Road, Singapore 424858
About the Speaker:
Dr Poh Soo Kai, a medical doctor by profession, embarked on a distinctive path in his career. In 1961, while serving as an intern at Kandang Kerbau Maternity Hospital, he was granted a coveted post-graduate scholarship in Obstetrics and Gynaecology in the UK. However, driven by his commitment to politics, he chose to relinquish this career-advancing opportunity and resigned from government service. Together with Dr Lim Hock Siew, he established Rakyat Clinic on Balestier Road.
On a significant date, 2 February 1963, Dr Poh found himself and over 150 other members of Barisan Sosialis, alongside trade unionists, apprehended under the Preservation of Public Security Ordinance. During this period, he held the position of Vice Secretary within Barisan Sosialis. Following his release on 13 December 1973, he reunited with Dr. Abu Bakar at Rakyat Clinic. However, history repeated itself when he was once again arrested on 4 June 1976, marking the start of another period of confinement. His eventual release came on 26 August 1982, thus summing up a total of 17 years spent enduring imprisonment without trial.
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