'He is a good man': Tommy Koh 'not happy' with media coverage of Ong Beng Seng
Veteran diplomat, lawyer, academic, and author Tommy Koh, 88, has expressed his unhappiness over media coverage of property tycoon Ong Beng Seng, calling him a "good man" - a statement that drew much disagreement online.
Posted on the morning of Nov 12, Prof Koh's comments have since garnered more than 3,100 reactions and some 770 comments as of press time, with many commenters voicing their dissent.
'He is a good man'
Attaching a photo of a Straits Times article with the headline "Property tycoon Ong Beng Seng retains PR status, issued ICA warning letter", Prof Koh wrote that he was "not happy with the way the media has reported on (Ong)".
"He is a good man and not a bad man, and we should not demonise him," he said, adding that Ong made "enormous contributions" to Singapore's hospitality industry.
Prof Koh, who invited Ong to join the National Arts Council during his tenure as chairman, noted that the billionaire had brought Italian opera singer Luciano Pavarotti to Singapore and donated the "entire proceeds" of the concert to NAC.
"He asked for nothing in return and I gave him nothing in return except my friendship and gratitude," he added.
Stomp has reached out to Prof Koh for comment.
Netizens voice disagreement
Among the many comments on Prof Koh's post was one from former ST editor Bertha Henson, attracting more than 470 likes, who asked him to clarify what he meant by being "not happy with the reporting".
She pointed out that the article was "straight forward" and did not include background on Ong's "past history with the "Lees on Nassim condos", which she said would have been "legitimate backgrounding".
Ms Henson was alluding to a 1996 episode when the late Lee Kuan Yew and then Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong revealed that they had bought four Hotel Properties Limited-developed luxury condominium units in Orchard at discounted prices, sparking a public uproar.
Ong co-founded HPL in 1980 and serves as its managing director.
According to ST, the unsolicited discounts of 5 to 12 per cent for units at Nassim Jade and Scotts 28 were later deemed proper, with the sums donated to charity.
When the issue was raised in Parliament, then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong cleared both Lees of any wrongdoing.
Many netizens disagreed with Prof Koh, arguing that being a "good man" does not exempt Ong from being held accountable or prosecuted for a crime. "A person may do a million good deed, yet one mistake is enough to bring condemnation," a user wrote.
Another said that the law is meant to be "equal for all citizens, no matter their status, wealth, or influence".
Renowned as shrewd businessman
Ong, a Malaysian citizen, retained his Singapore permanent resident status despite a legal case lasting over two years involving former transport minister S. Iswaran.
He has instead been "issued a letter of warning to put him on notice that any future adverse conduct will render him liable for revocation of his PR status", the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) told ST.
Ong was fined $30,000 on Aug 15 after he pleaded guilty to one charge of abetting the obstruction of justice in a case linked to Mr Iswaran. Another charge, related to abetting Mr Iswaran in obtaining gifts, was taken into consideration for sentencing.
The 81-year-old is perhaps best known as the man who brought Formula One to Singapore in 2008, introducing the sport's first-ever night race. He owns the rights to the Singapore Grand Prix as its chairman.
In his HPL role, Ong also oversees a portfolio of 38 hotels and resorts across 15 countries including Singapore, US, Maldives and Italy.
The company's brands include the Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Hard Rock Hotels and Marriott International.
