Ong Chit Chung

Singaporean politician

翁执中

Member of the Singapore Parliament
for Jurong GRC
(Bukit Batok)In office
25 October 2001 – 14 July 2008Preceded byPosition establishedSucceeded byDavid OngMember of the Singapore Parliament
for Bukit Timah GRC
(Bukit Batok)In office
2 January 1997 – 18 October 2001Preceded byPosition establishedSucceeded byPosition abolishedMember of the Singapore Parliament
for Bukit BatokIn office
3 September 1988 – 16 December 1996Preceded byChai Chong YiiSucceeded byPosition abolished Personal detailsBorn28 January 1949
Muar, Johore, Federation of Malaya (now Malaysia)Died14 July 2008(2008-07-14) (aged 59)
SingaporeNationalitySingaporeanPolitical partyPeople's Action PartySpouseElizabeth OngChildren2Alma materVictoria SchoolOccupationMilitary historian^[1]

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]

References

^ "Blame him". Singapore Press Holdings. Archived from the original on 5 December 2015. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
^ "I remember Dr Ong Chit Chung". Beyond Sg. Archived from the original on 10 January 2015. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
^ "Member's Profile". GOVERNMENT OF SINGAPORE. Archived from the original on 10 January 2015. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
^ 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
^ Ong, Chit Chung. "Buck stopped at Churchill's desk". Singapore Press Holdings. Archived from the original on 6 December 2015. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
^ Chung, Ong Chit (1988). The landward defence of Singapore, 1919-1938. Singapore: Centre for Advanced Studies, National University of Singapore. ISBN 9789971641726.
^ 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.
^ Chung, Ong Chit (1997). Operation Matador : Britain's war plans against the Japanese 1918 - 1941. Singapore: Times Academic Press. ISBN 9789812100955.
^ hermes (8 August 2017). "Marsiling to get new grassroots adviser". The Straits Times. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
^ "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.
^ Dhany Osman (3 August 2008), "Award named after Ong Chit Chung", The Straits Times
^ "Ong Chit Chung Memorial Scholarship".

Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs)
Aljunied^PAP	Lim, H H Phua, S G Yeo, G K Yeo, Y B Zainul
Ang Mo Kio^PAP	~~Balaji~~ Lam, P M Lee, B W Lee, H L Singh Wee, S K
Bishan–Toa Payoh^PAP	Nair Ng, E H Teo, L M Wong, K S Zainudin
East Coast^PAP	Abdullah Jayakumar Lee Y S Lim S K Tan, S N
Holland–Bukit Timah^PAP	de Souza Liang, E H Lim, S S Vivian Yu-Foo, Y S
Hong Kah^PAP	Ang, M S Khor, L S Yeo, C T Yeo, K H Zaqy
Jalan Besar^PAP	Heng, C H Lee, B Y Neo, Lily Phua, L P Yaacob
Jurong^PAP	Fu, H Y Halimah Lim, B H ~~Ong, C C~~ Tharman
Marine Parade^PAP	Fatimah Faishal Goh, C T Lim, B C Ong, S H Seah, K P
Pasir Ris–Punggol^PAP	Ahmad Chong, Y F Low, Penny Palmer Teo, C H Teo, S L
Sembawang^PAP	Hawazi Khaw, B W Shanmugam Lee, G H Lim, W K Maliki
Tampines^PAP	Mah, B T Masagos Ng, P H Ong, K M Sin, B A
Tanjong Pagar^PAP	Baey, Y K Indranee Koo, T K Lee, K Y Lui, T Y Tan, C S
West Coast^PAP	Fong, Jen Foo, C K Ho, G C Iswaran Lim, H K

Single Member Constituencies (SMCs)
Bukit Panjang^PAP	Teo, H P
Chua Chu Kang^PAP	Gan, K Y
Hougang^WP	Low, T K
Joo Chiat^PAP	Chan, S S
MacPherson^PAP	Yao, Matthias
Nee Soon Central^PAP	Ong, A H
Nee Soon East^PAP	Ho, P K
Potong Pasir^SDA	Chiam, S T
Yio Chu Kang^PAP	Seng, H T
Non-elected members
NCMP^WP	Lim, S L
NMPs	Banarjee, G Cham, H F Khew, T F Loo, C Y Mehta, K K Olsen, E E Phua, W C Siew, K H Thio, L A Cheng, E L Lee, K H Viswa Tan, B M Straughan, Paulin Teo, S S Wee, Y T Wong, W Y Yeo, W L

The party affiliation of each member is indicated right after the constituency he or she represents. PAP: People's Action Party; SDA: Singapore Democratic Alliance; WP: The Workers' Party
NMPs do not belong to any party. There were two terms of NMPs in this parliament, with nine NMPs in each term.