Minister Edwin Tong hospitalized: Angioplasty performed due to severe arterial blockage.

SINGAPORE: Edwin Tong, Singapore’s Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, underwent angioplasty to address a severely blocked coronary artery discovered during a recent routine health check.

The surgery took place on Tuesday (8 Aug), after which a stent was successfully inserted to restore blood flow.

Detailing his health journey on Facebook, the 53-year-old politician revealed that he was found to have a blockage in the Left Anterior Descending (LAD) artery, a critical vessel responsible for supplying blood to the heart.

The discovery surprised him, given his active lifestyle, non-smoker status, and satisfactory cholesterol levels.

Earlier today, an angiogram clarified the diagnosis, followed by the angioplasty procedure. “Very grateful to my doctors and the nursing team – they are looking after me brilliantly,” he expressed in his post.

As he recuperates, Mr Tong will reduce his usual hectic schedule, working primarily from home and minimizing events and meetings per medical advice. He apologized for any inconvenience caused due to his absence from several events.

Mr Tong used this opportunity to emphasize the importance of regular health checks, recounting how he didn’t experience notable symptoms and assumed increased fatigue was due to his demanding schedule. “This episode is another reminder for us all to not take our health for granted – and to go for our regular health checks!” he wrote.

Given his health condition, Mr Tong will observe this year’s National Day from the hospital, supporting the National Day Parade through television.

Edwin Tong has been a notable figure in Singaporean politics since 2011, representing Moulmein-Kallang GRC under the People’s Action Party (PAP).

In subsequent years, he represented Marine Parade GRC and assumed his current ministerial role in July 2020. Before his political tenure, he was a lawyer at Allen and Gledhill, a major Singaporean law practice.

Mr Tong also gained attention for representing City Harvest pastor Kong Hee, who faced charges related to misusing church funds.

Notably, a recent vacancy has emerged in Mr Tong’s GRC due to the resignation of Mr Tan Chuan Jin following revelations of an extramarital affair with a fellow PAP MP.

In a concerning trend, several other MPs have recently reported health issues.

Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Transport, Baey Yam Keng, 52, was diagnosed with stage one nose cancer in January last year. After undergoing treatment, he received an all-clear in April 2022. However, come this August, Mr Baey found three benign polyps during a routine colonoscopy.

On 26 July, the Member of Parliament for Bukit Panjang, Liang Eng Hwa, 59, shared that he had been diagnosed with early-stage nose cancer. This diagnosis came after he had been experiencing muffled hearing in his left ear for several months.

Mr Liang mentioned plans to undergo daily radiotherapy treatments for the next seven weeks. As a result, he may reduce his involvement in community activities and duties for the upcoming months.

In a separate incident, Workers’ Party MP Muhamad Faisal Manap, 48, was hospitalized on 24 July due to a “cardiac condition.” After a four-day stay, he was discharged and is presently on medical leave, recuperating at home.