Former general Ng Chee Meng to be parachuted and given a ministerial post

[LITTLEREDDOT]

The PAP conceding that NTUC labour chief Ng Chee Meng has no chance of winning Sengkang GRC.
They have decided to send in the suicide squad and parachute Ng Chee Meng into a safe constituency in the next elections.
Ng Chee Meng will then be given a ministerial position and on his way towards being a possible 5G Prime Minister.

PAP unveils three new faces in Sengkang GRC​

The Sengkang GRC team distribute groceries to the underprivileged families in Sengkang GRC on March 27, 2022. PHOTO: PEOPLE'S ACTION PARTY

David Sun
Correspondent

Mar 27, 2022

SINGAPORE - Three new faces have been unveiled by the People's Action Party (PAP) to chair its party branches in Sengkang GRC, a sign that they will be the ruling party's candidates there in the next general election.
In a party statement issued by chairman of the PAP HQ Executive Committee Chan Chun Sing on Sunday (March 27), it was revealed that Associate Professor Elmie Nekmat, Ms Theodora Lai and Mr Ling Weihong will replace Mr Ng Chee Meng, Mr Amrin Amin and Mr Raymond Lye, who were part of the team that was fielded against the Workers' Party in GE2020.
Prof Elmie will be the branch chair of Sengkang Central, while Ms Lai will chair Sengkang North and Mr Ling Sengkang East.
Dr Lam Pin Min, branch chair of Sengkang West, will lead the PAP Sengkang GRC team.
Mr Ng, Mr Amrin and Mr Lye will continue to assist the new team.
Mr Ng will also be the adviser to the PAP Sengkang GRC team.


"The Party would like to thank the outgoing branch chairs for their service and contributions to Sengkang GRC, and we look forward to their future contributions in other capacities," said the statement.

Speaking to the media after a grocery distribution event for underprivileged families in Sengkang GRC on Sunday, Dr Lam said: “I think with our passion and enthusiasm to serve residents, we hope residents can see we are sincere in serving them and that they’ll give us their trust and support.”
He added that the introduction of the new team now would give them a long enough runway for interactions with residents before the next General Elections.
“I won’t say it’s a suicide squad,” he said. “All of us are in this together”.

Former MP for Sengkang GRC Raeesah Khan resigned from the Workers’ Party (WP) and Parliament last year after she admitted to making false allegations in Parliament.
Asked for his comments on the incident involving Ms Khan, Dr Lam said it was an “unfortunate incident”.
“But whatever the reason is, as a new team in Sengkang, our main focus is to serve the residents,” he said.
Prof Elmie, 40, is an associate professor of Communications and New Media and assistant dean of research in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the National University of Singapore.
He has been a party activist since 2016, including with the Young PAP and Malay Affairs Bureau.
He is a board member of Sport Singapore, council member of Ngee Ann Polytechnic and district councilor for Central Community Development Council.
He is also a member of the Malay Language Learning and Promotion Committee for the Ministry of Education, Malay Language Examination Syllabus Review Committee for Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board and Adviser for the Steering Committee of Community Leaders Forum Leadership and Benefactor Scheme for Yayasan Mendaki.

(From left) Associate Professor Elmie Nekmat, Ms Theodora Lai and Mr Ling Weihong. PHOTOS: TIMOTHY DAVID, THEODORALAI/INSTAGRAM, SCREENGRAB FROM THE STRAITS TIMES/YOUTUBE
Ms Lai, 36, is the chief strategy officer of food app company Burpple, and has been a party activist since 2009, including as Chairperson of the PAP Policy Forum from 2019 to 2020.
She is a founding member of the Young Women's Leadership Connection, and of Prep Junior - a free-to-download app which helps to teach Chinese to preschoolers through interactive stories around Singapore.
Ms Lai is also an Advisor with Safespace, a mobile platform that connects people who are going through mental health issues, with mental healthcare professionals.

