The late Ong Teng Cheong was quite a looker when he was young.
The winner of the first Presidential Election in 1993 passed away on Feb. 8, 2002 at the age of 66.
Singaporeans fondly remembers him from his days as president from 1993 to 1999.
But it is the portraits of Ong as a young man that has made Singaporeans sit up to take notice.
Dressed to impress
Ong studied at the University of Adelaide and worked as an architect in Australia after he graduated in 1961.
Often photographed in preppy styles when he was in his twenties, Ong was quite the fashionista.
Here he is looking stylish wearing a suit at a garden in Adelaide. The patterned tie adds a nice touch.
This is him looking dapper in a suit, despite the seemingly slightly oversized pants:
No #OOTD shot is complete without an equally preppy friend. That's Instagram-worthy style right there.
And here he is looking dreamy while taking a nap under a tree. If social media existed back then, this would've been liked many times.
Someone probably tried to catch an unglamourous shot of Ong below, but was sorely disappointed.
Ong ensured that he looked sharp by dressing up, even when he was just reading a book on the couch.
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A total sweetheart
If being well-dressed isn't enough, there is more to swoon over.
Ong also has a romantic love story featuring his sweetheart Ling Siew May.
Ling met Ong at a Christmas party when they were in their teens. Several years later, they went to the same university to study architecture together in Adelaide. Apparently, they also shared a common love for Chinese poetry and theatre.
Together, he and his wife make a great-looking couple. Here are some pictures of them looking like they should be on the cover of a romantic Korean drama series during their time in Adelaide.
They went for dreamy scooter rides.
Such a photogenic couple.
In 1963, Ling was the first Asian woman to graduate with a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Adelaide. That was the same year that she and Ong tied the knot:
#Influencer
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Top photo composite image from NAS and Hey
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