Wong Lin Ken

{{Short description|Singaporean politician and historian (1931–1983)}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Wong Lin Ken

| office = Ambassador of Singapore to the United States

| term_start = 7 April 1967

| term_end = December 1968

| predecessor = position established

| successor = Ernest Steven Monteiro

| office1 = Minister for Home Affairs

| term_start1 = 6 September 1970

| term_end1 = 15 September 1972

| successor1 = E. W. Barker

| predecessor1 = Ong Pang Boon

| office2 = Member of Parliament representing Alexandra Constituency

| term_start2 = 6 May 1968

| term_end2 = 6 December 1976

| predecessor2 = constituency established

| successor2 = Tan Soo Khoon

| native_name = 黄麟根

| nationality = Singaporean

| spouse = Lilli Wong

| children = 3

| birth_date = 1931

| birth_place = Penang, Straits Settlements

| death_date = 16 February 1983 (aged 51)

| death_place = Singapore

| alma_mater = University of Malaya
University of London

| primeminister = Lee Kuan Yew

| primeminister1 = Lee Kuan Yew

| resting_place =

| president = Yusof Ishak

| image = File:Wong Lin Ken.jpg

| caption = Wong {{circa}} 1968–1976

}}

Wong Lin Ken ({{Zh|c=黄麟根}}; 1931 – 16 February 1983) was a Singaporean politician and historian. He served as the first Ambassador of Singapore to the United States. A member of the People's Action Party (PAP), Wong also served as the Minister for Home Affairs from 1970 to 1972 and the Member of Parliament (MP) representing Alexandra Constituency from 1968 to 1976.

Early life

Wong was born in 1931 in Penang, which was then a part of the Straits Settlements. He attended St. George's Boys School in Balik Pulau and Penang Free School. He later won a Government Bursary to study at the University of Malaya and a Queen's Scholar to study at the University of London. In 1959, he got a doctorate in history.{{Cite news |date=11 January 1967 |title=Scholar named S'pore's first envoy to the U.S. |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19670111-1.2.140? |access-date=24 June 2024 |work=The Straits Times |pages=18 |via=NewspaperSG}}

In 1953, Wong went on an expedition trip led by G. de G. Sieveking, including Emily Sadka, where they found masonry in Malay fortifications and the remains of an ancient Chinese trading ship.{{Cite news |date=19 August 1953 |title=Ming from the river's mud |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19530819-1.2.153? |access-date=24 June 2024 |work=The Straits Times |pages=10 |via=NewspaperSG}}{{Cite news |date=24 September 1953 |title=Secrets of an old fort bared |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitsbudget19530924-1.2.7? |access-date=24 June 2024 |work=The Straits Budget |pages=5 |via=NewspaperSG}}

He worked as a senior lecturer in history at the University of Singapore, the chairman of the Adult Education Board, and the director of the External Affairs Bureau of the People's Action Party. Wong was a part of a five-man delegation led by then-Minister for Interior and Defense Goh Keng Swee that attended the 1966 U.N. General Assembly.

Political career

Wong made his political debut in 1964 at the 1964 Malaysian general election where he contested for Bukit Bintang as a People's Action Party (PAP) candidate against Tan Toh Hong of Alliance Party, Ishak Muhamad of Socialist Front, and Abdul Aziz Ismail of Malaysian Islamic Party.{{Cite news |date=11 April 1964 |title=The big battle is between Alliance and Front |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19640411-1.2.27.1? |access-date=24 June 2024 |work=The Straits Times |pages=5 |via=NewspaperSG}} He lost with only 31.12% of the vote.

File:Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew, S. Rajaratnam, Abdul Rahim Ishak, Wong Lin Ken with U Thant at the UN in 1967.jpg Visits UN Headquarters on 1967-10-21: Seen here, from left: Inche Rahim Ishak (Abdul Rahim Ishak), Minister of State for Education of Singapore; Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew; Secretary-General U Thant; S. Rajaratnam, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Singapore; and Ambassador Wong Lin Ken, Permanent Representative of Singapore to the United Nations.{{Cite web|url=https://media.un.org/photo/en/asset/oun7/oun7620127|title=Prime Minister of Singapore Visits UN Headquarters|accessdate=January 7, 2025|work=United Nations|date=21 October 1967}} ]]

In 1967, he was appointed the first Ambassador of Singapore to the United States{{Cite news |date=22 March 1967 |title=Dr Wong off to become envoy to US |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitsbudget19670322-1.2.8? |access-date=24 June 2024 |work=The Straits Budget |pages=5 |via=NewspaperSG}} and ended in 1968, and by 1969, was back to working at the University of Singapore.{{Cite news |date=9 January 1969 |title=Now a great mood of confidence: Prof. Wong |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19690109-1.2.42? |access-date=24 June 2024 |work=The Straits Times |pages=6 |via=NewspaperSG}}

During the 1968 general election, Wong contested for Member of Parliament (MP) of Alexandra Constituency and was elected unopposed.{{Cite news |date=18 February 1968 |title=State of the constituencies |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19680218-1.2.30? |access-date=24 June 2024 |work=The Straits Times |pages=4 |via=NewspaperSG}} In 1970, Wong was appointed the Minister for Home Affairs (MHA) and was sworn in by then-President Yusof Ishak.{{Cite news |date=5 September 1970 |title=DR. WONG SWORN IN AS HOME MINISTER |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19700905-1.2.53? |access-date=24 June 2024 |work=The Straits Times |pages=6 |via=NewspaperSG}} In 1971, Wong announced the Central Narcotics Bureau, a department under the MHA.{{Cite news |date=1 November 1971 |title=Narcotics Bureau will be operational soon: Minister |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19711101-1.2.36? |access-date=24 June 2024 |work=The Straits Times |pages=11 |via=NewspaperSG}}

In the 1972 general election, Wong contested for MP of Alexandra Constituency again, against Wong Kui Yu from Workers' Party and S. A. Hamid from United National Front. He was elected with 77.52% of the vote.{{Cite news |date=24 August 1972 |title=Full list of candidates |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19720824-1.2.45.3? |access-date=24 June 2024 |work=The Straits Times |pages=9 |via=NewspaperSG}}

Death

On 16 February 1983, Wong committed suicide by hanging using a nylon cord in his bathroom after having heard a loud noise from his neighbour's house. According to his wife, Lilli Wong, and his psychiatrist, Ho Eng Siong, he had been suffering from depression and entered a panicked reaction after the sudden loud noise.{{Cite news |last=Chong |first=Elena |date=1 April 1983 |title=Professor Wong's death: It's suicide |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19830401-1.2.9? |work=The Straits Times |pages=1 |via=NewspaperSG}} He was cremated at Mount Vernon Columbarium and was survived by his wife and 3 children.{{Cite news |date=21 February 1983 |title=Professor Wong cremated |url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19830221-1.2.37? |access-date=24 June 2024 |work=The Straits Times |pages=9 |via=NewspaperSG}}