- Ong Soh Khim
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Associate Professor Ong Soh Khim (Chinese: 王素琴; pinyin: Wáng Sùqín; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Ông Sòo-khîm) was a Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) in Singapore from January 2005 to April 2006. She was appointed by Singapore’s President S R Nathan in December 2004.
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Background
Born and raised in a working class family in Singapore, Ong studied at Beatty Primary School, Ang Mo Kio Primary School and Ang Mo Kio Secondary School, and did her A levels at National Junior College.
After enrolling at the National University of Singapore (NUS) in 1988, Ong received her B.Eng. (Honours in Mechanical Engineering) in 1992. She later got her Ph.D. from NUS in 1996. She is currently an associate professor at NUS’ Department of Mechanical Engineering. She was a member of the NUS Senate Delegacy from April 2005 to June 2006.
She is teaching and researching in the area of manufacturing processes and technologies in the department’s Manufacturing Division. She specializes in virtual manufacturing, augmented reality application in manufacturing and design.
Nominated Member of Parliament
Ong was appointed as a Nominated Member of Parliament (10th Parliament, Second Session) by the president of Singapore in December 2004. She has participated actively and has been vocal in issues such as corporatisation of public universities in Singapore, fee hikes in university education, casino debate, among others.
Bad Language in House
In March 2005, she made front page news on local Straits Times newspaper for uttering "unparliamentary" words during the session. She reportedly uttered the word 'shit' once and 'rubbish' several times at a close of a debate on the budget of Ministry of Education. This matter was brought into the notice of the Speaker by other members of the parliament. The Speaker called her behaviour "unparliamentary" amounting to dishonourable conduct. She later apologised to the House saying that she was new to Parliament and unaware of unsuitable language in the House.
Bad Record As Graduate Study Supervisor
Since she became a supervisor of graduate study after 2000, there are many complains about her "violent" teaching attitude from her students. The withdrawal rate of her PHD student remains highest in the Department of Mechanical Engineering (NUS), and there are at least two of her students withdraw their PHD study due to her unpleasant and improper teaching style in 2011 only.
External links
Categories:- Living people
- Singaporean Nominated Members of Parliament
- Singaporean people of Chinese descent
- Singaporean people of Hokkien descent
- Singaporean engineers
- Singaporean academics
- National University of Singapore
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