SINGAPORE: Former People’s Action Party (PAP) MP Ong Ah Heng died on Tuesday (May 5) at the age of 84.
Paying tribute to Mr Ong, a three-term MP for Nee Soon Central SMC, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said he was deeply saddened by his death.
“Ah Heng devoted his life to serving Singapore and Singaporeans – as a grassroots leader, union leader, PAP stalwart, and Member of Parliament. He spoke up tirelessly for workers and ordinary Singaporeans, always grounded in the concerns of the people he served,” Mr Wong said in a Facebook post.
“Many of us will remember Ah Heng as a down-to-earth and deeply loyal comrade. He was steadfast in his convictions and fought for what he believed in. Having benefited from our system of meritocracy, he felt strongly about giving back and helping others succeed.”
Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam also paid tribute, describing Mr Ong as “one of PAP’s well-respected stalwarts” in a Facebook post.
“I first knew Mr Ong not just as a fellow MP. But as someone who embodied the quiet ethic of service that underpins our labour movement and grassroots work,” he said.
“He often spoke from lived conviction. He once said he owed much to our meritocratic system. It allowed him to start as a construction worker, and go on to obtain a master’s degree. He became an effective unionist.”
Mr Ong’s spirit for the labour movement had defined much of his life, Mr Shanmugam noted.
“Beyond politics, he continued to contribute. He took on public service roles. Always guided by a belief in giving back in different ways. Those of us who served alongside him knew this well. He believed in staying close to the ground. Close to the people.”
He extended his condolences to Mr Ong’s family, adding: “I have had the privilege of knowing him for many years. I will miss him.”
Mr Ong joined the PAP in 1964 and acted as election agent to the late former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.
He also served as assistant secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and executive secretary of the Transport Workers’ Union.
At the 1997 General Election, Mr Ong first contested Nee Soon Central SMC as a PAP candidate, winning the seat from the opposition Singapore Democratic Party.
He retired from politics in the lead-up to GE2011.
Mr Wong noted that he entered politics in 2011, when Mr Ong stepped down, but said he remained “ready to offer advice and support”.
Mr Ong’s son, Mr Ong Teng Koon, became an MP in Sembawang GRC in 2011 and in Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC in 2015, and continues to serve residents in Limbang as second adviser.
Marsiling-Yew Tee MP Alex Yam also took to Facebook to remember Mr Ong.
“My own memories of Comrade Ong go back to my younger days in the labour movement. From afar, he carried a certain aura. You sensed immediately that he belonged to a generation of unionists who had fought many battles and earned their respect the hard way,” he said.
“When I entered politics around the time Comrade Ong stepped down from parliament, I had the chance to know him better … what stayed with me was not the aura I once saw from afar, but the warmth he showed to younger comrades.”
Mr Yam added: “Singapore has lost a steadfast son, a loyal comrade of the party, and a devoted contributor to the building of the labour movement. Many of us, in turn, have lost a comrade, mentor and friend.”