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SINGAPORE: Former People’s Action Party (PAP) MP Ong Ah Heng died on Tuesday (May 5) at the age of 84.<\/p>\n
Paying tribute to Mr Ong, a three-term MP for Nee Soon Central SMC, Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said that he was deeply saddened by his death.<\/p>\n
Calling him “one of PAP’s well-respected stalwarts”, Mr Shanmugam said 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.<\/p>\n
“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\u2019s degree. He became an effective unionist.”<\/p>\n
Mr Ong’s spirit for the labour movement had defined much of his life, Mr Shanmugam noted.<\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n
He extended his condolences to Mr Ong\u2019s family, adding: “I have had the privilege of knowing him for many years. I will miss him.”<\/p>\n
Mr Ong joined the PAP in 1964 and acted as election agent to the late former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He also served as assistant secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and executive secretary of the Transport Workers\u2019 Union.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
He retired from politics in the lead-up to GE2011.<\/p>\n
Marsiling-Yew Tee MP Alex Yam also paid tribute to Mr Ong in a Facebook post.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n
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.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n