1939 – July

Born in Bangsar Hospital, Kuala Lumpur
 

1942 - February
Evacuated from Singapore with my mother, brother Chong Teik, Mum, Mui Chay and my aunt (Koo Chay) onboard the French merchant ship, Felix Rousell, to Bombay in India. Three ships sailed up the Straits of Malacca, our ship was the only ship which survived the chase and attacks by Japanese bombers. All ships headed south to Indonesia and Australia were sunk outside the Singapore harbour.

 

(Read Neville Shute's book, Sinister Twilight which tells of the last days of the British Empire in Singapore, and mentions the Felix Rousell. Began studies at St. Stanislaw High school, Bandra.

 

1945 – June

Reunited with family in Singapore after Japan surrenders . As conditions were very poor, we stayed with grandmother, Wong Bee Soo’s family home at 75 Keng Lee Rd. (By this time, she had passed away during the war after succumbing to Kempetai torture.)

Leave for Kuala Lumpur and studied at Batu Road School.

 

1952

Represented Victoria Institution (VI) in Badminton. We were then the second best school in Badminton. Watched how my uncle, Wong Peng Soon, the World Champion then, trained in our home at Ampang Road.

 

1954

Leave for Perse School in Cambridge with Chong Teik where I studied for my O levels, A levels and eventually, the entrance exam for Medicine . I passed these exams as well as the interviews for entry to study Medicine at Downing College, Cambridge.

 

1958

Became the first Malayan to win the All England Junior Badminton Championships at the Wimbledon Squash and Badminton courts. We stayed with the Powel Family in Wimbledon during the holidays and trained with the Malayan Thomas Cuppers, Eddie Choong, David Choong and the Heah brothers. With thirty county championships, in Men's Singles Doubles and Mixed Doubles, including the Irish, Scottish and Welsh Championships. On returning to K.L win the Selangor Open Junior Badminton Championships.

 

Began studies in Medicine at Downing College where I stayed on the third floor of K Block. I was invited to be member of the Cambridge University Badminton team and played against Oxford, where I received my Half Blue colours.

 

1959

Secretary, Cambridge Badminton Team.

Downing College wins the Badminton Cuppers from 1959-61.

 

1960

Captain, Cambridge University Badminton Club and member of the elite Cambridge University Hawk's Club reserved for sportsmen with Full Blues/Half blues.

 

1960-65

Participated in All England Championships. Reached Men's Singles by beating the South African champion Powel in the first round; the Swedish No. 1, Bernt Dahlberg, in the second and then, followed later by beating Ferry Sonneville (then Indonesia's No. 1). Unfortunately, lost in the quarterfinals to Danish No. 2, 'runner' Kurt Nielsen.

 

In 1965, I partnered Erland Kops to win the Danish Men's Doubles and, we were runner up in the All England Men's Doubles, eventually becoming the unofficial World No. 2.

 

1965-71

Retired from badminton to focus on medical studies and training, at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge. Trained in Paediatrics and passed my Diploma in Paediatrics (DCH). Also, I did postings in Medicine, Surgery, Orthopedics, Neurosurgery , Eyes, and Accident and Emergency medicine.

 

1971

Passed London MRCP (Member of the Royal College of Physician (London).

 

1974

Passed Cambridge MD Cantab., Research in Cancer immunology and Use of the Blood Cell Separator.

 

1975

Elected as Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, London and also the Academy of Medicine, Singapore.

 

12 April 1975

Married to Susie Chu.

 

June 1975

Returned to Singapore as Lecturer in Medicine at the National University of Singapore at the Singapore General Hospital. It was also the start of the Research on Liver Cancer where the Hepatoma Research Group was formed in the attic of our department.

 

1979

Promoted to Associate Professor of Medicine and became reputed for Liver Cancer research.

 

1981-85

Principal Investigator for the Ministry of Trade and Industry Research to produce a Hepatitis B Vaccine.

