Lai Weng Cheong

Lai Weng Cheong (Chinese: 黎永昌; 1939 or 1940 – 28 October 1984) was a Singaporean civil servant and trade unionist. He served as the Registrar of Vehicles and was seconded to the National Trades Union Congress. He then served as the congress's secretary of administration and as the executive secretary of the Metal Industries Workers' Union. A member of the People's Action Party, he was announced as the party's candidate for the Radin Mas Single Member Constituency in the 1984 Singaporean general election. However, he was diagnosed with cancer shortly after and died before the election.

Lai was educated at the Yeung Ching Chinese School and the Outram Primary School, and later at the Raffles Institution.^[1][2] Though he was not eligible for national service, he served for two years with the People's Defence Force, attaining the rank of second lieutenant.^[1] He studied at the now-defunct University of Singapore, from which he graduated with a Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree and a Second Class (Upper) Honours in February 1963.^[3][4][5]

From 1965 to 1966, he worked at St. Joseph's Institution as a teacher.^[5] In mid-April 1970, Lai was appointed to a newly-formed committee which was to "review dail-rated employment in Government, the Public Utilities Board and the Housing and Development Board. He was then an assistant secretary at the Ministry of Finance.^[6] In this period, he also worked at the Prime Minister's Office.^[5] On 1 November 1973, he was appointed to a newly-established committee led by Herman Ronald Hochstadt which was to supervise bus services operated by Singapore Bus Services Ltd. He was then serving as the Registrar of Vehicles.^[7] As Registrar, Lai was involved in the organisation of the Keep Singapore Accident Free campaign, the first nation-wide road safety campaign in Singapore, which began in October 1974.^[8] He reportedly wrote 11 speeches for the campaign and "took to the dais himself on many occasions."^[9] Lai was appointed to the Bus Service Licensing Authority for two years on 1 September 1975.^[10] He was reappointed to the authority in 1977.^[11]

In May 1978, Lai was made the deputy secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs, after which he was succeeded as Registrar of Vehicles by Victor Au Pui Chuan.^[12] The New Nation reported that Lai was "expected" to be seconded to the National Trades Union Congress. He was then a member of the board of directors of Comfort, the congress's cooperative taxi and minibus service.^[13] Around the time of his secondment, he had begun working with the Radin Mas Citizens' Consultative Committee.^[14] By June 1981, he had been appointed the congress's deputy director for organisation and management.^[15] Lai was reappointed the NTUC secretary of administration in July 1982.^[16] In September, he was made the executive secretary of the Metal Industries Workers' Union, which was then the "third largest offshoot" of the Pioneer Industries Employees Union-Singapore Industrial Labour Organisation, succeeding Lew Syn Pau.^[17]

In February 1984, it was announced that Lai would be contesting in the upcoming general election. By then, he had become the chairman of the Radin Mas Citizens' Consultative Committee.^[1] He was also serving on the advisory committee of the Blangah Rise Primary School.^[14] On 5 March, Lai claimed that his primary aims if elected would be to "raise the skills of workers" and "bring unions and management closer together".^[18] He was to remain in the NTUC while serving as Member of Parliament.^[19] By April, he had begun sitting in Meet-the-People Sessions conducted by M. K. A. Jabbar, the incumbent Member of Parliament representing the Radin Mas Single Member Constituency.^[20] In the same month, he chaired a workshop on the "controversial" Howe Yoon Chong Report on the Problems of the Aged,^[21] which was held at the People's Action Party headquarters.^[22] At the end of May, it was announced that Ho See Beng, the executive secretary of the Singapore Port Workers Union, was to resign and that it was "likely" that Lai would succeed him in the position within the next six months.^[23] He succeeded Ho on 1 July.^[24] In August, it was reported that Lai, who was the People's Action Party's candidate for Radin Mas, might not contest in the election on account of ill health.^[25] The Singapore Monitor reported later that month that Lai standing down was "likely" and that Chng Hee Kok, who had previously been understudying in Kampong Glam Single Member Constituency, might replace him.^[26] It was confirmed on 19 September that Lai would not be contesting in the election.^[27][3]

Lai was married with two children. He lived on Cavenagh Road, though his sister, who he visited regularly, lived in Radin Mas.^[14] In March 1984, when it was announced that he would be contesting in the upcoming elections, Lai claimed that he expected to remain active for another 15 to 20 years. However, in July, he was diagnosed with liver cancer, though he continued with his constituency work. After attending an opening ceremony, he was admitted to hospital, after which he remained "in and out of hospital" as his health worsened until his death of cancer on 28 October.^[22][28]