The military junta in SG

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Ng Chee Meng likely to run in PAP stronghold as candidate in next general election: Observers​

Labour chief Ng Chee Meng at a FairPrice Group May Day block party in Serangoon North Ave on May 4. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY
Anjali Raguraman and Zaihan Mohamed Yusof

MAY 04, 2024

SINGAPORE – Labour chief Ng Chee Meng is likely to run for the next general election, but in constituencies such as Jurong GRC or Ang Mo Kio GRC, said political observers.
They added that he will probably not return to Sengkang GRC, where a four-man People’s Action Party team led by Mr Ng lost to the Workers’ Party during the 2020 General Election with 47.88 per cent of the votes.
Speculation on Mr Ng making a comeback during the next general election intensified when he made an appearance at a Hari Raya Aidilfitri event organised by the FairPrice Group in Bukit Batok on April 21. Bukit Batok’s sitting MP, Mr Murali Pillai from the PAP, was also at the event.
However, Mr Ng told reporters on April 25 that people should not “read too much” into the event, and that such appearances are part of NTUC’s regular groundwork.
A Cabinet minister has traditionally held the post of NTUC secretary-general. The practice began with Mr Lim Chee Onn, who was the first labour chief to be appointed minister in the Prime Minister’s Office in 1980.
Mr Ng – who has been NTUC secretary-general since 2018 – is the first labour chief in decades who is not also a sitting MP.
“Despite not being a current PAP MP, his continuing as NTUC secretary-general in the past four years indicates that the ruling party leadership has significant plans for him should he be elected,” said Singapore Management University associate professor of law Eugene Tan.

“The symbiotic relationship between the PAP and NTUC makes it imperative for Mr Ng to be elected if he is to continue as the labour chief.”
Prof Tan added: “There are options for the PAP as to where he could be fielded, but it is unlikely he will be fielded in an SMC and even more unlikely to be fielded again in Sengkang GRC.”
Observers suggested that Mr Ng is likely to be fielded in a PAP stronghold instead.


Dr Mustafa Izzuddin, a senior international affairs analyst at Solaris Strategies Singapore, said that as Mr Ng is seen as being a member of the 4G team, there is a high likelihood that he may be fielded in one of the safer GRCs for the coming election.
With Mr Ng being spotted in Bukit Batok, one possibility is that he may lead the Jurong GRC team, which is without an anchor minister after Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam stepped down in June 2023 to contest, and subsequently win, the presidential election.
While they are separate constituencies, both Bukit Batok and the five-member Jurong GRC come under Jurong-Clementi Town Council, together with the single seat of Yuhua.
In the 2020 General Election, a PAP team led by Mr Tharman secured almost 75 per cent of the vote in Jurong GRC – the highest of any electoral constituency.
In contrast, in Bukit Batok SMC, Mr Murali scraped a win with 54.8 per cent of the votes.
Based on the 2020 General Election results, Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, Ang Mo Kio GRC and Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC are also relatively safe seats for the PAP, noted Prof Tan.
The PAP secured 64.16 per cent of the vote in Pasir Ris-Punggol, 67.23 per cent in Bishan-Toa Payoh, and 71.91 per cent in Ang Mo Kio, where Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is anchor minister.
Prof Tan added: “Mr Ng was an MP in Pasir Ris-Punggol between 2015 and 2020, so he would still be fairly familiar to voters there. He could also be regarded as the possible successor to PM Lee in Ang Mo Kio GRC... (otherwise he could be) portrayed as the new anchor in Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC should Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen not contest or relinquish his anchor role.”

This week, when The Straits Times visited some of the constituencies where Mr Ng could be fielded, residents said it will be an uphill task for the NTUC secretary-general to replace former or current MPs who have served the community for a long time.
Residents and merchants at shops and eateries in Bukit Batok spoke effusively of how Mr Murali – who has been serving the single seat ward since the 2016 by-election – is a consistent presence and a friendly one.
Among them was actor Ebi Shankara, 36, who lived in Bukit Batok for most of his life and still visits family in the area on a regular basis.
He described Mr Murali as “mild-mannered, amiable and someone who is always in touch with the people”, whether or not it is election season.
A resident who wanted to be known only as Mr Lim, 66, said: “He comes around (the neighbourhood) quite a lot, so I appreciate it, because I have been staying here for over 30 years.”
Other Bukit Batok residents, like a retiree who wanted to be known only as Mr Tang, 65, welcomed the idea of a new face like Mr Ng.
“I think the Government needs him (to run) because he is a workhorse. They need people to do the work, and it’s not just about managing the estate,” said Mr Tang.
“He is probably someone up and coming, and (the PAP) needs people, because the older ministers are tired after Covid-19,” he added.

