The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) announced on Monday, November 10, that billionaire Ong Beng Seng's status as a permanent resident (PR) of Singapore has been reviewed and will not be revoked.
The ICA told The Straits Times, "Instead, he has 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 update from the authority came after ICA announced in August that all Singapore permanent residents convicted of a crime would have their PR status reexamined.
In a case involving former Transport Minister S. Iswaran, Ong, a Malaysian national, pleaded guilty to one charge of aiding and abetting the obstruction of justice and was fined S$30,000 on August 15.
The real estate tycoon acknowledged that he had planned to send Singapore GP a S$5,700 late bill for Iswaran's business class ticket from Doha to Singapore. This occurred after the flight manifest was discovered by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB), which was looking into a different issue involving Ong's associates.
Ong was also charged with aiding and abetting Iswaran, a public servant at the time, in obtaining gifts, which was taken into account when determining his sentence.
The judge had concurred with the defense and prosecution that Ong's poor health warranted judicial mercy in this case. In 2020, Ong received a diagnosis of advanced multiple myeloma.
Dennis Tan, a member of parliament from Hougang, submitted a parliamentary question in September that inquired as to the conditions under which workers with work permits and permanent residents would have their work permits or PR status revoked in the event that they committed a crime in Singapore.
K. Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Coordinating Minister for National Security, responded that foreigners who violate Singaporean laws or act in an undesirable manner risk having their passes or permits revoked and being barred from entering the nation again. PRs and work permit holders are also covered by this.
"There is a framework to assess such cases based on the facts, the nature and severity of the incident, the person's family roots here, and the contributions of the person to Singapore," he added, as quoted by The Straits Times.
Ong arrived in Singapore at the age of four after being born in Malaysia in 1946. Prior to joining Motor and General Underwriters Investment Holdings in the late 1960s, he worked in Europe, London, and Southeast Asia as an international insurance underwriter and broker.
In 1972, Ong wed Christina Fu, who was also a well-known businesswoman. He began working for his father-in-law Peter Fu's oil trading business, Kuo International, in 1975.
He earned millions there by correctly forecasting changes in the price of oil. It is said that the money he made during this period assisted in funding his subsequent real estate ventures and investments.
Ong founded Hotel Properties Limited in 1980 and bought hotels all over the world as well as real estate in desirable areas like Orchard Road. Additionally, he was recognized for introducing Formula One racing to Singapore.
