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Ong Beng Seng, diagnosed with cancer, undergoing chemotherapy

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SINGAPORE: Malaysian billionaire businessman Ong Beng Seng, who is best known to Singaporeans for having brought Formula 1 to the city-state, has been diagnosed with cancer, news reports said on Friday (Feb 7).

A source close to Ong told CNA that the businessman has multiple myeloma, a rare cancer that develops in the plasma cells of a person’s bone marrow. He has been undergoing chemotherapy for the illness.

Ong, 79, was arrested in 2023 in connection with the scandal involving former Transport Minister S Iswaran, who was slapped with multiple charges after receiving gifts worth hundreds of thousands of dollars from two businessmen, including Ong.

Last October, Ong was charged with abetting a public servant to obtain gifts and obstruct justice. The charges against him involve one count under Section 165 of the Penal Code and another under Section 204A.

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On Oct 30, Ong was allowed to take a 10-day trip to the United States and Europe for business and medical reasons. He paid $800,000 in cash bail on top of the $800,000 in bail he had previously paid, forking out a total of S$1.6 million.

His lawyer, Aaron Lee from Allen & Gledhill, said that Ong would head to Boston, Massachusetts, for medical treatment and then to Gibraltar and Spain for business.

Ong faced his first pre-trial conference, held in chambers before District Judge Chee Min Ping, on Nov 15, shortly after his return. The next one was adjourned to Feb 28, allowing his lawyers to review its position. Should Ong be found guilty of having abetted Iswaran in obtaining valuables, he could be jailed for up to two years, fined, or both jailed and fined. If convicted of obstructing justice, he could be jailed for as long as seven years, fined, or both.

Ong, who is based in Singapore, made his fortune as a hotelier and is the managing director of Hotel Properties Limited. As of late 2022, he and his wife, Christina Ong, had an estimated net worth of $1.75 billion and were listed as the 24th richest people in Singapore.

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He brought F1 to Singapore, launching the Singapore Grand Prix in 2008. Being a friend of F1 boss Bernie Eccleston, Mr Ong helped seal the deal in 2007 that brought the race to Singapore.

An article by Reuters from March 2007 reported that Mr Ong had met with Bernie Ecclestone, the former chief executive of Formula One Group, that year to discuss the event launch in Singapore. /TISG

Read also: Ong Beng Seng’s stake in Hotel Properties rises to over 60% as he acquires 150,000 more shares

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