Long-serving grassroots man who became MP
PUBLISHED ONMarch 13, 2016 6:00 AMByRachel Au Yong
Mr David Ong had just begun his second term as an MP when he resigned. But his time in the grassroots movement goes back to the late 1990s, when he was a grassroots leader in Kreta Ayer.
First fielded in Jurong GRC at age 50, he was the second-oldest of the People's Action Party's new faces in the 2011 General Election.
Mr Ong is managing director of RedDot Publishing, which produces publications for the tourism industry. But his grassroots background drew more attention when he was a new candidate.
He was then chairman of the Citizens Consultative Committee in Jalan Besar GRC's Kreta Ayer-Kim Seng ward.
His three sons - then aged 12, 14 and 16 - occasionally accompanied him to community events, he revealed in an interview ahead of the 2011 elections.
Mr Ong's dedication to residents as their MP was commended by PAP leaders yesterday.
Said Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam: "Mr David Ong has worked extremely hard for Bukit Batok.
"He's a really hard-working MP. He spends four to five times a week in Bukit Batok - weekends, weekdays, nights."
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, replying to Mr Ong's letter of resignation, noted that he had "served diligently as an MP" in Jurong GRC and after his ward was carved out as a single seat last year.
"As an MP, you worked hard to strengthen the Bukit Batok community, building up a team of volunteers and community partners to help residents in need," he said.
He cited programmes that Mr Ong introduced to help needy families with groceries, provide job and healthcare support, and give a fresh start to individuals with repeated problems.
Mr Lee also noted how Mr Ong spoke up for the elderly in his parliamentary speeches - on issues such as the retirement age and Central Provident Fund policy.
Back in 2011, Mr Ong was chairman of the People's Association's Active Ageing Council.
Mr Lee also noted Mr Ong's contributions outside his MP duties, such as being involved in organising the annual River Hongbao Festival - something he had been doing even before joining politics.
This article was first published on March 13, 2016.
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GE2015 results:
| Aljunied GRC | |
| Number of voters: 148,142 | |
 | Number of votes: 69,929 Candidates: Chen Show Mao, Sylvia Lim, Low Thia Khiang, Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap, Pritam Singh |
 | Number of votes: 67,317 Candidates: Yeo Guat Kwang, Victor Lye, K. Muralidharan Pillai, Chua Eng Leong, Shamsul Kamar |
| Ang Mo Kio GRC | |
| Number of voters: 187,771 | |
| Number of votes: 135,115 Candidates: Lee Hsien Loong, Ang Hin Kee, Intan Azura Binte Mokhtar, Gan Thiam Poh, Darryl David, Koh Poh Koon |
 | Number of votes: 36,711 Candidates: M Ravi, Roy Ngerng, Gilbert Goh, Osman Sulaiman, Jesse Loo, Siva Chandran |
| Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC | |
| Number of voters: 129,975 | |
| Number of votes: 86,514 Candidates: Ng Eng Hen, Josephine Teo, Chong Kee Hiong, Chee Hong Tat, Saktiandi Supaat |
 | Number of votes: 31,049 Candidates: Benjamin Pwee, Bryan Long, Law Kim Hwee, Hamim Aliyas, Abdillah Zamzuri |
| Bukit Batok SMC | |
| Number of voters: 27,077 | |
| Number of votes: 18,204 Candidate: David Ong |
 | Number of votes: 6,585 Candidate: Sadasivam Veriyah |
 | Number of votes: 150 Candidate: Samir Salim Neji |
| Bukit Panjang SMC | |
| Number of voters: 34,317 | |
| Number of votes: 21,935 Candidate: Teo Ho Pin |
| Number of votes: 10,143 Candidate: Khung Wai Yeen |
| Chua Chu Kang GRC | |
| Number of voters: 119,931 | |
| Number of votes: 84,731 Candidates: Gan Kim Yong, Low Yen Ling, Zaqy Mohamad, Yee Chia Hsing |
 | Number of votes: 25,460 Candidates: Goh Meng Seng, Low Wai Choo, Lee Tze Shih, Syafarin Sarif |
| East Coast GRC | |
| Number of voters: 99,118 | |
| Number of votes: 54,981 Candidates: Lim Swee Say, Lee Yi Shyan, Maliki Osman, Jessica Tan |
| Number of votes: 35,547 Candidates: Gerald Giam, Daniel Goh, Leon Perera, Mohamed Fairoz Shariff |
| Fengshan SMC | |
| Number of voters: 23,427 | |
| Number of votes: 12,398 Candidate: Cheryl Chan |
| Number of votes: 9,158 Candidate: Dennis Tan |
| Holland-Bukit Timah GRC | |
| Number of voters: 104,491 | |
| Number of votes: 62,630 Candidates: Vivian Balakrishnan, Sim Ann, Christopher de Souza, Liang Eng Hwa |
| Number of votes: 31,380 Candidates: Chee Soon Juan, Paul Tambyah, Chong Wai Fung, Sidek Mallek |
| Hong Kah North SMC | |
