View source for Ong Teng Cheong

{{Short description|President of Singapore from 1993 to 1999}}
{{Use Singapore English|date=July 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{family name hatnote|[[Wang (surname)|Ong]]|lang=Chinese}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name                = Ong Teng Cheong
| honorific-suffix    = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|GCMG}}
| native_name         = {{nobold|王鼎昌}}
| native_name_lang    = zh-sg
| image               = Ong Teng Cheong.jpg
| imagesize           = 
| caption             = Ong in 1997
| order               = 5th
| office              = President of Singapore
| term_start          = 1 September 1993
| term_end            = 1 September 1999
| primeminister       = [[Goh Chok Tong]]
| predecessor         = [[Wee Kim Wee]]
| successor           = [[S. R. Nathan]]
| office1             = 3rd [[Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore]]
| term_start1         = 2 January 1985
| term_end1           = 16 August 1993
| alongside1          = Goh Chok Tong (1985–1990)<br />and [[Lee Hsien Loong]] (1990–1993)
| primeminister1      = [[Lee Kuan Yew]]<br />Goh Chok Tong
| predecessor1        = [[Goh Keng Swee]]<br />[[S. Rajaratnam]]
| successor1          = [[Lee Hsien Loong]]<br>[[Tony Tan]]
| office2             = 2nd [[People's Action Party#List of chairmen|Chairman of the People's Action Party]]
| term_start2         = 5 January 1981
| term_end2           = 16 August 1993
| predecessor2        = [[Toh Chin Chye]]
| successor2          = Tony Tan
| office3             = Secretary-General of the [[National Trades Union Congress]]
| term_start3         = May 1983
| term_end3           = 1 September 1993
| deputy3             = Goh Chee Wee
| predecessor3        = Lim Chee Onn
| successor3          = [[Lim Boon Heng]]
| office4             = [[Ministry of Manpower (Singapore)|Minister for Labour]]
| primeminister4      = Lee Kuan Yew
| term_start4         = 5 January 1981
| term_end4           = 9 May 1983
| predecessor4        = Ong Pang Boon
| successor4          = [[E. W. Barker]]
| office5             = [[Ministry of Digital Development and Information|Minister for Communications]]
| primeminister5      = Lee Kuan Yew
| term_start5         = 1 July 1977
| term_end5           = 9 May 1983
| predecessor5        = [[Lim Kim San]]
| successor5          = [[Ong Pang Boon]]
| constituency_MP6    = [[Toa Payoh Group Representation Constituency|Toa Payoh GRC]]<br />(Kim Keat)
| parliament6         = Singapore
| term_start6         = 21 August 1991
| term_end6           = 16 August 1993
| predecessor6        = ''Constituency established''
| successor6          = ''Constituency abolished''
| constituency_MP7    = [[Kim Keat Single Member Constituency|Kim Keat SMC]]
| parliament7         = Singapore
| term_start7         = 2 September 1972
| term_end7           = 14 August 1991
| predecessor7        = ''Constituency established''
| successor7          = ''Constituency abolished''
| birth_name          =
| birth_date          = {{birth date|1936|1|22|df=y}}
| birth_place         = [[Singapore in the Straits Settlements|Singapore]], [[Straits Settlements]]
| death_date          = {{death date and age|2002|2|8|1936|1|22|df=y}}
| death_place         = [[Tanglin]], Singapore
| death_cause         = [[Lymphoma]]
| nationality         = Singaporean
| restingplace        = [[Mandai Crematorium and Columbarium]]
| party               = [[Independent politician|Independent]]
| otherparty          = [[People's Action Party]]<br />(1972–1993)
| spouse              = {{marriage|[[Ling Siew May]]|1963|30 July 1999|end=d}}
| children            = 2
| occupation          = {{hlist|Politician|union leader|civil servant|architect}}
| alma_mater          = [[University of Adelaide]] ([[Bachelor of Architecture |BArch]])<br />[[University of Liverpool]] ([[Master of Civic Design|MCD]])
}}
'''Ong Teng Cheong'''{{efn|{{lang-zh|c=王鼎昌|p=Wáng Dǐngchāng|poj=Ông Téng-chhiong|first=poj}}}} {{post-nominals|country=GBR|GCMG}} (22 January 1936 – 8 February 2002) was a Singaporean architect and politician who served as the fifth [[president of Singapore]] between 1993 and 1999.

