Political Beginnings
Ong's political career spanned 21 years. He was a Member of Parliament, Cabinet Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, before he resigned to become the first elected President of Singapore in 1993.
Ong began his political career through his involvement in grassroots activities in Seletar. He was then introduced to the then-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.
The People's Action Party (PAP) soon fielded him as a candidate in Kim Keat in the 1972 General Election. His first political appointment came just three years later when he was made Senior Minister of State for Communications. At that time, Ong pushed for the development of the Mass Rapid Transit System (MRT), the largest construction project in Singapore's history. During his tenure as the Minister of National Development, Ong was a proponent and advocate of the Mass Rapid Transit system. He later became the 2nd Deputy Prime Minister in 1985.
Read more about this topic: Ong Teng Cheong
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