10 Facts About Ong Ye Kung, The Next Transport Minister Who Has a Clone in the US

Not many countries have ministers who look like famous American actors.

But here in Singapore, we have Ong Ye Kung.

Oh wait, sorry. This is Ong Ye Kung.

The 50-year-old recently became the country’s Transport Minister, after the retirement of long-serving MP Khaw Boon Wan.

Ong served as Education Minister since 2015 and has held various other positions within the government.

But how much do you know about the Sembawang MP?

Reader: Lots, I basically know everyt-

Other than the fact that he looks like Daniel Dae Kim.

Reader: Oh, nothing then.

Well, here are 10 facts about Ong Ye Kung, the minister who’s never appreciated.

1. His Father Was a Politician For an Opposition Party

Just like him, Ong’s father served as an MP, except he was a member of the opposition party Barisan Sosialis.

Ong Lian Teng beat out PAP’s representative and was elected as an MP in Bukit Panjang in 1963, but resigned three years later to protest the “undemocratic acts” of the PAP government.

Barisan Sosialis was Singapore’s biggest opposition party in the 1960s, later joining the Singapore United Front to be merged into the Workers’ Party.

Ong Ye Kung, as you know, is a member of the PAP.

This is a bit like supporting Liverpool when your parent is a Manchester United fan.

Despite being political adversaries, Ong and his father were always on good terms.

2. He Never Attended His Graduation Ceremonies

Ironically, the first time that Ong wore a graduation gown was after he became Minister for Education and attended NUS’ Commencement ceremony as guest-of-honour.

Back in April, during the circuit breaker, many students were disappointed about the cancellation of graduation ceremonies in their schools.

Ong addressed their concerns in a post on Facebook, saying he never attended one either.

“When I finished my undergraduate studies, I was immediately summoned to return to Singapore to serve my bond,” he said.

“Years later, when I finished my Master’s, I rushed back because our first baby was going to pop anytime. So again I missed my graduation.”

He encouraged students to celebrate their graduation with their loved ones at home instead.

3. He’s Held Various Positions in Government

Before serving as an MP, Ong held various positions in the government, starting in 1993, when he worked in the Ministry of Communications.

From 2000 to 2003 he served as Director of Trade and Deputy Chief Negotiator for the Singapore-US Free Trade Agreement in the Ministry of Trade and Industry, which might be the longest job title in history.

After which, he was the Principal Private Secretary to Singapore’s then Deputy Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong, from 2002 to 2004.

He subsequently joined the NTUC as its Assistant Secretary-General.

4. He Lost His First Election

Ong’s path to politics was not a well-paved one.

Imagine it’s your first general election as a PAP member and despite all the history and backing that you have on your side, you end up losing the GRC you’re contesting for the first time in your party’s history.

Well, that’s exactly what happened to Ong when he contested Aljunied GRC in the 2011 general election.

As you know, 2011 was a historic year for Singaporean politics because it was the first time an opposition party captured a GRC.

The Worker’s Party beat out Ong’s team, which was led by then-Minister for Foreign Affairs George Yeo.

But Ong didn’t give up.

5. He Was Elected as an MP Twice in Sembawang GRC

Despite the initial setback, Ong managed to claim a seat in parliament five years later when he contested Sembawang GRC in GE2015 after the PAP beat out the National Solidarity Party (NSP).

Then, in 2020, Ong successfully retained his seat in Sembawang GRC, leading his team to victory against the NSP with 67.29% of the vote.

Ong thanked Sembawang residents for their votes in several posts on Facebook.

6. He Served as Education Minister For Five Years

If you always wondered why Ong spent most of his time in schools, it’s not because he likes cheap food and constant noise.

Just three months after his election to parliament in 2015, Ong was added to the cabinet in October as the Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills).

He became the Minister of Education (this time, taking care of everything education) from 1 May 2018.

During his tenure, Ong worked on several significant issues, including:

• Phasing out streaming
• Reducing the exam load
• Enhancing SkillsFuture for educators

7. He Was Recently Appointed Minister for Transport

Ever since the former Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan retired, residents wondered who they would have to complain to about MRT breakdowns from now on.

Well, now we know.

PM Lee announced a cabinet reshuffle yesterday (25 July 2020), involving several promotions and new political officeholders.

As part of the reshuffle, Ong, who was Education Minister, will now take over as Minister for Transport, and former National Development Minister Lawrence Wong will take his place as Minister for Education.

8. He Likes to Draw

Something that not many Singaporeans may know about Ong is that he has an artsy side as well.

Back in 2018, he drew Snoopy to wish residents a happy lunar new year. Sure, he’s not exactly Da Vinci or Monet, but how many ministers can draw at all?

9. He’s One of the Main Reasons We Have a New Hot Springs Park at Sembawang

If you enjoy cooking eggs at the Sembawang Hot Spring Park, you have Mr Ong to thank for that.

According to AsiaOne, Ong was heavily involved in the $4.3 million redevelopment of the hot springs park, as he worked with Mindef to set aside an unneeded plot of land to be included as part of the park.

He was also adamant that the park had kaya toast.

“I was personally very insistent that we must have a cafe, and the cafe must sell kaya toast, and eggs, and there should be a section in the hot spring park that allows residents to cook their own eggs”.

10. He Enjoys Rock Music, Star Wars & Football

Can you imagine a minister bobbing his head to music with some big-ass headphones on?

When you picture a politician, it almost seems obligatory for them to only listen to jazz; any other genre just seems weird.

Ong, however, is a rock fan, and even plays the guitar.

He also enjoys Star Wars and football.

There are certainly many sides to the 50-year-old. Considering how rough his foray into politics was, Ong has proven that it’s still possible to rise to the top in the face of adversity if you just persevere.