Othman Wok

Template:Short description Template:Malay name Template:Use British English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox officeholder

Othman bin Wok Template:Efn [1] (8 October 1924 – 17 April 2017) was a Singaporean statesman and diplomat. He served as Minister for Social Affairs from 1963 to 1977 and concurrently held the portfolio of Minister for Culture between 1965 and 1968. After retiring from politics, he was appointed Singapore's Ambassador to Indonesia and sat on the boards of both the Singapore Tourism Board and the Sentosa Development Corporation. Throughout his entire political career, he represented the constituency of Pasir Panjang.

Othman played a prominent role in Singapore's early post-colonial administration and is regarded as one of the country's founding fathers. He was among the earliest members of the People's Action Party (PAP) and was instrumental in consolidating support for the party among the Malay–Muslim community during a period of political uncertainty following independence. His leadership within the Cabinet and his efforts in promoting social cohesion, particularly in matters of minority representation and intercommunal relations, were viewed as contributing to the development of a multiracial state. For his contributions to national development in the political, economic and social spheres, he was conferred the Order of Nila Utama (Second Class) in 1983 by then President Devan Nair. Beyond his ministerial appointments, Othman was known for his long-standing involvement in civil and community affairs. Othman died in 2017 at the age of 92.[2][3][4]

Contents

1 Early life

2 Early career

3 Political career

3.1 Minister

3.2 Ambassador

4 Post–political career

5 Personal life

5.1 Awards

6 Notes

7 References

8 External links

Early life

Othman was born on 8 October 1924 in Singapore, then part of the Straits Settlements, into a family of indigenous Orang Laut ancestry.[5] His father, Wok Ahmad, was a school teacher who later became a principal. Othman began his formal education at Telok Blangah Malay School at the age of five, and subsequently attended Radin Mas English School followed by Raffles Institution (RI). During the Japanese occupation of Singapore between 1942 and 1945, his father enrolled him in a Japanese-run school, believing that this would protect him from conscription into the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA). This decision enabled Othman to acquire a working knowledge of the Japanese language.[6]

His grandfather, a religious teacher, expressed strong objections to Wok Ahmad's decision to place Othman in English-medium institutions such as Radin Mas and RI. He feared that exposure to a secular and Westernised education might lead his grandson away from Islam and towards Christianity. Despite these concerns, Othman remained firmly committed to his faith throughout his life. He would later play a pivotal role in bridging the Malay–Muslim community with the newly established People's Action Party (PAP) government from the 1950s onwards. His example lent support to his father's conviction that proficiency in English and participation in mainstream national education were necessary foundations for progress, both for individuals and for the broader Malay community.

Othman himself adopted a similarly pragmatic stance in matters concerning education and religion. He did not share his grandfather's anxieties regarding the influence of English-language or mission schools. He permitted one of his daughters to enrol at the Catholic school CHIJ Katong Convent, confident that such an education would not compromise her religious convictions. In keeping with the family's approach, his daughter continued to receive Islamic religious instruction outside of school and remained a practising Muslim.[7]

Early career

Othman began his professional career with the local Malay-language newspaper, Utusan Melayu, where he was first employed as a clerk following the completion of his education. In 1946, he was offered the position of reporter by Yusof Ishak, the newspaper's founder, who would later become Singapore's first President. In 1950, Othman was awarded a Colonial Development Scholarship to pursue a Diploma in Journalism in London. Upon completing his studies, he returned to Singapore in 1951 and resumed work at Utusan Melayu, this time as a news editor.

Alongside his journalistic duties, Othman became increasingly involved in labour matters and was elected Honorary Secretary of the Singapore Printing Employees Union (SPEU). The union advocated for improved wages and working conditions within the printing industry. During this period, Othman met Lee Kuan Yew, who served as legal adviser to both Utusan Melayu and SPEU. This marked the beginning of a close and lasting friendship between the two men, which would later carry over into political life.[8] Othman remained as news editor for six years until he was promoted to deputy editor in 1957.

Political career

Days after the formation of the PAP in 1954, Othman joined the party, as its commitment to a national policy of multiracialism aligned with his own views. He took on the role of producing the party's Petir publication, and was a member of the bulletin's editorial board. In 1959, he was asked by the then legislative assembly member Ahmad Ibrahim to be the elected chairman of the PAP Geylang Serai/Tampines branch. While Othman was unsuccessful in the 1959 Singaporean general election when contesting in Kampong Kembangan, he later won in Pasir Panjang during the 1963 Singaporean general election. Upon his election, he resigned from Utusan Melayu to devote himself fully to politics.

Minister

File:John Edmund Taylor, Pasar Panjong (1879, Wellcome V0037499).jpg
An 1879 watercolour painting of Pasir Panjang by John Edmund Taylor. Othman served as the area's political representative for 17 years from 1963 to 1980.

Othman became Singapore's first Minister for Social Affairs following his election in 1963. At the time, he was the sole ethnic Malay member of the Cabinet and concurrently held the role of Director of the Malay Affairs Bureau. During his tenure, he introduced policies that left a lasting imprint on the Malay Singaporean community. Among his most significant contributions was the establishment of the Singapore Pilgrimage Office, which became the first formal system for registering Hajj pilgrims in the country. This administrative body provided an organised framework for pilgrimage activities and laid the institutional foundation that continues to support Hajj operations in Singapore today.