Dr Lam Pin Min (second from right) will lead the PAP Sengkang GRC team while Mr Ng Chee Meng, Mr Amrin Amin and Mr Raymond Lye will continue to assist. PHOTO: RAYMOND LYE/FACEBOOK
The party statement also said she is an active community volunteer including as a District Councillor in Northeast Community Development Council.
Mr Ling, 41, is a lawyer in private practice, and has been a party activist since 2015, including as Branch Secretary of Sengkang Central Branch since April 2021 and Assistant Branch Secretary of Woodlands Branch from 2016 to 2018.
He helped to launch the Woodlands Mentoring programme which paired children from low-income families with youth mentors in the community, and was an Assessor for Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) Act from April to October 2020 and a volunteer with the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme between 2007 and 2016.
The PAP has 93 branches across Singapore, and branch chairmen have traditionally been its elected MPs - except for those in opposition-held constituencies.
Political observer Eugene Tan, Associate Professor of Law at Singapore Management University, noted the lack of heavyweights among the new team.
“Except for Dr Lam, it is a new line-up,” he said.
“So the first order of business is to ensure residents know who they are and the plans they have. They will have to be creative given that WP is also upping their game in the wake of Ms Khan’s resignation last year. The PAP team has to operate without reinforcing WP’s messaging that voting for the WP will result in the PAP serving residents well.”
He added that the new trio will have their work cut out for them, and that if Mr Ng and Mr Amrin are to contest in the next GE, they would likely be fielded in other GRCs.
“The PAP is realistic about its prospects in Sengkang GRC and they have not lined up any heavyweight or Minister or even an existing political office holder such as a Minister of State,” he said.
“It is still too male-dominated a line-up, although a slight improvement from the all-men line-up in the 2020 GE.”

 

[roller888]

huh you sure bo?

 

[Confuseous]

Looks like these guys really need a long long runway.

I really have no comments on the candidates' looks department.

 

[Cottonmouth]

who's tampon will he be clinging on?

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

PAP's game plan for Ng Chee Meng in 2020 General Elections: use the tried and trusted formula of general Ng announcing his retirement from the army just weeks or months before the general election. Parachute NCM into Sengkang GRC. The GE will be a walkover and NCM will be given a ministerial position and fast-tracked on to become a 5G minister.
Hiccup: NCM's runway not long enough for him to take off. Sengkang GRC Sinkies are not that stupid to blindly vote for PAP.

Longer runway for PAP's three new faces in Sengkang to connect with residents: Political observers​

From left: Ling Weihong, Lam Pin Min, Theodora Lai Xi Yi and Elmie Nekmat. (Photo: TODAY/Raj Nadarajan)

Ang Hwee Min​

@HweeMinCNA
28 Mar 2022

SINGAPORE: The three new faces unveiled by the People’s Action Party (PAP) to its Sengkang GRC team gives them a longer runway to work the ground and connect with residents before the next General Election, said political analysts on Monday (Mar 28).
The introduction of the new team also provides an opportunity for the trio to be more actively involved in the political processes, allowing residents a decent amount of time to make a comparison when election day arrives, added the analysts.
On Sunday, the PAP introduced three new faces - Associate Professor Elmie Nekmat, Ms Theodora Lai Xi Yi and Mr Ling Weihong - as branch chairs for its Sengkang team.
They will replace former Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Ng Chee Meng, former Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Home Affairs Amrin Amin and Mr Raymond Lye, who were part of PAP's team fielded against the Workers' Party (WP) in the 2020 General Election.
In GE2020, WP won Sengkang GRC with 52.13 per cent of the vote against the 47.87 per cent by the PAP.
Observers told CNA they expect that Mr Ng and Mr Amrin will be redeployed to other constituencies.

YOUNGER LINE-UP​

PAP's announcement of the three new faces is in line with how members have been arguing for rejuvenation within their own party, said political analyst Dr Felix Tan.
“Fielding three new faces at this point in time would also allow residents to familiarise who the PAP will be fielding in the upcoming elections instead of just rushing through some random faces at the last minute,” he added.
The introduction of the new team in Sengkang is very much about the PAP "getting over a hump" after their “shock defeat” there in 2020, said Associate Professor of Law Eugene Tan from the Singapore Management University.
“It is clear the PAP is opting for a different line-up for the next GE - one that is younger and with no political office-holders. It appears that they have an assessment that it is not politically advantageous to have their quartet who contested in Sengkang in 2020 to contest there again,” he said.
Assoc Prof Tan added that the PAP “looks set” to redeploy Mr Ng and Mr Amrin to other constituencies.
“It is clear that the PAP wants them to be elected at the next GE and, strategy-wise, that it would be better for them to contest elsewhere.”

