Howard Ong, elder brother of Ong Ye Kung, campaigning for election to parliament in Australia
It’s shaping up to be an election-heavy year for the Ong family — not just in Singapore, but in Australia too. Howard Ong, the elder brother of Singapore’s Health Minister Ong Ye Kung, is also contesting for a seat in the Australian Parliament.
Source: Howard Ong – Liberal for Tangney on Facebook
Howard Ong to contest Tangney seat in Perth under LNP
Similar to Singapore, Australia will be holding an election in 2025 to elect Members of Parliament (MPs) on 3 May.
Among those vying for a seat is Mr Howard Ong — the Liberal-National Coalition (LNP) candidate for the Tangney electoral division in Perth, Western Australia.
Born and raised in Singapore, Mr Ong served National Service before moving to Perth for university, where he met his wife and eventually settled down.
He has since established himself in the local community, running an IT business and participating actively in community service organisations.
Source: Howard Ong – Liberal for Tangney on Facebook
LNP is an alliance between the Liberal Party and the National Party of Australia, both right-wing.
According to his campaign page, Mr Ong is focusing on core issues such as affordable home ownership, cost-of-living concerns, small business support, and keeping the Tangney community “vibrant and safe”.
He believes his background in business and grassroots work equips him to “deliver real results”.
Incumbent opponent is Malaysian-born MP
Mr Ong’s main opponent is the seat’s current Member of Parliament — Mr Sam Lim of the Labor Party.
Mr Lim, who is originally from Malaysia, made headlines in Australia for his unique career trajectory from dolphin trainer to police officer before entering politics.
Source: Sam Lim MP on Facebook
Though their origins may seem strange for an Australian election, Tangney is also home to a substantial population of Asian-Australians.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics in 2021 stated that 16.5% of residents there had Chinese ancestry.
5.1% of them also listed Malaysia as their country of birth, alongside 2.1% from Singapore.
A user on the Singapore subreddit currently staying in Tangney claimed that Mr Ong’s face was plastered all over the streets.
Source: Howard Ong – Liberal for Tangney on Facebook
They alleged that the area had many Singaporeans and Malaysians and suggested that the LNP realised not to deploy a white candidate there.
Source: Reddit
Also read: ‘Rotten to the core’: Australian senator waves decapitated salmon in Parliament to protest laws
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from Howard Ong – Liberal for Tangney on Facebook and Facebook.
