PAP founding member, ex-political detainee Fong Swee Suan dies, aged 85

Singapore

FORMER leftist trade unionist and political detainee Fong Swee Suan, a founding member of the People's Action Party (PAP), died last Saturday at the age of 85. He was suffering from liver cirrhosis and had been in and out of hospital for treatment over the past three months.

His death came just two days after the anniversary of Operation Coldstore, a security swoop in which more than 110 leftists were arrested on Feb 2, 1963. They included Mr Fong, who had two years earlier left the PAP with other leftists in the party to form the now-defunct opposition party, Barisan Sosialis.