DOING THE GROUND WORK​

Sengkang GRC was won in 2020 by a WP team comprising Ms He Ting Ru, Associate Professor Jamus Lim, Mr Louis Chua and Ms Raeesah Khan.
Ms Khan has since resigned from the WP and given up her seat, after she confessed to lying in Parliament last year.
Of PAP's Sengkang team, Dr Lam Pin Min will continue as branch chair of Sengkang West and will lead PAP’s team in the constituency, the party said in a statement on Sunday.
Mr Ng will now serve as an adviser to the PAP’s Sengkang GRC team while Mr Amrin and Mr Lye “will assist in seeing through the transition for the PAP Sengkang team to continue serving our Sengkang residents”, the party said.
The PAP’s three new faces for Sengkang come from the fields of academia, tech and law.
It was “only a matter of time” before the PAP introduced fresh faces to Sengkang GRC to rebuild its network there after its loss in GE2020, said Dr Gillian Koh, deputy director of research at the Institute of Policy Studies.
The same thing happened after the PAP lost Aljunied GRC in the 2011 General Elections, where a new set of branch chairmen were appointed in June 2013, she noted.
“In both cases, no former ministers were included (in those) who had contested in those teams,” said Dr Koh.
The three individuals, however, may not necessarily be fielded in the next General Election.
"If you look at who was eventually fielded in GE2015 in Aljunied, it need not necessarily be the case that it will be the same individuals who may have been introduced as fresh new branch secretaries," said Dr Koh.
“This is a period of trying out new people, giving residents a feel of them, and giving them a feel of the residents, the constituencies, and the nature of the work.”
Having enough time for the new team to work the ground with Dr Lam is “critical”, said Dr Koh, noting that the WP’s Sengkang team did a "significant amount" of ground work well before GE2020.

NEW PAP FACES OFFER SIMILAR DIVERSITY AS WP TEAM​

Analysts also noted that the new faces fielded by the PAP are “comparable” to the WP team in terms of diversity and representation.
“Sengkang GRC consists of a relatively younger crop of Singaporeans. As such, with these new faces, the PAP is hoping that they will be able to make that connection with the residents there,” said Dr Tan.
“Moreover, residents in Sengkang GRC might not necessarily gravitate towards the well-worn experiences of those with high ministerial calibre, but rather those who are able to connect with the younger residents.”

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Ng Chee Meng is not a cabinet minister but was consulted on, and allowed to vote for, the next PM.
This is confirmation that Ng Chee Meng will be parachuted into a safe GRC in the next election so that he will finally be appointed a Minister.

Lawrence Wong clear choice to helm PAP's 4G leadership, with 15 of 19 stakeholders backing him​

Warren Fernandez
Editor-in-Chief

Apr 16, 2022

SINGAPORE - The choice of Mr Lawrence Wong to helm the People's Action Party's fourth-generation (4G) leadership was made by an "overwhelming majority" of those involved, and this was subsequently endorsed by its top leaders and all its MPs.
This process of forging a consensus on who should lead the party, and Singapore, should the PAP win the next general election, was undertaken in a systematic and thorough way, to allow for candour, introspection and objectivity, and to help forge unity and support for the outcome.
Mr Wong, 49, emerged as the top choice of 15 out of the 19 stakeholders involved.
The 19 were all the Cabinet ministers, excluding Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and the two senior ministers, and included Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin and NTUC secretary-general Ng Chee Meng, both former 4G ministers.
Each of the 19 was interviewed separately by former PAP chairman Khaw Boon Wan over the past month after the Budget debate in March. They were asked for their preferred choice - other than themselves - and had to rank potential candidates in order of their preference.
None of the other names garnered more than two votes, said Mr Khaw, indicating a clear majority of 79 per cent for Mr Wong.
This was more than a super-majority, he added.

Details of the vote were disclosed at a media conference held at the Istana on Saturday morning (April 16). It was chaired by PM Lee and attended by Mr Wong and Mr Khaw, to elaborate on Thursday's announcement of the party's choice of its next leader.
PM Lee said this was a major step forward in the political succession process, which he felt could not be delayed much further, as the uncertainty was not good for the country, given the many challenges ahead.
Now that the 4G choice was made, he would discuss with Mr Wong the timeline and next steps, with a view to handing over when Mr Wong and the 4G team are ready. This process would be done "carefully and deliberately", he said.