Born when Singapore was part of the [[Singapore in the Straits Settlements|Straits Settlements]], Ong was educated at the [[University of Adelaide]], where he studied [[architecture]]. He later received a [[Colombo Plan]] scholarship and earned a master's degree in [[urban planning]] from the [[University of Liverpool]]. In 1967, Ong joined the [[Ministry of National Development (Singapore)|Ministry of National Development]] (MND) as a town planner. After four years in the [[Singapore civil service|civil service]], he resigned in 1971 and established his own [[architectural firm]], Ong & Ong Architects & Town Planners, with his wife [[Ling Siew May]] who was also an architect.

Ong became involved in politics in the early 1970s, joining the [[People's Action Party]] (PAP). He was elected as a MP for the [[Kim Keat Single Member Constituency|Kim Keat Constituency]] in the [[1972 Singaporean general election|1972 general election]] and served until 1991,{{efn|As Kim Keat Single Member Constituency (SMC) between [[1988 Singaporean general election|1988]] and [[1991 Singaporean general election|1991]].}} after which he represented the Kim Keat division of the [[Toa Payoh Group Representation Constituency]] until 1993. He also served as PAP's Chairman from 1981 to 1993 and held ministerial positions including [[Ministry of Digital Development and Information|Minister for Communications]] (1978–1981), [[Ministry of Manpower (Singapore)|Minister for Labour]] (1981–1983) and [[Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore|Deputy Prime Minister]] (1985–1993). In Parliament, Ong was best known for advocating the construction of the [[Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)|Mass Rapid Transit]] (MRT), the largest construction project in Singapore's history at the time. A union leader, he was also the Secretary-General of the [[National Trades Union Congress]] (NTUC) from 1983 to 1993.

In 1993, Ong resigned from the PAP, his ministerial positions and as a MP to contest the [[1993 Singaporean presidential election|1993 presidential election]], winning 58.7% of the vote. He was nicknamed the "People's President" for being Singapore's first directly elected president and was sworn in on 1 September 1993, concurrently leaving his position at NTUC.<ref name="TPP">{{Cite web|title=ONG TENG CHEONG|url=https://www.esplanade.com/offstage/arts/ong-teng-cheong|access-date=26 October 2021|website=Esplanade.com|archive-date=6 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231206164837/https://www.esplanade.com/offstage/arts/ong-teng-cheong|url-status=live}}</ref> He decided not to run for a second term as president in [[1999 Singaporean presidential election|1999]], in part due to the death of his wife. He was succeeded by [[S. R. Nathan]].<ref name="istana">{{cite web|author=Istana Singapore|title=The President|url=http://www.istana.gov.sg/content/istana/thepresident.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611130556/http://www.istana.gov.sg/content/istana/thepresident.html|archive-date=11 June 2011}}</ref> Ong died from [[lymphoma]] in 2002 at the age of 66.

==Early life and education ==
[[File:Ong Teng Cheong in 1951.jpg|left|thumb|293x293px|Ong in 1951]]
Ong was born on 22 January 1936 to Ong Keng Wee and Chung Lai Heng in the [[Singapore in the Straits Settlements|Straits Settlements]] (present-day Singapore), the second of five children from a middle-class family.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Ng |first1=Tisa |title=Ong Teng Cheong : planner, politician, president |last2=Tan |first2=Lily |date=2005 |publisher=Editions Didier Millet in association with Singapore Heritage Society |others=Singapore Heritage Society |isbn=981-4155-34-9 |location=Singapore |pages=11 |oclc=61269142}}</ref> His English-educated father Ong Keng Wee felt that the [[Standard Mandarin|Chinese language]] was important if one ever wanted to become successful in business at the time and thus sent all of his children to Chinese-medium schools.

Ong graduated with distinctions from [[The Chinese High School (Singapore)|The Chinese High School]] in 1955. Having received a Chinese-language education, Ong saw little opportunity for advancing his studies in the [[University of Malaya]], as English was the university's language medium.<ref name="OTCB">{{cite web|title=Biography|url=http://ongtengcheong.com/biography.htm|access-date=10 January 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150219165135/http://ongtengcheong.com/biography.htm|archive-date=19 February 2015}}</ref>

In 1956, with the help of his father's friends, Ong ventured abroad. Those years were to shape both his beliefs and passions. Ong studied [[architecture]] at the [[University of Adelaide]] along with his childhood sweetheart and future wife, [[Ling Siew May]].<ref name=siew>[http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_898_2004-12-24.html Ling Siew May  (Infopedia)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090727203219/http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_898_2004-12-24.html |date=27 July 2009 }}</ref> Both Ong and Ling met each other during a Christmas party while they were still studying in secondary school.<ref name="OTCB" /> In 1965, Ong received a [[Colombo Plan]] scholarship to pursue a master's degree in [[urban planning]] at the [[University of Liverpool]] and graduated in 1967.<ref name="OTCB"/>

