Ong Eng Guan is appointed Mayor of Singapore

Ong Eng Guan, a trained accountant, founding member and treasurer of the People's Action Party (PAP), became mayor of Singapore following the first City Council election held on 21 December 1957.^[1] Ong, who was one of 14 candidates fielded by the PAP, won by a large majority in the Hong Lim ward against Lee Kok Liang of the Liberal Socialist Party.^[2]

Ong's term as mayor was marked by chaos and controversy. The City Council inauguration ceremony held on 23 December was disrupted by a scuffle over the use of firecrackers that ended in the arrest of Ong along with 14 PAP supporters and three PAP councillors – Wee Toon Boon, Chan Chee Seng and Baharuddin bin Mohd Ariff.^[3] At the second attempt to inaugurate the City Council on 24 December the next day, Ong refused to don the mayoral regalia or to stay at the mayoral mansion.^[4] After being sworn in as mayor, Ong ordered the removal of the council mace, a symbol of Singapore's status as a city by Royal Charter, as he considered it a "relic of colonialism".^[5]

Ong was actively involved in the daily running of the City Council and sought to reform what he saw as “a cesspool of maladministration, corruption and inefficiency”.^[6] One of his innovations was the setting up of the Public Complaints Bureau that received complaints lodged by the public against council staff and services.^[7] In as much as his tough approach uplifted the image of the council and earned him the people's respect, it also alienated many council staff who bore the brunt of his autocratic ways.^[8]

Accumulated complaints against the management of the City Council eventually prompted Abdul Hamid bin Jumat, then  the minister for local government, lands and  housing, to  take over part of the mayor's powers on 27 March 1959.^[9] A commission of inquiry was subsequently convened to scrutinise the workings of the City Council.^[10] Ong and 13 other PAP councillors resigned from the City Council on 18 April the following month.^[11]

References
1. PAP pact with UMNO. (1957, December 23). The Straits Times, p. 1; Police had control all time. (1957, December 23). The Straits Times, p. 5. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
2. PAP conquers the city. (1957, December 22). The Straits Times, p. 1; Your new city councillors. (1957, December 22). The Straits Times, p. 4. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
3. Mayor-elect arrested. (1957, December 24). The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
4. No mayorial regalia for me, says Ong. (1957, December 25). The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
5. That’s not a real pinang tree, says councillor. (1957, December 25). The Straits Times, p. 7. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
6. Ong, E. G. (1958). City Council work. In People's Action Party 4th anniversary celebration souvenir, 1958. (p. 25). [Microfilm: NL 16648]. Singapore: Petir. Call no.: RCLOS 324.25957 PEO.
7. Anti-corruption bureau to be established this week. (1958, January 12). The Straits Times, p. 4. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
8. Yap, S., Lim, R., & Leong, W. K. (2010). Men in white: The untold story of Singapore's ruling political party (pp. 139–140). Singapore: Straits Times Press. Call no.: RSING 324.25957 YAP.
9. The big switch: How it took place. (1959, March 28). The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
10. Yap, Lim & Leong., 2010, p. 144.
11. PAP quits council. (1959, April 19). The Straits Times, p. 1. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.