Education
In 1956, with the help of his father's friends, Ong ventured abroad. Those years were to shape both his beliefs and passions. Ong studied architecture at the University of Adelaide in Australia along with his childhood sweetheart and future wife, Ling Siew May. Both Ong and Ling met each other during a Christmas party while they were still studying in secondary school. After graduation, Ong worked as an architect in Adelaide and married Ling in 1963. Ong and his wife occasionally recite Chinese poetry and verses which they learnt during their younger days.
In 1965, Ong received an Colombo Plan scholarship to pursue a master's degree in urban planning at the University of Liverpool and graduated in 1967. In the same year, he joined the Ministry of National Development as a town planner. After four years of civil service, Ong resigned from his government profession and started his own architectural firm, Ong & Ong Architects, with his wife.
Read more about this topic: Ong Teng Cheong
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