===Pre-political career===
Upon graduation, Ong worked as an architect in [[Adelaide]], Australia,<ref>{{cite web |title=Ong Teng Cheong |url=https://connect.adelaide.edu.au/nodes/view/25891 |website=The University of Adelaide |access-date=4 June 2023}}</ref> and married Ling in 1963.<ref name=cna>[http://www.channelnewsasia.com/cna/obituaries/ongtengcheong/special1.htm In Memoriam&nbsp;– Ong Teng Cheong] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080520020432/http://www.channelnewsasia.com/cna/obituaries/ongtengcheong/special1.htm |date=20 May 2008 }}, [[Channel News Asia]]</ref> Ong and his wife occasionally recite [[Chinese poetry]] and verses they learnt during their younger days.<ref name=MISAS>[http://misas.nhb.gov.sg/avs/public/internetSearch/catalogueForm.jsp?command=loadUpdate&id=1999000274&total=6956&searchType=1&startIndex=5830&currentPageNo=584&startPageNo=581&startNoBatch=5800&count=10&source=Television%20Corporation%20of%20Singapore Moving Image and Sound Archives of Singapore (MISAS)&nbsp;– Crowds gather at crematorium to pay last respect to late First Lady ] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110822041333/http://misas.nhb.gov.sg/avs/public/internetSearch/catalogueForm.jsp?command=loadUpdate&id=1999000274&total=6956&searchType=1&startIndex=5830&currentPageNo=584&startPageNo=581&startNoBatch=5800&count=10&source=Television%20Corporation%20of%20Singapore |date=22 August 2011 }}</ref>

In 1967, Ong joined the [[Ministry of National Development (Singapore)|Ministry of National Development]] (MND) as a town planner. After four years of civil service, Ong resigned in 1971, and started his own architectural firm, Ong & Ong Architects & Town Planners, with his wife.<ref name=ONGONG>[http://www.ong-ong.com/ ONG & ONG Website ] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100515083804/http://www.ong-ong.com/ |date=15 May 2010 }}</ref>

==Political career==
===MP and Minister===
Ong's political career spanned 21 years. He was a Member of Parliament (MP), [[Cabinet of Singapore|Cabinet]] minister and [[Prime Minister of Singapore|Deputy Prime Minister]], before he resigned to become the first elected [[President of Singapore]] in 1993.

Ong's political beginnings started when he got involved in the [[grassroots]] activities in [[Seletar]] and was then introduced to Prime Minister [[Lee Kuan Yew]]. The [[People's Action Party]] (PAP) subsequently fielded him as a PAP candidate contesting in [[Kim Keat Single Member Constituency|Kim Keat SMC]] during the [[1972 Singaporean general election|1972 general election]].

====Mass Rapid Transit (MRT)====
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:OpeningMRT.jpg|right|thumb|Ong (in beige suit) opens the initial section of the MRT at [[Toa Payoh MRT Station|Toa Payoh Station]] in 1987.{{ffdc|1=OpeningMRT.jpg|log=2015 December 24}}]] -->
[[File:NS19 Toa Payoh Plaque unveiled.jpg|thumb|right|A plaque at [[Toa Payoh MRT station]] commemorating the opening of the first phase of the Singapore MRT, which was inaugurated by Ong|alt=A silver plaque with the words: Mr Ong Teng Cheong, Second Deputy Prime Minister, inaugurated the first section of the MRT system from Toa Payoh to Yio Chu Kang, and unveiled this plaque at Toa Payoh Station on 7 November 1989]]
{{See also|History of the MRT (Singapore)}}
His first political appointment came just three years later when he was appointed [[Ministry of Transport (Singapore)|Senior Minister of State for Communications]]. At that time, he was notable for pushing for an extensive rail network in the country, now known as the [[Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore)|Mass Rapid Transit]] (MRT), the largest construction project in Singapore's history. During his tenure as [[Ministry of Transport (Singapore)|Minister for Communications]], Ong continued to be a proponent and advocate of the MRT system, often coming at odds with his fellow political colleagues who were against such an idea.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Chng |first1=Henedrick |title=Ong Teng Cheong pushed for building MRT in S'pore, despite it being a controversial idea |url=https://mothership.sg/2017/11/ong-teng-cheong-pushed-for-building-mrt-in-spore-despite-it-being-a-controversial-idea/ |website=mothership.sg |access-date=4 June 2023 |language=en |date=8 December 2017}}</ref> He was subsequently appointed Second Deputy Prime Minister in 1985.

