Ong Chit Chung

Ong Chit Chung
翁执中
Member of the Singapore Parliament
for Jurong GRC
(Bukit Batok)
In office
25 October 2001 – 14 July 2008
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byDavid Ong
Member of the Singapore Parliament
for Bukit Timah GRC
(Bukit Batok)
In office
2 January 1997 – 18 October 2001
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byPosition abolished
Member of the Singapore Parliament
for Bukit Batok
In office
3 September 1988 – 16 December 1996
Preceded byChai Chong Yii
Succeeded byPosition abolished
Personal details
Born28 January 1949
Muar, Johore, Federation of Malaya (now Malaysia)
Died14 July 2008(2008-07-14) (aged 59)
Singapore
NationalitySingaporean
Political partyPeople's Action Party
SpouseElizabeth Ong
Children2
Alma materVictoria School
OccupationMilitary historian[1]
In this Chinese name, the family name is Ong (Chinese: 翁; pinyin: Wēng).

Ong Chit Chung (simplified Chinese: 翁执中; traditional Chinese: 翁執中; pinyin: Wēng Zhízhōng; 28 January 1949 – 14 July 2008) was a Singaporean politician who served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Bukit Timah Group Representation Constituency (GRC) from May 1997 to October 2001 and Jurong GRC from March 2002 till his death in July 2008. He was also a military historian at the National University of Singapore.

Career

Entering politics in 1988, Ong served the Bukit Batok Constituency[2] for two terms, before the constituency became part of the Bukit Timah Group Representation Constituency in 1996, and the constituency becoming a part of the Jurong Group Representation Constituency in 2001. In 1991, Ong was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Ministry of Home Affairs and Labour. During his twenty years in politics, Ong also served as the Chairman for the Government Parliamentary Committees for Education, Defence and Foreign Affairs.[3][4]

Ong was also as a historian[5] with several publications about World War II.[6][7][8]

Ong's seat in Bukit Timah GRC was left vacant after his death, with the remaining MPs of Jurong GRC taking care of his ward.[9]

Death

Ong died from heart cancer at home on 14 July 2008, leaving behind a wife and two sons.[10]

Legacy

On 2 August 2008, Ong's alma mater, Victoria School, named a student leadership award after Ong. Called the Dr. Ong Chit Chung Leadership Award, it is awarded to high-performing students in the school. Ong's old Chief Librarian badge that was used when he was still in Victoria School, was presented by Ong's widow to the principal Low Eng Teong, and was later added to the collection in the school's heritage centre.[11]

The Ong Chit Chung Memorial Scholarship in the Department of History at the National University of Singapore is also named after him.[12]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Blame him". Singapore Press Holdings. Archived from the original on 5 December 2015. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
  2. ^ "I remember Dr Ong Chit Chung". Beyond Sg. Archived from the original on 10 January 2015. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
  3. ^ "Member's Profile". GOVERNMENT OF SINGAPORE. Archived from the original on 10 January 2015. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
  4. ^ Lee Foong Ming; Lynda Hong (14 July 2008), Dr Ong Chit Chung dies peacefully at home, Channel NewsAsia, archived from the original on 22 November 2008, retrieved 16 July 2008
  5. ^ Ong, Chit Chung. "Buck stopped at Churchill's desk". Singapore Press Holdings. Archived from the original on 6 December 2015. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
  6. ^ Chung, Ong Chit (1988). The landward defence of Singapore, 1919-1938. Singapore: Centre for Advanced Studies, National University of Singapore. ISBN 9789971641726.
  7. ^ Chung, Ong Chit (2011). Operation Matador : World War II : Britain's attempt to foil the Japanese invasion of Malaya and Singapore. Singapore: Marshall Cavendish Editions. ISBN 9789814328470.
  8. ^ Chung, Ong Chit (1997). Operation Matador : Britain's war plans against the Japanese 1918 - 1941. Singapore: Times Academic Press. ISBN 9789812100955.
  9. ^ hermes (8 August 2017). "Marsiling to get new grassroots adviser". The Straits Times. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  10. ^ "Jurong GRC MP Ong Chit Chung dies". The Straits Times. 14 July 2008. Archived from the original on 10 January 2015. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
  11. ^ Dhany Osman (3 August 2008), "Award named after Ong Chit Chung", The Straits Times
  12. ^ "Ong Chit Chung Memorial Scholarship".

Further reading