Charles Chong

Charles Chong You Fook
张有福
Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore
Acting
In office
7 August 2017 – 11 September 2017
Preceded by Halimah Yacob
Succeeded by Tan Chuan-Jin[1]
Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore
Assumed office
17 October 2011
Serving with Lim Biow Chuan
Preceded by Indranee Rajah
Member of Parliament
for Punggol East SMC
Assumed office
11 September 2015
Preceded by Lee Li Lian
Member of Parliament
for Joo Chiat SMC
In office
7 May 2011 – 25 August 2015
Preceded by Chan Soo Sen
Majority 388 (2.02%)
Member of Parliament
for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC (Punggol Central )
In office
4 November 2001 – 7 May 2011
Preceded by Michael Lim Chun Leng (Cheng San GRC: Punggol Central)
Succeeded by Teo Ser Luck
Majority 61,704 (37.4%)
Member of Parliament
for Pasir Ris GRC (Pasir Ris Elias)
In office
3 January 1997 – 3 November 2001
Preceded by Seat Created
Succeeded by Teo Chee Hean (Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC-Pasir Ris West)
Member of Parliament
for Eunos GRC (Pasir Ris)
In office
31 August 1991 – 2 January 1997
Preceded by Teo Choong Tee(Changi SMC)
Succeeded by Teo Chee Hean(Pasir Ris GRC-Pasir Ris Central)
Member of Parliament
for Sembawang GRC (Nee Soon East)
In office
3 September 1988 – 31 August 1991
Preceded by Seat created
Succeeded by Ho Peng Kee
Personal details
Born (1953-06-24) 24 June 1953
Nationality Singaporean
Political party People's Action Party (1988)

Charles Chong You Fook (simplified Chinese: 张有福; traditional Chinese: 張有福; pinyin: Zhāng Yǒufú, born 24 June 1953) is a Singaporean politician. A member of the country's governing People's Action Party (PAP), Chong is a Member of Parliament representing Punggol East Single Member Constituency (Punggol East SMC), and was the Acting Speaker of Parliament, following the resignation of former Speaker Halimah Yacob on 7 August 2017. He was previously Chairman of the National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) Council, which governs the NPCC and National Civil Defence Cadet Corps.

Political career

Chong represented Sembawang Group Representation Constituency (GRC) in Yishun East from 1988 to 1991, and Eunos GRC between 1991 and 1996 in Pasir Ris, Pasir Ris GRC in Elias from 1997 to 2001, Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC in Punggol Central from 2001 to 2011, and Joo Chiat Single Member Constituency (SMC) from 2011 to 2015. He currently represents Punggol East SMC, and has done so since 2015.

In the 2006 general elections, the PAP contested Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC against the Singapore Democratic Alliance. The PAP won with 68.70% of the votes in this GRC. In the 2001 general elections, the GRC was not contested and resulted in a walkover for Chong and his party in this GRC.

Chong contested the Joo Chiat SMC in the 2011 general elections after its incumbent MP, Chan Soo Sen, retired from politics.[2] He won 9,666 or 51.02% of the votes against Yee Jenn Jong from the Workers' Party. Chong was elected Deputy Speaker in the 12th Parliament.

In the 2015 general elections, the PAP fielded Chong in the opposition-held Punggol East SMC and unseated the incumbent Lee Li Lian of the Workers' Party with 51.76% of the vote. His victory was brought into question by Workers' Party Png Eng Huat because he had made a wild accusation against the Punggol East Town Council of missing funds worth $22.5 million just three days before polling.[3]

In Dec 2016, Chong announced he was diagnosed with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis three years ago and had a liver transplant on 1 Dec 2016, which his younger son Glenn, donated part of his liver. He was given 8 weeks Medical Leave and his duty was covered by Teo Chee Hean during his absence. [4]

On 11 January 2018, Chong was appointed chairman of the Select Committee on Deliberate Online Falsehoods.[5] His appointment attracted controversy as he is accused of spreading falsehood during the 2015 general election by insinuating that Punggol East SMC ran into financial troubles after the Workers' Party took over from PAP in 2013.[6]

He is the longest serving current PAP back-bencher in Parliament and served as Deputy Speaker of Parliament of Singapore, as well as Acting Speaker when Halimah Yacob quit parliament to stand for elected presidency.

Personal life

Chong received his primary education in St. Michael's School and secondary education at Saint Joseph's Institution. He studied aircraft engineering at Sydney Technical College.

Chong is married and has two children. He is a Roman Catholic.

References

  1. ↑ "Tan Chuan-Jin becomes Singapore's 10th Speaker of Parliament".
  2. ↑ "GE: Charles Chong to stand in Joo Chiat SMC". Channel NewsAsia. Retrieved March 28, 2011.
  3. ↑ http://www.theindependent.sg/where-is-the-unaccounted-22-5-million-town-council-funds-hougang-mp-challenges-charles-chong/
  4. ↑ "Punggol East MP Charles Chong recovering from liver transplant; son donated part of his liver". 21 December 2016.
  5. ↑ http://www.straitstimes.com/politics/select-committee-on-fake-news-named-includes-two-ministers-wps-pritam-singh
  6. ↑ https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2018/01/17/charles-chongs-million-dollar-surplus-claim-in-general-election-2015/
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