The origins of the MRT was first derived from a forecast by the country's planners back in 1967 which stated the need for a rail-based urban transport system by 1992.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Seah C. M.|title=Southeast Asian Affairs.|date=1981|publisher=Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies|page=293|url=http://eservice.nlb.gov.sg/item_holding_s.aspx?bid=4183690|archive-date=19 September 2020|access-date=4 June 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200919041256/https://eservice.nlb.gov.sg/item_holding.aspx?bid=4183690|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=journey1>[[#sharp2005|Sharp 2005]], p. 66</ref><ref>{{cite report|citeseerx=10.1.1.119.9246|author=Fwa Tien Fang|title=Sustainable Urban Transportation Planning and Development&nbsp;— Issues and Challenges for Singapore|date=4 September 2004|publisher=Department of Civil Engineering, [[National University of Singapore]]}}</ref> However, opposition from the government on the feasibility of the MRT from prominent ministers, among them Finance Minister [[Goh Keng Swee]] and Trade and Industry Minister [[Tony Tan]], nearly shuttered the programme due to financial grounds and concerns of jobs saturation in the construction industry.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Mai Yun|first1=Wong|title=Foolish to build MRT now: Tony Tan|url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19811217.2.94.5|access-date=24 July 2020|agency=The Straits Times|date=17 December 1981}}</ref>

Following a debate on whether a bus-only system would be more cost-effective, Ong came to the conclusion that an all-bus system would be inadequate, as it would have to compete for road space in a land-scarce country. Ong was an architect and town planner by training and through his perseverance and dedication became the main figure behind the initial construction of the system.<ref name=ltahistory>{{cite web|url=http://www.lta.gov.sg/content/ltaweb/en/about-lta/our-history/1980s.html|title=1982 – The Year Work Began|publisher=Land Transport Authority|access-date=16 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130929173053/http://www.lta.gov.sg/content/ltaweb/en/about-lta/our-history/1980s.html|archive-date=29 September 2013|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=ongcna>{{cite news|author1=Lee Siew Hoon|author2=Chandra Mohan|name-list-style=amp|url=http://www.channelnewsasia.com/cna/obituaries/ongtengcheong/special2.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020223222029/http://www.channelnewsasia.com/cna/obituaries/ongtengcheong/special2.htm|archive-date=23 February 2002|title=In Memoriam&nbsp;— Ong Teng Cheong: A Profile|work=CNA|publisher=Mediacorp|location=Singapore|access-date=26 November 2007}}</ref> Ong and other pro-rail advocates eventually won the argument, with the MRT being given the go-ahead in May 1982.

===Secretary-General of the NTUC===
====Replacing Lim Chee Onn====
In 1983, Ong succeeded Lim Chee Onn as Secretary-General of the [[National Trades Union Congress]] (NTUC). Historically, the NTUC, representing non-communist trade unions in Singapore, maintained a notably close relationship with the ruling [[People's Action Party]] (PAP) as part of a tripartite system involving the government, employers, and unions. This alliance was instrumental to the PAP's consolidation of power during the 1960s.<ref name=barrtrade>{{cite journal|title=Trade Unions in an Elitist Society: The Singapore Story|journal=Australian Journal of Politics and History|year=2000|volume=46|issue=4|pages=480–496|doi=10.1111/1467-8497.00109|last1=Barr|first1=Michael D.}}</ref>

Despite this longstanding partnership, tensions between the NTUC leadership and the grassroots union base had begun to surface by the 1980s. In 1982, Lim, then still Secretary-General, publicly affirmed the deep historical ties between the two organisations, declaring that the "PAP and the NTUC came from the same mother—the struggle with the communists and the colonialists." Nevertheless, internal frictions were becoming more pronounced. According to political analyst Michael Barr, the NTUC leadership had come to be dominated by technocrats aligned with the PAP, many of whom were seen as distant from the traditional labour movement. Older grassroots union leaders increasingly felt sidelined in decision-making processes.<ref name=barrtrade/>

Prime Minister [[Lee Kuan Yew]] expressed concern that Lim, despite being his ''[[protégé]]'', was not successfully integrating the new generation of elite professionals and scholars with the rank-and-file union leadership. This failure to harmonise the NTUC's leadership structure led to growing unease among the grassroots. Lim's predecessors included figures such as [[Devan Nair]], the NTUC's founder and a prominent [[democratic socialist]] from the [[Central Executive Committee (People's Action Party)#Old Guard|PAP's Old Guard]], and [[Phey Yew Kok]], a powerful union figure instrumental in bringing Chinese unions into the NTUC fold during the 1970s. Phey, however, resigned in 1980 amidst a corruption scandal and subsequently fled the country.<ref>{{cite news|title=Former NTUC chairman Phey Yew Kok sentenced to 60 months' jail|date=22 January 2016|url=http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/former-ntuc-chairman-phey/2446112.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170320051846/http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/former-ntuc-chairman-phey/2446112.html|archive-date=20 March 2017}}</ref>

