Ong Hock Thye (1908–1977), PMN, PSM, DPMS, also known as H. T. Ong, was

Chief Judge of Malaya The high courts in Malaysia are the third-highest courts in the hierarchy of courts of Malaysia, courts, after the Federal Court of Malaysia, Federal Court and the Court of Appeal (Malaysia), Court of Appeal. Article 121 of the Constitution of Ma ...

(known as Chief Justice of Malaya prior to 1994) (8 Nov 1968 – 31 Aug 1973) and a

Barrister-at-Law A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include taking cases in superior courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, researching law and givin ...

Middle Temple The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known simply as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court exclusively entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers, the others being the Inner Temple, Gray's Inn an ...

. He was the son of Mr. Ong Teng Up and was born in

Penang Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay ...

in 1908. In 1935, he married Chong Khew Yin (1915–1942). In 1943, he married Mary Chung Yuet See (1924–1995), the eldest daughter of Kapitan China

Chung Thye Phin Kapitan China Chiew Yuen Lam (; Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: ''Chhang Thai-phìn''); 28 September 1879 – 1935) was a wealthy Malayan tin miner and rubber planter. Chinese Business in Southeast Asia: Contesting Cultural Explanations by Edmund Terence Go ...

. He was educated at the King Edward VII School and

St. George's Institution Saint George's Institution ( ms, Institusi Saint George; abbreviated SGI) is a public single-sex school, all-boys (and girls for Sixth Form) and is one of the oldest schools in Taiping, Perak. The school is widely known as by its initial "SGI" and ...

in Taiping and the University of London. He was the first ethnic Chinese to be appointed a Supreme Court Judge in Malaysia. He was an advocate and solicitor and practiced in Perak from 1931 till his appointment to the Supreme Court on 1 September 1958. He was Chairman of the Royal Commission on Non-Muslim Marriage and Divorce Laws having been appointed on 4 February 1970 by the Duli Yang Maha Mulia Yang di-Pertuan Agong. The other members of his commission comprised Ms P. G. Lim, Enche M. Shankar, Mrs Rosalind Y. C. Foo and DatinJamaki Athi Nahappan. He authored "Law and Justice Through the Cases" which was published in 1973. He was a former Chairman of the Malayan Association of the Blind, Brickfields. He was Chairman of the National Relief Fund set up following the tragic 13 May incident in 1969.

Anecdotes

Right To Be Heard

Tan Sri H.T. Ong—when he was Chief Judge of Malaya—once stopped Counsel who had just begun to open an appeal (an indication that he required no argument for the appellant) and called on Counsel for the Respondent. Counsel for the Respondent began belligerently by saying " Do I understand that my Lord has already made up his mind without hearing the case for the Respondent?" "Oh, no!" said H.T. amiably "please say anything you wish Mr X". He then sat back and said not another word. Counsel for the Respondent soon dried up. Counsel for the appellant was not called on to reply. It is only fair to H.T. who had a brilliant mind, quick to grasp a point but who always gave Counsel his say and listened intently, to say that the Privy Council upheld his judgment in the subsequent appeal.

Chief Justice of Singapore

If not for H. T.,

Chan Sek Keong Chan Sek Keong (born 5 November 1937) is a Malayan-born Singaporean retired judge who served as the third chief justice of Singapore between 2006 and 2012, appointed by President S. R. Nathan. Prior to his appointment as chief justice, he se ...

, Singapore's Chief Justice, might have taken much longer to enter the legal profession.

In Memory

In 1958, Ong Hock Thye, better and popularly known as H.T. Ong, a member of the Hon. Society of the Middle Temple, made legal history when he and Tan Sri Ismail Khan, a Barrister-At-Law of the Hon. Society of the Middle Temple as well, were the first 2 local private practitioners to be elevated to the Bench of the High Court States of Malaya after Independence. H.T.Ong is known for his well crafted judgments and legal prose. He died in 1977.

Honours

Honours of Malaysia

* : **

Recipient of the Malaysian Commemorative Medal (Silver) (P.P.M.) (1965) **

Commander of the

Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia The Most Esteemed Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia ( ms, Darjah Yang Mulia Setia Mahkota Malaysia) is a Malaysian federal award presented for meritorious service to the country and awarded by the sovereign. The order was instituted on ...

(P.S.M.) – Tan Sri (1967) ** Commander of the

Order of the Defender of the Realm The Most Esteemed Order of the Defender of the Realm ( ms, Darjah Yang Mulia Pangkuan Negara) is a Malaysian federal award presented for meritorious service to the country. The Order Motto are 'Dipeliharakan Allah-Pangkuan Negara' (By the Grace o ...

(P.M.N.) – Tan Sri (1972) * : ** MY-SEL_Order_of_the_Crown_of_Selangor_-_Knight_Commander_-_DPMS

Knight Commander of the

Order of the Crown of Selangor The Most Illustrious Order of the Crown of Selangor (Bahasa Melayu: ''Darjah Kebesaran Mahkota Selangor Yang Amat Mulia'') is an order awarded by Sultan of Selangor as a reward for general services to the sultan and state of Selangor. It was fou ...

(D.P.M.S.) – Dato’ (1966)

Anecdotes

Right To Be Heard

Chief Justice of Singapore

In Memory

Honours

Honours of Malaysia

Notes

Sources

See also