Anthea Ong

In February 2020, given the "overwhelming response" that they have received for their public consultation on mental healthcare, Ong and her team of volunteers launched the community initiative "SG Mental Health Matters", through a website meant as a "coalescing point" for advocacy efforts in mental wellness within Singapore.

In December 2019, Ong launched the first-ever public consultation on mental healthcare in Singapore, intending on utilising the findings to support her Budget 2020 speech.

Together with 2 other Nominated Members of Parliament Walter Theseira and Irene Quay, Ong submitted 4 amendments to the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Bill in May 2019. In coming up with the proposed amendments, they consulted with representatives from online media, civil society activists, lawyers and academics. In a joint statement, the NMPs stated that they agreed with the “legislative intent” of the “far-reaching” bill, and have made suggestions for changes that will “preserve the ability of the Executive to act against online falsehoods in the public interest, while ensuring that such decisions are subject to good governance.”

In May 2018, Ong founded Workwell Leaders Workgroup together with 25 prominent Singaporean work leaders, including representatives from Johnson & Johnson, DBS Bank, Deloitte and National University Health System. The workgroup looks to champion mental well-being as a leadership priority in workplaces.

Ong was one of 3 Singaporean women who went on an expedition to Antarctica to study climate change in 2018, funded by the 2041 Foundation.

Ong was one of the 9 Nominated Members of Parliament (NMP) chosen in September 2018 for the 13th Parliament of Singapore. Speaking to The Straits Times after her appointment was announced, Ong said that she intended to speak on issues of social inclusion, mental health and volunteerism.

She continued with a call to mandate mental health education in schools. To address the jump in the number of youths who sought help for stress and depression in 2018, Ong called for the provision of support structures for parents and families that can contribute to destigmatising the issue of mental health in society.

In 2017, Ong co-founded A Good Space, a not-for-profit initiative, with the support of National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC). Through naturing a community of changemakers, A Good Space looks to improve volunteerism for social causes in Singapore.

In 2014, Ong founded the social enterprise Hush TeaBar, Singapore's first silent tea bar. Through its employment of the deaf and individuals with mental health issues, Hush seeks to bridge the gap between the hearing and non-hearing world. Through Hush, Ong hopes to address the epidemic of mental health issues faced by most Singaporean workplaces and schools.

In December 2013, Ong left the corporate world to focus on her social entrepreneurship and advocacy efforts.

In 2013, Ong founded the social project Playground of Joy, introducing an educational programme that integrates mindfulness into its curriculum. Ong is working on expanding her Playground of Joy project to Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, while also serving children with special needs and financial assistance within Singapore.

Additionally, Ong served as the president of the Women's Initiative for Ageing Successfully (WINGS) from 2010 to 2017, an organisation helping women embrace ageing with confidence From 2014 to 2016, she was also a Founding Board Member of Daughters of Tomorrow, a registered charity that supports the empowerment of women through individualised coaching.

From 2008 to 2013, Ong was Managing Director (Indonesia, Malaysia & Singapore) at Omega Performance Inc, a Washington DC-headquartered strategy and performance-improvement consulting group for banks and financial institutions. Additionally, she was also the Asian Lead of the Global Corporate Responsibility Board for Informa Plc.

Between 2002 and 2008, Ong founded the Singapore-based education and technology consultancy, Knowledge Director Group.

Through Parliamentary Questions (PQs), Ong queried the Ministry of Manpower (Singapore) on its plans to communicate new safety requirements for the recently amended Work Injury Compensation Act, alongside guidelines educating migrant workers on heat stress. In response, Minister Josephine Teo indicated that information on heat stress is being distributed through its Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) website alongside collaterals such as heat stroke cards. Teo also assured Ong that close to 2000 employers have been briefed in collaboration with the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF), coupled with the Ministry's own active engagement efforts.

Anthea Indira Ong Lay Theng (Chinese: 王丽婷 ; pinyin: Wáng Lìtíng ; born 1968) is a Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) for the 13th Parliament of Singapore. Ong is also a full-time entrepreneur and social advocate, being the founder of social organisations including Hush TeaBar and A Good Space.