Discontent with the NTUC's leadership became more visible in the early 1980s. The United Workers of Petroleum Industry (UWPI), along with the NTUC Triennial Delegates' Conference, publicly opposed government efforts to promote the establishment of house unions, a move that provoked political concern within the PAP leadership. In an open letter, Lee informed Lim that he would be reassigned to head a government ministry, and that Ong would assume the position of Secretary-General of the NTUC. Though the role of Secretary-General was typically held by a Cabinet member, Ong's appointment was notable. At the time, he served concurrently as Minister for Labour and Chairman of the PAP, and was widely regarded as a potential successor to Lee.<ref name=barrtrade/>

====Implicit pact with unions====
As Secretary-General of the NTUC, Ong made significant progress in mending the strained relationship between the unions and the government, an area where his predecessor Lim had struggled. Within months of his appointment, Ong confronted the leadership of the UWPI, which had previously resisted the government's push for house unions. Their opposition was swiftly reversed, and by 1985, the NTUC Triennial Delegates' Conference formally endorsed the policy. Barr observed that Ong demonstrated a strong "mastery of institutional power".<ref name=barrtrade />

Despite the prohibition on strikes and trade union negotiations over key employment matters such as promotion, transfer, dismissal and retrenchment, which were issues that had historically triggered most labour disputes, the Singaporean government had, since the 1960s, implemented broad protections for workers' welfare and safety. Disputes were typically resolved through the Industrial Arbitration Court, which was empowered to provide both [[binding arbitration]] and voluntary [[mediation]]. However, concerns persisted within the union grassroots about their declining political influence and the increasing dominance of PAP technocrats within the NTUC.<ref name=LOClabor>{{cite web|title=Labor—Singapore|url=http://countrystudies.us/singapore/34.htm|work=[[Library of Congress Country Studies]]|publisher=[[Library of Congress]]|access-date=18 August 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110805040048/http://countrystudies.us/singapore/34.htm|archive-date=5 August 2011}}</ref>

These concerns were voiced by figures such as Peter Vincent, NTUC President from 1980 to 1984, who suggested that PAP technocrats should remain in advisory roles until they earned the trust of the union movement. In response, Ong actively sought to rebuild trust by increasing consultation with union leaders and reversing the trend of excluding grassroots representatives from top NTUC leadership. His approach was seen as a deliberate effort to restore the legitimacy and inclusiveness of the union hierarchy.<ref name=barrtrade />

Ong also stood out for his vigorous advocacy on behalf of the labour movement. Unlike his predecessor, he was deeply involved in union affairs and pushed the limits of what the government would tolerate in union activism. According to Barr, such an approach would not have been acceptable under another leader, but Ong's personal credibility and close relationship with the government afforded him greater leeway. In return for his assertive representation of union interests, the NTUC maintained its overall alignment with the government's core industrial relations strategies.<ref name=barrtrade />

In January 1986, Ong sanctioned a strike in the shipping industry, the first for about a decade in Singapore, believing it was necessary as "[the] management were taking advantage of the workers". However, he did not inform the Cabinet beforehand out of fear that the Cabinet would prevent him from going ahead with the strike. Ong recalled in a 2000 interview in ''[[Asiaweek]]'': "Some of them were angry with me about that... the [[Tony Tan|Minister for Trade and Industry]] was very angry, his officers were upset. They had calls from America, asking what happened to Singapore?"<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www-cgi.cnn.com/ASIANOW/asiaweek/magazine/2000/0310/nat.singapore.ongiv.html | title='I Had a Job to Do' Whether the government liked it or not, says ex-president Ong | publisher=Asiaweek | access-date=17 August 2011 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110211114954/http://www-cgi.cnn.com/ASIANOW/asiaweek/magazine/2000/0310/nat.singapore.ongiv.html | archive-date=11 February 2011 | df=dmy-all }}</ref> Minister for Trade and Industry [[Tony Tan]], vigorously opposed Ong's decision to sanction the strike, being concerned with investors' reactions to a perceived deterioration of labour relations or an impact on [[foreign direct investment]] (FDI) needed for jobs creation. Ong viewed the strike as a success, and according to Barr, Ong justified his commitment "in [[Confucianism|Confucian]] terms" in a "notion akin to ''[[noblesse oblige]]''".<ref name=barrtrade />