 

1984- 86

• Appointed Secretary General Asia Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver.

• Appointed Consultant to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, World Health Organization, for Hepatitis B Vaccine and Liver Cancer.

• Appointed Consultant to WHO in Geneva for Biological Standards for human usage.

• Appointed Director, WHO Collaborating Laboratories for Hepatitis B Vaccine in the University Department of Medicine I, at the Singapore General Hospital.

• Appointed Advisor, W.HO. Western Pacific Region and conducted three studies: The extent of Hepatitis B, Liver Cancer in the Asia Pacific Region and developing hepatitis reagents for the region.

 

1983-85

Conducted clinical trials for novel Hepatitis B vaccine manufactured from human plasma and later from recombinant yeast vaccine. Later countries from ASEAN, Oceania, Hong Kong, and other parts of the World would learn from us on how to implement a National HBV vaccination program for all newborns and integrating this to the Extended Program of Immunization for Childhood.

 

1 October 1985

Appointed Chairman of Ministry of Health Advisory Committee on Hepatitis and related Disorders, and start of the supervision of the National Hepatitis B Vaccination program.

 

1986

Donated an annual trophy to the Perse School in Cambridge. This is a prize for outstanding performance in academics and racquet sports.

 

1985-2005

Monitored the effectiveness of the HBV vaccination program. Discovery of Vaccine escape mutants with the first generation Plasma derived vaccines, but not in the yeast Recombinant vaccine. Developed research for antiviral treatments for HBV and screening for early Liver Cancer.

 

1996-2000

Owner of 5 industrial patents registered worldwide.

 

1985

Joined the Ministry of Health’s  new Department of Clinical Research at SGH and continued research on Hepatitis viruses. Worked on the development of a Hepatitis C vaccine with Dr. Choo Kui Lin at Chiron. Later, we discovered the first cases of Hepatitis E in Singapore. Biennial visit to Downing College to present the Oon International Prize in Medicine for an outstanding scientist from anywhere in the world, whose research would lead to a prevention of a human disease.

 

1994 August 15

Baptized by Rev Fr. Eagan , S.J in St. Ignatius Church.

 

2002

Appointed Archdiocese Scientific Advisor on Bioethics and campaign strong against the usage of living human embryos for experimentation. Invited by Archbishop Nicholas Chia to be a member of the Order of Malta.

 

23 February 2003

Installed as a Knight of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta. Appointed as the Hospitaller of the Singapore Association.

 

8 December 2004

Initiated and organized the first Lourdes Experience in Singapore, to bring the spirituality of Lourdes to Singapore for those who are unable to attend , and to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the proclamation of the Immaculate Conception. 10,000 parishioners and other denominations attended the event at the Indoor Stadium where the theme was "Bring my people back to me"

 

20th December 2005

Participated in the mosaic mural painting of Our Lady with her Singapore Children in the outer walls of the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth, Israel.

 

June 2006 & 2008

Held the Musical Charity show of the reprise of the Prodigal Son at the Esplanade Recital Studio.

 

6 December 2008

The second Lourdes Experience event was held.

 

8 November 2008

Elected as Chancellor of the Singapore Association, Order of Malta.

 

March 2012

Retired from Office Holder of the Singapore Order of Malta.

 

20th December 2013

Raised funds to have the first Singapore Chapel (Jesus Walking on Water chapel) in the new Basilica of St. Mary Magdalene, Magdala, Holy Land.

 

26 May 2014

Met Pope Francis in the Pontifical Institute of Notre Dame where he thanked all the benefactors and blessed the Tabernacle of the Basilica of St. Mary Magdalene. He also met the two leaders President Abbas (PLO) and President Simon Peres (Israel) to pray together at his Vatican Garden in June for Peace in the Holy Land.

 

June 2014

Donated and presented the Professor Gabriel Oon Chong Jin Prize to Downing College, Cambridge for any student displaying both outstanding performance in academia and sports from the College.