He would discuss with Mr Wong and decide later what was the best strategy for the PAP to contest the next election, which is due by November 2025.
This might include handing over to Mr Wong and his team ahead of the polls to allow them to contest and seek a fresh mandate from the electorate. Alternatively, PM Lee could lead the PAP team to fight the election, and if the PAP wins, Mr Wong would step up as PM some time thereafter.
"It will depend on how things evolve, it's something which we'll decide later on. But either way, our plan is for Lawrence to be the next PM, if the PAP wins the next GE. That has been settled.
"And the reaction from the public over the last two days shows that many people are happy we have taken this decision, and are happy with the decision."

This process of forging a consensus around the next leader was important, he added, since as first among equals in the Cabinet, the PM must have the support of his ministers, who bear collective responsibility for their decisions.

"Otherwise, the Government cannot function," said PM Lee, adding that the process was to pick the 4G leader, not his deputy or a 5G leader. It would be up to Mr Wong to pick his choice of deputy and his team later.
"To be effective as a PM, he must be able to trust and rely on his ministers, and his ministers must also be team players, supporting the PM, their PM, and supporting the team. And they all have to help the team to score goals collectively for Singapore."

For his part, in his first public outing since Thursday's announcement, Mr Wong said that he would work hard, together with his colleagues, to continue to win and earn the trust of Singaporeans.
He noted 4G leaders had already taken a “first step” in a multi-year plan to renew and strengthen society’s social compact in this year’s Budget, and would comprehensively review policies to see what more could be adjusted and improved.
“So, this would be a major agenda for the 4G team,” he said. “But beyond that, we will as a team continue to work hard to win the trust and support of every Singaporean, to create bonds and connect with them, and to develop new ideas that will resonate with Singaporeans, and especially with a new generation of Singaporeans."

He added: "I fully recognise the growing diversity of experiences and perspectives amongst Singaporeans, and I would like every Singaporean to know and feel that they will always have a stake in our society, even as we chart our new way forward together.
"And as leader of the team, that will be the approach, the attitude and the spirit I will adopt."

Acknowledging that he had his work cut out for him as he embarked on "possibly the biggest responsibility of my life", he added that he was "under no illusions about the demands of the job".
"It will get more challenging with greater political contestation and the growing desire for diversity in Parliament.
"And as PM said in Parliament recently, we do not assume that the PAP will win the next general election. Every GE from now on will be about which party will form the Government, not just how many seats the opposition wins or what percentage of the votes the ruling party gets.
"Knowing full well that we will have to earn the right of leadership, I will continue with the same principles that have guided me all these years, which is to give of my best, to engage and listen, and to learn and improve continually."

 

[Confuseous]

They are putting Chee Meng in a bunker - the idiot may say the wrong things.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

GE2025: Labour chief Ng Chee Meng seen at Fernvale, part of new Jalan Kayu SMC, ahead of election​

Labour chief Ng Chee Meng (in white), with Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong (centre) at a Fernvale community event on March 16.ST PHOTO: SUE-ANN TAN

Sue-Ann Tan
Mar 16, 2025, 08:10 PM

SINGAPORE - Labour chief Ng Chee Meng was spotted at a family carnival at Fernvale on March 16, ahead of the upcoming general election.

Fernvale is part of the newly carved-out Jalan Kayu SMC.

When asked if he would run in Ang Mo Kio GRC or the new Jalan Kayu SMC, he told reporters: “You’ll find out, I’m sure, in good time. You’ll see what the Prime Minister decides.”

Mr Ng said he has attended constituency events in some parts of Bukit Batok, Ang Mo Kio and Sengkang once every quarter or so.

The new Jalan Kayu SMC takes in some areas from Ang Mo Kio GRC that are currently under Ms Ng Ling Ling, who oversees the Jalan Kayu ward, and some under Mr Gan Thiam Poh, who represents Fernvale.

The next general election must be held by November but is widely expected to take place by mid-2025.

Mr Ng, who is secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), was with Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, the anchor minister for Ang Mo Kio GRC, and Mr Gan at the Chill Lah Fernvale Family Carnival on March 16.

Mr Ng joined politics in 2015 and won as part of a five-member PAP team at Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC.

He was appointed Education Minister for Schools and Second Minister for Transport in 2016.

In 2018, he was elected NTUC chief, a position he held while also being Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office.