====Demonstration at the United States Embassy====
As Secretary-General of the NTUC, Ong also organised a 4,000-strong demonstration at the [[Embassy of the United States, Singapore|United States Embassy]] in protest against the United States First Secretary E. Mason Hendrickson's encouragement of dissident lawyers to stand for election against the PAP.<ref>[http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19880512-1.2.27.4.aspx 4,000 protest against US interference] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160919231036/http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19880512-1.2.27.4.aspx |date=19 September 2016 }}, ''[[The Straits Times]]'', 12 May 1988</ref>

===Presidency===
{{multiple image
| align             = right
| direction         = vertical
| width             = 200
| header            = 
| image1            = The Straits Times, 29 August 1993.jpg
| caption1          = "Voters choose [Ong] Teng Cheong." The headline on page 1 of ''[[The Straits Times|The Sunday Times]]'' on 29 August
| image2            = Ong Teng Cheong with Carlos Menem.jpg
| caption2          = Ong with President of Argentina [[Carlos Menem]] in 1997
}}
In August 1993, Ong resigned from the Cabinet, the PAP and his position as Secretary-General of the NTUC in order to contest the [[1993 Singaporean presidential election]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ong Teng Cheong is the first elected president of Singapore |url=https://www.nlb.gov.sg/main/article-detail?cmsuuid=a99d1364-fdfd-4a05-9f04-be0746d762d5 |access-date=2025-06-07 |website=www.nlb.gov.sg}}</ref> Standing with the endorsement of the PAP, Ong contested against [[Chua Kim Yeow]], a former accountant-general in Singapore's first-ever presidential election. Out of 1,756,517 votes cast, Ong received 952,513 votes while Chua garnered 670,358, despite having conducted a notably modest campaign and possessing a lower public profile.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ong Teng Cheong |url=http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_161__2008-11-24.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141222142828/http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_161__2008-11-24.html |archive-date=22 December 2014 |access-date=10 January 2015 |publisher=National Library Board}}</ref> Ong was consequently inaugurated as the first elected President of Singapore, and in accordance with convention, was appointed ''[[ex officio]]'' Chancellor of both the [[National University of Singapore]] (NUS) and the [[Nanyang Technological University]] (NTU).<ref>{{cite web|title=Ong Teng Cheong|url=http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3404704869.html|website=Encyclopedia of World Biography|access-date=10 January 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150110064549/http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3404704869.html|archive-date=10 January 2015}}</ref>

However, shortly after assuming office, Ong encountered significant tension with the government regarding access to detailed information on Singapore's [[Reserves of the Government of Singapore|national reserves]]. While the government initially contended that it would require 56-man-years to compile a precise valuation of immovable assets, Ong consulted both the accountant-general and the auditor-general and concluded that such a valuation could be reasonably expedited. A preliminary list was eventually produced, though incomplete, and it ultimately took the government three years to deliver the information he had requested.<ref>[http://www.singapore-window.org/sw00/000310a3.htm Ong Teng Cheong is out but not down] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100222090507/http://www.singapore-window.org/sw00/000310a3.htm |date=22 February 2010 }}.</ref> In an interview with Hong Kong's ''[[Asiaweek]]'' six months after leaving office,<ref name=SgWindow>[http://www.singapore-window.org/sw00/000310a4.htm Ong Teng Cheong- Extended Interview] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091126183919/http://www.singapore-window.org/sw00/000310a4.htm |date=26 November 2009 }} Accessed 15 February 2010</ref> Ong explained that his insistence on auditing the reserves was guided by his constitutional duty as an elected president to safeguard national assets, both liquid and immovable. He also recounted an instance where he was informed through the press that the government intended to sell the [[POSB Bank|Post Office Savings Bank]] (POSB) to [[DBS Bank|The Development Bank of Singapore Limited]] (DBS) without notifying him in advance, despite the bank's reserves falling under presidential protection. He described the move as procedurally inappropriate, and although he eventually intervened, the sale proceeded regardless.

