Othman Wok

Othman bin Wok (8 October 1924 – 17 April 2017), commonly referred to as Othman Wok, was a Singaporean statesman and diplomat. He served as Minister for Social Affairs from 1963 to 1977 and concurrently held the portfolio of Minister for Culture between 1965 and 1968. After retiring from politics, he was appointed Singapore's Ambassador to Indonesia and sat on the boards of both the Singapore Tourism Board and the Sentosa Development Corporation. Throughout his entire political career, he represented the constituency of Pasir Panjang.

Othman played a prominent role in Singapore's early post-colonial administration and is regarded as one of the country's founding fathers. He was among the earliest members of the People's Action Party (PAP) and was instrumental in consolidating support for the party among the Malay–Muslim community during a period of political uncertainty following independence. His leadership within the Cabinet and his efforts in promoting social cohesion, particularly in matters of minority representation and intercommunal relations, were viewed as critical to the development of a multiracial state. For his contributions to national development in the political, economic and social spheres, he was conferred the Order of Nila Utama (Second Class) in 1983 by the then President Devan Nair. Beyond his ministerial appointments, Othman was known for his long-standing involvement in civil and community affairs. Othman died in 2017 at the age of 92. Provided by Wikipedia