Former Workers' Party organising secretary dies

SINGAPORE - An opposition veteran, former Worker's Party organising secretary Ng Ah Chwee, has died.

He died on Tuesday of complications from kidney failure after battling kidney disease for several years, said WP sources. He was 64.

Mr Ng, whose first foray into politics was with the Barisan Sosialis, joined the WP in 1988, when Barisan leader Lee Siew Choh merged his party with the WP. Mr Ng rose through the ranks in the WP, becoming organising secretary in 1992, a post he held until 2006.

WP members past and present paid tribute to Mr Ng on Wednesday for his contributions and pivotal role in the party's history.

Among them was former National Solidarity Party secretary-general Goh Meng Seng, who was a WP candidate in the 2006 polls.

In a blog post, he recounted how Mr Ng had been part of a faction which threw its weight behind Mr Low Thia Khiang, contributing to his election as WP secretary-general in 2001.

"Without (Mr Ng)'s crucial support, the WP might well have drowned," said Mr Goh.

Party members say Mr Ng remained active on the ground through his illness, often helping with walkabouts and events.

Mr Ng was among several party stalwarts who were honoured by Mr Low and WP chairman Sylvia Lim at the party's 50th anniversary celebrations in 2007.

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