In 1998, Ong was appointed an [[Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George]] (GCMG) by [[Elizabeth II|Queen Elizabeth II]] in recognition of his public service.<ref name="Knight">[http://www.lib.nus.edu.sg/nusbiodata/bioongtc.htm Loo Lay Yen. "Our Chancellors and Vice-Chancellors : a biographical sketch : Our Chancellors.Ong Teng Cheong". Lib.nus.edu.sg] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110516081423/http://www.lib.nus.edu.sg/nusbiodata/bioongtc.htm|date=16 May 2011}}</ref> He chose not to seek a second term in 1999, citing personal reasons, including the illness and subsequent passing of his wife. In his farewell speech on 30 August 1999, he remarked that "having a good government is better than having a good President to check on a bad government", expressing confidence in Singapore's leadership and its governance over the past 35 years.<ref>{{cite web|title=Quotes by Mr Ong Teng Cheong|url=http://ongtengcheong.com/quotes.htm|access-date=10 January 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150219172649/http://ongtengcheong.com/quotes.htm|archive-date=19 February 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Ong's presidency was also distinguished by his patronage of charitable and cultural initiatives, most notably the founding of the President's Star Charity, an annual event that has benefitted numerous charities, arts organisations and youth groups. In his final year in office, he famously performed a piano rendition of [[Teresa Teng]]'s [[The Moon Represents My Heart]] alongside Mediacorp artistes [[Evelyn Tan]] and [[Kym Ng]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Archived copy |url=http://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/data/pdfdoc/gct19990830j.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160321190712/http://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/data/pdfdoc/gct19990830j.pdf |archive-date=21 March 2016 |access-date=25 August 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=28 March 1999 |title=President performs at charity concert |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/page/straitstimes19990328-1.1.3 |website=The Straits Times}}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FhgNECh654 |title=PSC 1999 - President Ong Teng Cheong, Evelyn Tan, Kym Ng performs "The Moon Represents My Heart" |date=2019-11-11 |last=Cusome TV |access-date=2024-06-27 |via=YouTube}}</ref> Ong stepped down from the presidency at the age of 63.<ref>{{Cite web |title=In Memoriam - Ong Teng Cheong |url=http://www.channelnewsasia.com/cna/obituaries/ongtengcheong/special1.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080520020432/http://www.channelnewsasia.com/cna/obituaries/ongtengcheong/special1.htm |archive-date=2008-05-20 |access-date=2025-06-07 |website=www.channelnewsasia.com}}</ref>

==Death==
Ong died in his sleep from [[lymphoma]] on 8 February 2002, at the age of 66, at his residence in Dalvey Estate at [[Tanglin]] at about 8:14pm [[Singapore Standard Time]] ([[UTC+08:00]]) after he had been discharged from hospital a few days earlier. As a mark of respect, state flags at all government buildings were flown at [[half-mast]], including the [[Istana (Singapore)|Istana]], on 11 February instead of on 12 February, the day of Ong's funeral, to avoid state flags being flown at half-mast on the first day of [[Chinese New Year]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=State Flags to Fly at Half-mast on Monday 11 February 2002: Prime Minister's Office Press Statement, 10 February 2002|url=https://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/data/pdfdoc/2002021003.htm|access-date=23 July 2021|website=www.nas.gov.sg}}</ref>

==Legacy==
Ong was also known as "The People's President", as he was the first president to be directly elected by Singaporeans.<ref name="TPP"/>

*The Ong Teng Cheong Professorship in Music was launched by [[National University of Singapore]] on 2 October 2002.<ref>{{cite web|title=ONG TENG CHEONG PROFESSOR IN MUSIC|url=http://www.nus.edu.sg/music/01c_aboutus_visiting.html|publisher=YONG SIEW TOH CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC|access-date=10 January 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150530023346/http://www.nus.edu.sg/music/01c_aboutus_visiting.html|archive-date=30 May 2015}}</ref>
*The Ong Teng Cheong Student Activities and Leadership Training Centre was opened in his alma mater [[Hwa Chong Institution]] on 21 March 2007.<ref>{{cite web|title=ONG TENG CHEONG SALT Centre|url=http://www.hci.edu.sg/advantage/campus-facilities/ong-teng-cheong-salt-centre|access-date=26 August 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160825183231/http://www.hci.edu.sg/advantage/campus-facilities/ong-teng-cheong-salt-centre|archive-date=25 August 2016}}</ref>
*The Singapore Institute of Labour Studies, which opened in 1990, was renamed the Ong Teng Cheong Institute of Labour Studies in March 2002. It was later renamed as the Ong Teng Cheong Labour Leadership Institute.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.otcinstitute.org.sg/wps/portal/otci/home/aboutus/ourorganisation/!ut/p/a1/04_Sj9CPykssy0xPLMnMz0vMAfGjzOJDHP09Xd08jAwsfC2MDDwDLEK83fyNfYyMTYAKIoEKDHAARwNC-sP1o8BK8JhQkBthkO6oqAgAxt5p9w!!/dl5/d5/L2dJQSEvUUt3QS80SmlFL1o2X1RBT0lFRkgyMDhNODIwSVA4VEtGTzNMSTYw/|title=About Us|website=www.otcinstitute.org.sg|access-date=7 August 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170807234533/http://www.otcinstitute.org.sg/wps/portal/otci/home/aboutus/ourorganisation/!ut/p/a1/04_Sj9CPykssy0xPLMnMz0vMAfGjzOJDHP09Xd08jAwsfC2MDDwDLEK83fyNfYyMTYAKIoEKDHAARwNC-sP1o8BK8JhQkBthkO6oqAgAxt5p9w!!/dl5/d5/L2dJQSEvUUt3QS80SmlFL1o2X1RBT0lFRkgyMDhNODIwSVA4VEtGTzNMSTYw/|archive-date=7 August 2017}}</ref>
*In August 2017, a mountain located in south eastern Kazakhstan near the Kyrgyz border, was named Ong Teng Cheong peak.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/a-mountain-named-after-ong-teng-cheong|title=A mountain named after Ong Teng Cheong|publisher=The Straits Times|date=24 August 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107150233/http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/a-mountain-named-after-ong-teng-cheong|archive-date=7 November 2017}}</ref>
*Two of his autobiographies have been published. The first book, Route to Istana was published a year after being President in 1994 written in Chinese.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 September 1994 |title=Biography of President Ong launched |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19940902-1.2.8.6 |website=The Straits Times |access-date=27 June 2024 |archive-date=27 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240627091621/https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19940902-1.2.8.6 |url-status=live }}</ref> The second book named: Ong Teng Cheong: Planner, Politician, President was published in 2005 after his death.<ref>{{Cite web |date=29 July 2005 |title=New book on life of late Ong Teng Cheong |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/page/straitstimes20050729-1.1.43 |website=The Straits Times}}</ref>