In the 2020 General Election, he led the PAP’s team in the new Sengkang GRC and was voted out after the ruling party lost the constituency to the opposition Workers’ Party. He retained his role as labour chief.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Politics: Referee kayu​

Ng Chee Meng, secretary general of the National Trade Union Congress (NTUC), must be the luckiest Singaporean. Ng was a one-term member of Parliament (MP) with the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) before his Sengkang team famously lost to the Workers’ Party (WP) in the 2020 general election (GE). Despite Ng failing to win an electoral mandate, NTUC controversially kept him on as secretary-general, a role that since 1980 had been filled by cabinet ministers. Ng’s lucky to have kept this well-remunerated job, a privilege that losing or retiring PAP candidates—but rarely opposition ones—often enjoy within the establishment. (Ng and his two brothers are all military men and part of the governing elite.)

Ng was lucky again that the PAP omitted him from its Sengkang slate for the upcoming GE, where he’d likely face the same formidable WP team featuring Louis Chua, He Ting Ru and Jamus Lim. And the release of last week’s report by the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee (EBRC), which features significant gerrymandering, makes him three times lucky. The EBRC has resuscitated the Jalan Kayu single member constituency after it’s been dormant for almost 40 years. It’s been carved out of the adjacent Ang Mo Kio group representation constituency, a stronghold led by Lee Hsien Loong, senior minister. And this week, Ng went on a walkabout there with Lee. He later wrote on Facebook that he’s familiar with the neighbourhood, given that he’s been living in Seletar Hills for 20 odd years, and he also “grew up” there because of his youth flying activities.

How lucky to have a new political district created on your doorstep. If the PAP does indeed field him there, the hometown boy would seem like a shoo-in. That said, rumours are swirling that opposition heavyweights, including Chee Soon Juan of the Singapore Democratic Party, may contest there, in what could be a multi-cornered fight. If Ng somehow contrives to lose again, will he still keep his NTUC post? If that happens, better buy 4D liao.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

SAF Chief of Staff Goh Pei Ming steps down ahead of GE2025​

SAF Chief of Staff - Joint Staff Goh Pei Ming has held various senior command appointments within the SAF.ST PHOTO: FELINE LIM

Anjali Raguraman
Apr 01, 2025

SINGAPORE - SAF Chief of Staff - Joint Staff Goh Pei Ming has left the armed forces, raising speculation that he is likely to be fielded in the upcoming general election.

The brigadier-general confirmed with The Straits Times that March 31 was his last day with the Singapore Armed Forces, but did not comment on his next move or whether he will stand in the election.

Mr Goh, 42, also served concurrently as SAF Inspector-General and chief sustainability officer.

His departure is the latest in a string of resignations from the public sector in recent weeks, which has fuelled talk that these senior officers will be fielded in the general election.

Mr Goh has held various senior command appointments within the SAF.

These include Director of Joint Operations, commander of the 3rd Singapore Division and head of the Joint Plans and Transformation Department.

He chaired the National Day Parade organising committee in 2022, and was previously deployed to Afghanistan.

As at March 29, Mr Goh had a newly-created public Facebook profile.

He currently serves as chairman of the Kampong Chai Chee Community Club Management Committee.

An alumni of Victoria Junior College, he holds a civil engineering degree from Cornell University in the United States.

He also holds a Masters in Defence Studies from King’s College London in the United Kingdom, and a Masters in Management Science and Engineering from Stanford University in the US.

Mr Goh is the third person from the military who has been touted as a potential candidate.

Mr Dinesh Vasu Dash, a former brigadier-general, has stepped down as chief executive of the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) and will likely be fielded in the upcoming polls.

The other possible candidate is Major-General David Neo, who stepped down as Chief of Army on March 21.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

GE2025: Income-Allianz deal made in good faith, NTUC will do better, says Ng Chee Meng​

Labour chief Ng Chee Meng is campaigning to get back into Parliament by winning in Jalan Kayu SMC, where he faces WP candidate Andre Low.ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
Sue-Ann Tan and Kimberly Kwek

SINGAPORE – The sale of NTUC’s Income Insurance to German insurer Allianz was proposed in good faith and seen to be reasonable, said labour chief Ng Chee Meng on April 27, in response to criticism that the labour movement had not spoken up against the deal.

