Francis Yuen

{{short description|Singaporean politician}} {{Family name hatnote|Yuen|lang=Chinese}} {{BLP primary sources|date=April 2021}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Francis Yuen | native_name = {{nobold|阮健平}} | image = | caption = | office = 2nd Secretary-General of the Progress Singapore Party | 1blankname = Chairman | 1namedata = Tan Cheng Bock <br>{{small|(since 2021)}} | term_start = 1 April 2021 | term_end = 26 March 2023 | predecessor = Tan Cheng Bock | predecessor1 = | successor1 = Leong Mun Wai | office2 = 2nd Assistant Secretary-General of the Progress Singapore Party | term_start2 = 2019 | term_end2 = 2021 | predecessor2 = Leong Mun Wai | successor2 = Nadrarajah Loganathan <br> Ang Yong Guan | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1950}} | birth_place = Colony of Singapore | death_date = | death_place = | citizenship = | relations = | children = 2 | occupation = | signature = | website = | footnotes = | rank = Lieutenant-Colonel | alma_mater = National University of Singapore<br />Air Command and Staff College | allegiance = | branch = Republic of Singapore Air Force | unit = 120 Squadron | service_years = }}

'''Francis Yuen Kin Pheng''' ({{lang-zh|s=阮健平|j={{tone superscript|Jyun5 Gin6 Ping4}}}}) is a Singaporean politician who served as Progress Singapore Party (PSP) assistant secretary-general from 2019 to 2021 and as secretary-general from 2021 to 2023.

Yuen had indicated that he would lead the PSP into the 2025 general election<ref>{{cite news |title='Don't push older people aside': Tan Cheng Bock backs PSP's pick of 71-year-old as next chief |url=https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/dont-push-older-people-aside-tan-cheng-bock-backs-psps-pick-71-year-old-next-chief |access-date=3 April 2021 |agency=Today |date=3 April 2021}}</ref> prior to leaving office.

== Early life == Yuen is the oldest of eight siblings in his family and was raised in Chinatown, Singapore. Both his parents died within a year of each other during his O Level examination. Yuen signed on with the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) after his A Level.<ref name=mothership>{{cite web |last1=Zheng |first1=Zhangxin |last2=Tan |first2=Jeanette |last3=Chua |first3=Nigel |title=What's a 70-year-old ex-Air Force colonel doing in the opposition? PSP's Francis Yuen Kin Pheng tells us. |url=https://mothership.sg/2020/06/francis-yuen-kin-pheng-psp-interview/ |website=Mothership |access-date=2 April 2021}}</ref>

== Career ==

=== Military career === As part of his training to be a helicopter pilot, Yuen was part of the first batch of pilots to be sent to France for aviation training. As part of 120 Squadron, he assembled the first RSAF helicopter, and also flew on his first operational flight on the Cessna 172. Failing to graduate from flight training, Yuen was selected as a scholar and pursued a bachelor's degree in business administration at the National University of Singapore, where he also attained his master's degree. He topped his classes and won several academic awards.<ref name=mothership/>

Yuen was then deployed to the United States Air Command and Staff College before returning to the RSAF at the Air Force Systems Command for various leadership roles.<ref name=mothership/>

=== Political career === In the 2020 general election, Yuen joined the Progress Singapore Party and contested as part of a four member team in Chua Chu Kang GRC but lost to the ruling People's Action Party.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Yuen |first1=Sin |title=Francis Yuen is new PSP chief, taking over from founder Tan Cheng Bock |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/former-air-force-colonel-francis-yuen-is-new-psp-chief-taking-over-from-founder-tan-cheng |access-date=1 April 2021 |agency=The Straits Times |date=1 April 2021}}</ref>

After the 2020 general election, Yuen was appointed as the PSP's Assistant Secretary-General from 2019 to 2021. Yuen was appointed Secretary-General of Progress Singapore Party from 2021 to 2023. Yuen had indicated that he would lead party into the next general election when he was the Secretary-General. This did not happen as he stepped down as secretary-general before the next election.

== References == {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yuen, Francis}} Category:Living people Category:Place of birth missing (living people) Category:Progress Singapore Party politicians Category:1950 births