Ong Pang Boon, Jek Yeun Thong only remaining members of Singapore’s first Cabinet

SINGAPORE — With the death of Mr Othman Wok, former ministers Mr Ong Pang Boon and Mr Jek Yeun Thong are the two surviving members of Singapore’s first Cabinet.

The three men were last seen together in public at the National Day Parade in 2015, during Singapore’s Golden Jubilee. 

They were also among the 10 leaders from the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) who signed the Independence of Singapore Agreement in 1965.

Mr Ong, now 88, was a significant member of founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew’s team. He was appointed Minister of Home Affairs after the PAP won the Legislative Assembly General Election in 1959 and formed the first government of self-governing Singapore.

Mr Ong went on to helm several other key portfolios, including education, labour and environment, during a political career that lasted until 1988.

As Home Affairs Minister, Mr Ong spearheaded the “anti-yellow culture” campaign, to eradicate the sources of “moral degeneration” in Singapore, such as pornography, gambling dens, prostitution and secret societies.

He was also instrumental in driving bilingual education, making Second Language a compulsory subject for the Cambridge School Certificate examination from 1969, as well as giving more emphasis to technical and vocational education.

For Mr Jek, now 86, eradicating communism from the trade unions was one of his key tasks when he became the Minister for Labour in 1963. 

He was also credited with helping Mr Lee in the early years with the latter’s speeches for the Chinese ground.

As Minister for Culture from 1968 to 1979, Mr Jek promoted Asian art and values as a “culture ballast” against Western decadence.

Mr Jek, who retired from politics in 1988, was also a diplomat, serving as Singapore’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, as well as to Denmark.

The other seven signatories to the 1965 independence agreement have all died. 

They were Mr Lee Kuan Yew, former deputy prime minister Toh Chin Chye, former finance minister Goh Keng Swee, former law minister E W Barker, former culture minister S Rajaratnam, former health minister Yong Nyuk Lin and former national development minister Lim Kim San.