Ong Teng Cheong, 66; Ex-Singapore President

Ong Teng Cheong, 66, the first elected president of Singapore, died Feb. 8 at his home after a 10-year battle with lymphoma.

Born in Singapore, Ong was educated at the Chinese High School, and studied architecture in Australia and town planning in Britain.

After working as a private architect, he joined the Singapore government as an architect and town planner before entering politics in the early 1970s.

He served as a minister in the communications, labor and culture ministries before being appointed deputy prime minister in 1985. He was also chairman of the National Trades Union Congress, the country’s umbrella labor organization.

Ong was elected president in 1993 after the office was expanded by Parliament and given executive powers to oversee the country’s finances, appoint senior government officials and deal with security matters. It had been a ceremonial office until 1991.

Backed by the ruling People’s Action Party and the trade unions, Ong took 58.7% of the votes in the compulsory balloting.

He left office in 1999, not seeking a second term amid concerns about his health and reports of divisions within the government over the extent of his powers.