Edward Heath vs Ong Teng Cheong

Heath led the Conservative Party to victory in the 1970 general election, defeating Harold Wilson. He became Prime Minister with a mandate to reform industrial relations and join the European Economic Community.

Heath signed the Treaty of Accession, bringing the United Kingdom into the European Economic Community on January 1, 1973. This ended years of negotiations and was a major step in European integration.

Heath's government faced a miners' strike over pay, leading to the Three-Day Week to conserve electricity. The crisis forced a general election in February 1974, which Heath lost.

Heath called a snap election on the issue of 'Who governs Britain?' but failed to win a majority. Labour formed a minority government under Harold Wilson, ending Heath's premiership.

After losing a second election in October 1974, Heath was defeated in the Conservative leadership contest by Margaret Thatcher. He resigned as party leader, marking a shift to the right.

As Minister for Communications, Ong championed the construction of Singapore's Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system. The first phase opened in 1987, transforming public transportation in the city-state.

Ong served as Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore from 1985 to 1993 under Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and later Goh Chok Tong. He oversaw infrastructure development and urban planning.

Ong Teng Cheong was elected as the first directly elected President of Singapore in August 1993. He won 58.7% of the vote, defeating Chua Kim Yeow. The election marked a shift from a ceremonial to an elected presidency with custodial powers.

Ong resigned as President in September 1999, citing health reasons. He had been diagnosed with lymphoma. His resignation led to a by-election, which was won by Sellapan Ramanathan.