Speaking at the PAP rally for Jalan Kayu SMC, the single seat that he is running in, he said: “We thought in the labour movement that it was a reasonable deal.”

Noting that Income’s market share had fallen from 20 per cent to 6 per cent in the past 10 years, Mr Ng said: “The proposed deal could strengthen Income and, most importantly, protect the interest of Income’s policyholders.”

A stronger Income would also enable the National Trades Union Congress to continue its social mission in areas besides insurance, he said.

However, the proposed $2.2 billion deal came under public scrutiny after questions were raised about Income’s ability to continue its social mission after the sale, and the Government eventually put a stop to it in October 2024.

A Bill was also passed in the same month to amend the Insurance Act so that the Monetary Authority of Singapore would have to consider the views of the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth when an application for regulatory approval involves an insurer that is either a cooperative or linked to one.

“NTUC couldn’t have known (that) the law would be changed. But we sincerely respected the Government’s view and accept it,” said Mr Ng.

He added: “(We) humbly acknowledged the public feedback that we have received. I’ve initiated a review in NTUC Enterprise so that we can learn the right lessons.

“In NTUC, we will do our best, and sometimes, I’m sorry that it is not good enough, but... we will do better.”

Mr Ng, who led the PAP team that lost to the Workers’ Party in Sengkang GRC at the 2020 General Election, is campaigning to get back into Parliament by winning in Jalan Kayu, where he faces the WP’s Mr Andre Low.

In recent days, the WP has questioned NTUC’s support for the Allianz deal.

At a rally in Tampines on April 26, WP chief Pritam Singh noted that not one of the labour MPs had asked questions about the deal in Parliament, and called the labour movement a “guaranteed trampoline” for losing PAP candidates.

In response, Mr Ng said there is “no safe harbour”, adding that he had to stand for re-election in 2023 to continue as NTUC secretary-general, a role he was elected to in 2018.

“I stand before you because I want to serve, not with any safety net. As ironic as it sounds, when I stand to fight and champion workers’ interests to anchor job security, I am, interestingly, the only one without real job security,” he said.

Mr Ng said he knew “it would be a hard fight” coming into the 2025 General Election. “I know the opposition would drag these issues up, just as it’s happening now,” he said.


On losing in Sengkang GRC in 2020, he said: “The loss had a big personal impact not only on me, but also on my family, my union brothers and sisters, and the PAP. I had to ask myself in that time, ‘What should I do?’ Some have asked me to ‘jiayou’ (‘press on’ in Mandarin) and carry on, others say it is time to move on.”

But he added that he could not walk away from helping workers, who were losing their livelihoods during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“I understood then, what it meant to stand in the gap between desperation and hope. I’m just glad that the NTUC, together with our employers, partners and the Government, we were able to bridge the gap and... emerge stronger,” he said.

Besides Mr Ng, the PAP candidates for Ang Mo Kio GRC as well as Kebun Baru and Yio Chu Kang SMCs also spoke at the rally at Fern Green Primary School.

At around 9pm, Mr Ng had to pause his speech to call for paramedics after a woman in the audience fainted.

“Make space, give the person some air, please,” he said.

She was conscious when stretchered off and received medical attention in an ambulance at the rally site.

The last speaker of the night, Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who is leading the PAP team in Ang Mo Kio GRC, endorsed Mr Ng in his speech.

Mr Ng had the “grit and sense of responsibility” to continue serving as labour chief, he said, and “proved himself reliable, trustworthy, committed” during the Covid-19 crisis.

Calling the proposed Income-Allianz deal “a serious matter”, SM Lee said the labour movement had deemed the sale reasonable and that the Government had also initially supported it because it met regulations.

But the Government later changed its mind after looking further into the matter, he said, and changed the law to block the deal.

“NTUC cannot do that. The Government has to do that. But it shows we are brothers with them – a symbiotic relationship. You make a decision. I look at it impartially, objectively, afresh. There is no groupthink,” he said.

SM Lee noted that while the labour MPs did not ask questions about the deal in Parliament, six PAP MPs and one WP MP did.

He added that the WP had abstained from voting when it came to the legislation to block the deal.


Mr Abdul Samad Abdul Wahab, an NTUC vice-president and a union leader, also spoke up for Mr Ng at the rally.