The Singapore Pilgrimage Office would later evolve into the Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS), which today regulates Hajj arrangements and other affairs concerning the Muslim community. Othman also presided over the implementation of landmark initiatives such as the Administration of Muslim Law Act (AMLA) and the Mosque Building Fund (MBF), both introduced through the Ministry for Social Affairs. These policies contributed to the formalisation of Muslim personal law and facilitated the construction of mosques in housing estates to serve the needs of an expanding urban population. His leadership reflected a commitment to integrating religious administration within the broader framework of Singapore's civil institutions.

Othman's political career faced significant challenges. His alignment with the PAP drew criticism from segments of the Malay community, who at the time were being courted by the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) in Kuala Lumpur, which promoted the ideology of Ketuanan Melayu or "Malay Supremacy". Some even labelled him a "race traitor" for choosing to support a secular and multiracial party.[9]

Following Singapore's merger with Malaysia, Othman was nominated to be one of the few MPs to represent Singapore in the Dewan Rakyat, the lower house of the Parliament of Malaysia, serving from 2 November 1963 to 1 March 1964[10] and from 18 May 1964 to 9 August 1965,[11] when that Parliament voted for Singapore's expulsion in a session from which Singapore's representatives were absent. He was one of nine ministers who signed the document of separation, doing so only after expressing concerns in dealing with the Malayan Communist Party (MCP) and receiving assurances from Lee Kuan Yew.[12]

Ambassador

Having served 14 years as Minister for Social Affairs, Othman was appointed to serve as Singapore's ambassador to Indonesia in 1977, serving for three and a half years, but retained his ministerial rank during his diplomatic posting,[13] and also remained MP for Pasir Panjang.[14] He only retired as MP on 5 December 1980 when Parliament was dissolved on the same day for the general election held later that month. His seat was retained by Abbas Abu Amin of the PAP in that election, who held the constituency until it was redistributed in the 1991 general election. Today, the area generally corresponds to the West Coast and Telok Blangah divisions of the West Coast Group Representation Constituency.

Post–political career

Othman continued to be active and served in the Presidential Council of Minority Rights as a permanent member. He was also appointed as a member of several companies' board of directors.[15]

Year/Term[6] | Appointment and Organisation[6]
1981 | Permanent Member, Presidential Council of Minority Rights.
1981–1994 | Board Member, Singapore Tourist Promotion.
1981–1987 | Board Member, Sentosa Development Corporation.
1981 | Director, Overseas Investment Pte Ltd.
1982 | Director, Overseas Investment Nominees Pte Ltd.
1983 | Director, Bioheath International (S) Pte Ltd.
1987 | Director, Autologous Blood Bank (S) Pte Ltd.
1988 | Director, Utusan Melayu (S) Pte Ltd.
1989 | Director of Sembawang Holdings.
1992 | Director, Gainall Pte Ltd.
1993 | Director, C. Thru Pte Ltd.
1994 | Director, Property Services International.
1995 | Director, Hale medical Clinic (Concourse) Pte Ltd.
1996 | Director, Mindsets Pte Ltd.
1996 | Director, Bright Steel Pte Ltd.
1996 | Chairman, Lion Asiapac Ltd.

Personal life

Awards

File:Darjah Utama Nila Utama ribbon (1975–1996).svg Order of Nila Utama (2nd Class, 1983)

Othman grew up in a humble family. In the first four years of his life, Othman lived with his uncle, together with his grandparents and parents in a kampong area dominated by Malays. He recounted that as a boy, different races lived together harmoniously, and he would have Chinese and Indian playmates whom he conversed with in Malay.[7] In his mid-twenties, Othman went to London to receive further education in a polytechnic.[7] Othman was married with four children. His hobbies included reading and writing ghost stories, one of his books being Malayan Horror: Macabre Tales of Singapore and Malaysia in the 50s, a compilation of stories written by him. Othman also penned a biography in 2000 titled Never in my Wildest Dreams, a memoir of his life experiences.

Othman was considered as one of the "Old Guard" – a founding father and the first generation of leaders of post-independent Singapore.[16][17] Othman also completed military service (called National Service in Singapore) with the People's Defence Force in 1980, holding the rank of Major.Template:Citation needed He also retired from politics in the same year. On 17 April 2017, he died at 12.22pm local time at the Singapore General Hospital due to poor health; he was 92. As per Islamic religious customs, there was no state funeral and he was buried at Choa Chu Kang Muslim Cemetery the next day.[18]

Notes

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References

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External links

Othman Wok on ourstory.asia1.com.sg

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↑ Never in My Wildest Dreams, Othman Wok, Raffles, 2000, page 141

↑ Dewan Ra'ayat, (House of Representatives), Official Report, First Session of the First Dewan Ra'ayat, 2nd November, 1963

↑ Dewan Ra'ayat, (House of Representatives), Official Report, Second Session of the Second Dewan Ra'ayat, 9 August 1965

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↑ Singapore's new ambassador to Indonesia Encik Othman Wok, National Archives of Singapore, 30 June 1977

↑ MP to open c-centre, The Straits Times, 28 May 1980, page 7

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