| Number of voters: 28,145 | |
| Number of votes: 19,612 Candidate: Amy Khor Lean Suan |
| Number of votes: 6,621 Candidate: Ravi Philemon |
| Hougang SMC | |
| Number of voters: 24,097 | |
| Number of votes: 13,012 Candidate: Png Eng Huat |
| Number of votes: 9,543 Candidate: Lee Hong Chuang |
| Jalan Besar GRC | |
| Number of voters: 102,540 | |
| Number of votes: 63,561 Candidates: Yaacob Ibrahim, Denise Phua, Lily Neo, Heng Chee How |
| Number of votes: 30,283 Candidates: L. Somasundaram, Frieda Chan, Redzwan Hafidz, Adrian Sim |
| Jurong GRC | |
| Number of voters: 130,498 | |
| Number of votes: 95,080 Candidates: Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Desmond Lee, Ang Wei Neng, Rahayu Mahzam, Tan Wu Meng |
 | Number of votes: 24,848 Candidates: David Foo Ming Jin, Tan Peng Ann, Wong Soon Hong, Wong Chee Wai, Sukdeu Singh |
| MacPherson SMC | |
| Number of voters: 28,511 | |
| Number of votes: 17,227 Candidate: Tin Pei Ling |
| Number of votes: 8,826 Candidate: Bernard Chen Jiaxi |
 | Number of votes: 215 Candidate: Cheo Chai Chen |
| Marine Parade GRC | |
| Number of voters: 146,244 | |
| Number of votes: 84,939 Candidates: Fatimah Lateef, Goh Chok Tong, Seah Kian Peng, Tan Chuan-Jin, Edwin Tong Chun Fai |
| Number of votes: 47,629 Candidates: Yee Jenn Jong, Dylan Ng, Terence Tan, He Ting Ru, Firuz Khan |
| Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC | |
| Number of voters: 107,599 | |
| Number of votes: 68,485 Candidates: Halimah Yacob, Lawrence Wong, Alex Yam, Ong Teng Koon |
| Number of votes: 31,157 Candidates: Tan Liang Joo John, Bryan Lim Boon Heng, Damanhuri Abas, Wong Souk Yee |
| Mountbatten SMC | |
| Number of voters: 24,143 | |
| Number of votes: 15,290 Candidate: Lim Biow Chuan |
| Number of votes: 5,992 Candidate: Jeannette Chong-Aruldoss |
| Nee Soon GRC | |
| Number of voters: 132,289 | |
| Number of votes: 82,197 Candidates: K. Shanmugam, Lee Bee Wah, Faishal Ibrahim, Louis Ng, Henry Kwek |
| Number of votes: 40,796 Candidates: Ron Tan Jun Yen, Cheryl Loh Xiu Wen, Gurmit Singh, Kenneth Foo Seck Guan, Luke Koh Tiong Yee |
| Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC | |
| Number of voters: 187,396 | |
| Number of votes: 125,021 Candidates: Teo Chee Hean, Teo Ser Luck, Zainal Sapari, Janil Puthucheary, Ng Chee Meng, Sun Xueling |
 | Number of votes: 46,508 Candidates: Ong Teik Seng, Sunny Wong Way Weng, Abu Mohamed, Desmond Lim Bak Chuan, Arthero Lim, Harminder Pal Singh |
| Pioneer SMC | |
| Number of voters: 25,458 | |
| Number of votes: 17,994 Candidate: Cedric Foo |
| Number of votes: 5,578 Candidate: Elvin Ong |
| Potong Pasir SMC | |
| Number of voters: 17,407 | |
| Number of votes: 10,581 Candidate: Sitoh Yih Pin |
| Number of votes: 5,353 Candidate: Lina Chiam |
| Punggol East SMC | |
| Number of voters: 34,466 | |
| Number of votes: 15,801 Candidate: Lee Li Lian |
| Number of votes: 16,957 Candidate: Charles Chong |
| Radin Mas SMC | |
| Number of voters: 28,906 | |
| Number of votes: 20,230 Candidate: Sam Tan Chin Siong |
| Number of votes: 3,329 Candidate: Kumar Appavoo |
| Number of votes: 2,629 Candidate: Han Hui Hui |
| Sembawang GRC | |
| Number of voters: 144,672 | |
| Number of votes: 96,639 Candidates: Khaw Boon Wan, Vikram Nair, Amrin Amin, Ong Ye Kung, Lim Wee Kiak |
| Number of votes: 37,067 Candidates: Spencer Ng, Kevryn Lim, Abdul Rasheed, Eugene Yeo, Yadzeth Haris |
| Sengkang West SMC | |
| Number of voters: 30,119 | |
| Number of votes: 17,564 Candidate: Lam Pin Min |
| Number of votes: 10,716 Candidate: Koh Choong Yong |
| Tampines GRC | |
| Number of voters: 143,518 | |
| Number of votes: 95,202 Candidates: Heng Swee Keat, Masagos Zulkifli, Baey Yam Keng, Desmond Choo, Cheng Li Hui |
| Number of votes: 36,920 Candidates: Sebastian Teo, Lim Tean, Nor Lella Mardiiiah Mohamed, Fong Chin Leong, Choong Hon Heng |
| Tanjong Pagar GRC | |
| Number of voters: 130,752 | |
| Number of votes: 90,448 Candidates: Chan Chun Sing, Indranee Rajah, Chia Shi-Lu, Joan Pereira, Melvin Yong |
| Number of votes: 25,943 Candidates: Tan Jee Say, Ang Yong Guan, Melvyn Chiu, Fahmi Rais, Chirag Desai |
| West Coast GRC | |
| Number of voters: 99,300 | |
| Number of votes: 71,091 Candidates: Lim Hng Kiang, S. Iswaran, Foo Mee Har, Patrick Tay |
| Number of votes: 19,392 Candidates: Kenneth Jeyaretnam, Andy Zhu, Darren Soh, Noraini Yunus |
| Yuhua SMC | |
| Number of voters: 22,617 | |
| Number of votes: 15,298 Candidate: Grace Fu |
| Number of votes: 5,505 Candidate: Jaslyn Go |
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