==References==

=== Notes ===
{{Notelist}}

=== Citations ===
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{Library resources box
 |onlinebooks=no
 |by=yes
}}
* [http://www.OngTengCheong.com Ong Teng Cheong]&nbsp;– In Memory of Singapore's first Elected President, Mr. Ong Teng Cheong (1936–2002)
* [http://www.channelnewsasia.com/cna/obituaries/ongtengcheong/ In Memoriam of Ong Teng Cheong] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20130102081302/www.channelnewsasia.com/cna/obituaries/ongtengcheong/ |date=2 January 2013 }}&nbsp;– ChannelNewsAsia

{{S-start}}
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef | before = [[S Rajaratnam]] }}
{{s-ttl | title = [[Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore]]
        | years = 1985–1993 }}
{{s-aft | after = [[Tony Tan Keng Yam]] }}
{{s-bef | before = [[Wee Kim Wee]] }}
{{s-ttl | title = [[President of Singapore]]
        | years = 1993–1999 }}
{{s-aft | after = [[S.R. Nathan|Sellapan Ramanathan]] }}
{{s-ppo}}
{{s-bef | before = [[Toh Chin Chye]]}}
{{s-ttl | title = Chairman, [[People's Action Party|PAP]]
        | years = 1981–1993}}
{{s-aft | after = [[Tony Tan Keng Yam]]}}
{{s-bef | before = None}}
{{s-ttl | title = [[Independent (politician)|Nonpartisan]] nominee for [[President of Singapore]]
        | years = [[1993 Singaporean presidential election|1993]] (won)}}
{{s-aft | after = [[S. R. Nathan]] }}
{{s-npo|union}}
{{s-bef | before = [[Lim Chee Onn]] }}
{{s-ttl | title = Secretary-General, [[National Trades Union Congress]]
        | years = 1983–1993}}
{{s-aft | after = [[Lim Boon Heng]]}}
{{S-end}}

{{portalbar|Biography|Singapore|Politics}}
{{Singapore Presidents}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ong, Teng Cheong}}
[[Category:1936 births]]
[[Category:Singaporean people of Chinese descent]]
[[Category:2002 deaths]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Liverpool]]
[[Category:Deaths from lymphoma in Singapore]]
[[Category:Honorary Knights Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George]]
[[Category:Hwa Chong Institution alumni]]
[[Category:Members of the Cabinet of Singapore]]
[[Category:Members of the Parliament of Singapore]]
[[Category:People's Action Party politicians]]
[[Category:Singaporean politicians of Chinese descent]]
[[Category:Presidents of Singapore]]
[[Category:Singaporean agnostics]]
[[Category:Singaporean architects]]
[[Category:Singaporean art patrons]]
[[Category:Singaporean people of Hokkien descent]]
[[Category:University of Adelaide alumni]]
[[Category:Singaporean trade unionists]]
[[Category:Deputy prime ministers of Singapore]]
[[Category:Communications ministers of Singapore]]
[[Category:Ministers for labour of Singapore]]