Schools across the country solemnly raised the national flags to half-mast as a wave of subdued sadness swept the island-city after news of Tuan Haji Othman Bin Wok’s passing on the 17th of April, 2017 was made public. As Singapore’s first Minister of Social Affairs, as well as Singapore’s unofficial Sports Minister, Othman Wok’s legacy is one remembered with fondness and pride. A firm believer in multiracialism, his unwavering belief and effort to implement values of tolerance and racial harmony has led to the (generally) peaceful and harmonious attitudes most Singaporeans hold towards one another today. It is a value we celebrate and uphold to the best of our ability (though the system is hardly free of flaws).
Had Othman Wok not remained steadfast in the face of opposition, the state of Singapore’s secular society would be vastly different from the society we live in today.
In honour of his passing, I write this article to shed light on the achievements and history of one of the few Malay figures studied, remembered, loved and revered as he deserves to be.
1. Singapore Pre and Post-Independence and the PAP
Among all of the important work Othman Wok had laid down into Singapore’s development, there is no doubt that his efforts before and after being appointed the First Minister of Social Affairs (October 1963 -June 1977) are the most significant. In the early 1960s, the Singapore’s People Action Party (PAP), a predominantly Chinese political party, began to garner support for Singapore’s separation from Malaya in resistance to the ruling by Malay supremacists. Mr. Othman Wok agreed with the values they advocated and shared the idea that a multiracial and multi-religious society was possible. But during a time of high ethnic tension and political uncertainty, Othman Wok’s beliefs earned him much backlash from the Malay community.
Despite the opposition, Othman Wok remained steadfast in his unwavering views, earning him a spot on Singapore’s first Cabinet and a place in history. Even during and after the 1964 racial riots and high pressure to join UMNO (United Malays National Organisation – Malaysia’s main Malay party), Mr. Othman and his fellow Malay PAP members stood their ground. Wok himself endured death threats and defamation but continued to lead and inspire Singapore’s Malay community belief of upholding a national identity over a racial/religious one and came to identify themselves separately from Malaysian Malays.
In addition to all this, he was even the Secretary of the Singapore Printing Employees Union and helped resolve the workers’ strike against the Straits Times in February 1954.
It is because of this that Singapore can proudly say that her ideal of a multiracial is possible – “regardless of race, language or religion”. Also one of the 10 Singapore leaders to sign the separation agreement with Malaysia, there was no doubt of his importance to Singapore’s independence and system. Without the work he later took up in the name of his beliefs, Singapore’s story would have been very different.
2. A Leader of the Malay-Muslim Community
Transitioning from being a part of the majority to a minority race, there was no surprise as to the fact most Malay Singaporeans felt uneasy, especially considering that they were now a part of a new nation-state altogether. In addition to that, the 1964 Singapore race riots, instigated due to political tensions interweaved with ethnic/religious tensions, occurred only a year before and did not serve to ease the minds and hearts of the Malay-Muslim community. Mr. Othman was aware of this, and he addressed the uneasiness head-on with hope and determination. As the only Malay member of the Cabinet, he was aware it was his duty to establish bodies in support of the Malay-Muslim Community. Many of these institutions remain essential to Singapore’s Muslim Community today.
He was part of the introduction and implementation of the Administration of Muslim Law Act 1966, which called for the establishment of a central governing body for Muslim matters. This central governing body was later founded in the development of three different institutions in 1968: Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis), Registry of Muslim Marriages and Syariah Court. He also saw to the free education for all Malays and helped lay the foundation for Yayasan Mendaki, a self-help group that empowers the Malay community through means of education and still greatly helps many Malays in Singapore today. In addition to all that, he also saw the implementation of the Mosque Building Fund, which has resulted in the building of 26 mosques in Singapore.
3. Social Services
With that being said, Othman Wok did fight for multiracialism and understood that his belief of unity in difference meant working for the community on the whole, not just the Malays. In his time as Minister of Social Affairs, Mr. Othman set up different schemes and programs to help the disabled and disadvantaged in the community, believing the advancement of social welfare to be yet another way to bring people together. The Ministry of Social and Family Development note that, under Mr. Othman’s leadership, his ministry began to provide facilities for assistance and rehabilitation. Mr. Othman also initiated the building of the Singapore Council of Social Service, now known as the National Council of Social Service, in 1968 to focus on social welfare efforts. He was also known as an advocate for the improvement of social worker and volunteer training.
4. Contributions to Singapore’s Sports Culture
One of the most prominent projects among all of Mr. Othman’s work was his dedication to establishing the importance of sport in society. Mr. Othman believed that sports were a means to bring citizens of a new country together which would soon prove to be true. He established a Sports Division in the Ministry of Social Affairs in hopes of carrying out this vision. These dreams materialised in the form of the National Sports Stadium, built in 1973, as well as the establishments of the National Sports Promotion Board in 1971 and the National Stadium Council. Though today, the latter two bodies have been consolidated to form the Singapore Sports Council. Mr. Othman once said: “I was very keen on sports and wanted to develop it in Singapore. One of my key concerns was to make sport accessible to everyone, and so we started the “Sport for All” campaign.
His mark on Singapore remains obvious, and all of his past decisions and projects continue to directly support and affect the lives of Singaporeans today. Today, he is remembered throughout the country as a loving father, the “People’s Minister”, a humble and approachable man as well as a hero for Singapore and, especially, the Malay community. His name will be remembered for generations of Singaporeans to come and it is with deep sorrow, that Singapore bids him farewell.
“Debts of gold we can repay, but debts of kindness will be carried to all our lives. On behalf of a grateful nation, thank you, Othman. May you rest in peace.” – PM Lee Hsien Loong
Tuan Haji Othman Bin Wok (October 8, 1924 – April 17, 2017)