He said Mr Ng had helped to get pay rises for workers who go for training, better pay for lower-wage workers, laws to protect taxi drivers and private-hire drivers, as well as flexible work arrangements, among other things.

“These are real actions, real outcomes for workers that make a difference (to the) lives of workers,” he said. “Imagine if he gets into Parliament, he can do even more.”

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

GE2025: Labour chief Ng Chee Meng plans to draw on NTUC experience to help Jalan Kayu residents​

Mr Ng Chee Meng said he is looking into innovative ways to reach out to younger workers, especially those under 35.ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG

Sue-Ann Tan
Apr 29, 2025

SINGAPORE - Labour chief Ng Chee Meng plans to tap his experience working with the unions and drawing up creative solutions for workers when it comes to helping Jalan Kayu residents with their job concerns.

His work as National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) secretary-general also means he can make policy ideas more accessible to workers on the ground, he added.

Mr Ng, 56, who is facing off against Workers’ Party candidate Andre Low, 33, said he has new ideas and is looking into innovative ways to reach out to younger workers, especially those under 35 and professionals, managers and executives (PMEs).

“Maybe with that dose of age, of having seen different things, I am able to translate fresh ideas into real possibilities,” he said. For instance, Mr Ng was involved in helping private-hire drivers get Central Provident Fund (CPF) contributions.

Speaking to The Straits Times at a coffee shop in the Jalan Kayu area, Mr Ng fielded questions on his political experience, his plans for the district should he be elected, and the ups and downs of NTUC life.

One key issue he raised is how young residents have concerns about job security, and the long wait for Build-to-Order (BTO) flats. Residents of all ages are also concerned about the rising cost of living, he added.

Meanwhile, the elderly struggle with municipal issues like needing more lifts and sheltered walkways, he said.

Asked what he can bring to the table, Mr Ng said: “On the NTUC side, I have experience running a big organisation, understanding the macro picture and translating what matters to the residents. I think that will be a key value-add.

“If you really want to go for jobs upskilling, what will be the most relevant to a resident? What are the things that are practical to your profession... I can definitely bring that to Jalan Kayu.”

He added that one of the most important things he has learnt at NTUC is “matching head and heart” in policymaking, and making trade-offs.

“If I’m all head in making policies and don’t know what’s happening on the ground, then we are not really fulfilling the mandate the people have given to us. If I’m all heart on the ground, I could be destroying the system... with unsustainable policies,” he said.

For instance, there is a need to maintain the delicate balance between supporting the local workforce and bringing in foreign labour, he said.

“If we reject foreigners, our economy will collapse, but it’s about how we can trust, build on foundations... and always make sure that when there is success, there is always an element for the workers to share,” he said.

He was also asked about NTUC’s aborted Income-Allianz deal, especially the criticism from former NTUC Income chief executive Tan Suee Chieh, who has raised questions on the issue in a letter that has been circulating online.

Mr Ng said he had already addressed the issue at a Jalan Kayu rally on April 27.

The Government halted the deal in October 2024 after questions were raised about Income’s ability to continue its social mission after the sale.

In his rally speech, Mr Ng said he has initiated a review in NTUC Enterprise – the parent entity of Income – so “we can learn the right lessons humbly”.

“In NTUC, we will do our best, and sometimes, I’m sorry that it is not good enough, but... we will do better.”

Mr Ng also said he has learnt lessons from his 2020 election loss, when the WP won Sengkang GRC.

He said: “The most important one is the humility that one learns over 10 years in political service. You do your best, and really listen more and more.”

As for WP chief Pritam Singh’s remarks about the labour movement becoming a “guaranteed trampoline” for losing PAP candidates, he said: “I very much prefer fair, respectful contests. At the end of it, after the election period, we must come back together regardless, so that we can position Singapore to face challenges.”

Will Mr Ng remain in the labour movement if he is returned to Parliament? He said: “I’d be happy to, if Prime Minister Lawrence Wong deploys me in the labour movement, but I can’t tell exactly... But whatever I do, I will make sure I get the blessings from those in the unions.”

Still, he will continue to push for policies that will help workers, Mr Ng said. “Our basic philosophy is, a good job is the best way to ensure that you can cope with any costs, because if you have real wage growth, it means you are beating inflation.”

His message to Jalan Kayu residents is a simple one, he added.

“I hope through the interactions, they will see me, not so much from my professional life, but see me as a person, as part of their community.”