Bukit Batok MP Murali Pillai and labour chief Ng Chee Meng at a Hari Raya Aidilfitri event organised by the FairPrice Group in Bukit Batok on April 21. PHOTO: BERITA HARIAN
In Jurong GRC’s Taman Jurong ward, where President Tharman was formerly MP, residents and stallholders were happy for Mr Tharman’s success in the presidential election, but believe his successor will have big shoes to fill.
Madam Fatimah Begum Sikander, 50, said Mr Tharman came by the three-storey Taman Jurong Market and Food Centre, where she has had a briyani stall since 2009, almost every week.
“He took note of everything and cared for us... I’m a single parent as well, so he always asked: ‘What help do you need?’” said Madam Fatimah.
“It feels empty now that he doesn’t come by,” she lamented.
It was a sentiment mirrored by Ms Ryn Hashim, 38, who owns Malay food stall Sinar Rezeki. She has run the stall for 13 years.
“I don’t think anybody can replace him,” she said.
On May 4, Mr Ng made another appearance in Serangoon North Avenue 3 at a FairPrice Group May Day block party that was also attended by PAP MP Ng Ling Ling.
Ms Ng is the representative for Jalan Kayu, which comes under Ang Mo Kio GRC.
At the event, Ms Ng said the labour chief had described residents in the area as “very warm” and welcoming.

Labour chief Ng Chee Meng and Ang Mo Kio GRC MP Ng Ling Ling distributing goodie bags to residents at a FairPrice Group May Day block party in Serangoon North Ave 3 on May 4. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY
ST spoke to several residents at the event, all of whom said it was the first time they were seeing Mr Ng.
One couple in their 60s, who declined to be named, had approached him to ask if supermarket prices can be lowered.
“People in our age group talk about prices of everyday goods at supermarkets being expensive,” the woman said.
Her husband said: “Mr Ng listened and explained that the prices of all things at (FairPrice) cannot all drop. There were certain considerations, he told us.”
Another resident, who wanted to be known only as Mr Lee, wondered if there was more to the visit.
“I have not seen him here except for today’s block party,” the man said.
“MP Ng Ling Ling describing Mr Ng calling the estate ‘very warm’… could it mean there’s more to it? Will he stand here during (the next) GE?”

 

[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]

Gan Siow Huang apologises over handshaking incident at Cantonese cultural festival​

A video that recently made its rounds on the internet showed Minister of State Gan Siow Huang appearing to not shake the hand of a man dressed in red after he helped close her car door, though she did later shake his hand.

David Sun
Jun 08, 2025

SINGAPORE – Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Industry Gan Siow Huang has apologised following a handshaking incident.

A video that recently made its rounds on the internet shows her getting out of a car and being greeted by eight men, including one wearing a red shirt.

She shakes the hand of one man while being greeted by the others.


The man in the red shirt then helps her to close the car door before extending his hands for a handshake.

But Ms Gan shakes the hand of another man she was being introduced to before shaking the hand of the man in the red shirt and those of the others.

Speaking to The Straits Times on June 8, Ms Gan, who is the MP for Marymount SMC, said the incident happened on May 17.

She was attending the inaugural Peck San Theng Cultural Festival at Peck San Theng in Bishan.


The Cantonese cultural festival was organised by Kwong Wai Siew Peck San Theng, a 155-year-old cultural institution managed by 16 Cantonese clan associations.

Ms Gan said it was her first visit to Peck San Theng, and she was overwhelmed by the group that went to greet her.


“When I got out of the car, I was trying to identify the host of Peck San Theng and shake hands with the host first,” she said.

“I was also a little overwhelmed by the big group that received me when I got out of my car. I sincerely apologise to the man in the red shirt for the delay in shaking hands with him.”

The video has been making the rounds on social media, with one post on TikTok garnering more than 185,000 views just a day after it was posted on June 7.

Many netizens had commented that they felt Ms Gan’s actions were arrogant and disrespectful.

Ms Gan said she was thankful for the invite to the festival and the warm welcome, and that she has requested the organiser to convey her apologies to the man in the red shirt as she is currently overseas.

 

[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
Apr 28, 2025


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]

Ng Chee Meng addresses Su Haijin photo, controversial MOE dialogue; asks not to be given govt role​

Labour chief Ng Chee Meng (left) also responded to a photo of him with Su Haijin, who was later convicted of money laundering, that has been circulating.PHOTOS: SCREENGRAB FROM TOXICSTATENARRATIVEINSG/INSTAGRAM
Samuel Devaraj and Sue-Ann Tan
May 06, 2025

SINGAPORE – Labour chief and Jalan Kayu MP Ng Chee Meng has asked Prime Minister Lawrence Wong to not assign him any position in government.

“Over the next five years, I will focus on my duties as the MP in Jalan Kayu and my role as secretary-general of NTUC. The needs of my residents and all Singaporean workers are my priorities,” he said, adding that PM Wong has agreed to consider his request.

In a statement issued on May 6, Mr Ng also apologised in response to criticisms about his conduct at a Ministry of Education (MOE) dialogue in 2017, and addressed a photo that has surfaced of him with Fujian gang member Su Haijin, who was later convicted of money laundering.


On the MOE dialogue, Mr Ng said: “I do not remember the exact words I used that day as close to a decade has passed since the dialogue. I regret if any of my remarks came across as disrespectful, especially when the participants had raised questions in good faith.”

Online posts had circulated about what Mr Ng had supposedly said during a dialogue with teachers during his time as education minister (schools).

The series of Instagram stories by a poster who used to be with MOE claimed Mr Ng had reacted angrily to a question, and that he also asked attendees if they read fiction or serious books.

Mr Ng said: “I could have handled the situation better. I sincerely apologise. I have received and accepted the feedback, and will continue to do better.”


He added that he greatly values the work that teachers do every day, and that they make a tremendous difference in students’ lives.

Regarding the dinner with Su, Mr Ng said it took place some time back, and he had no further interactions with Su after police investigations and criminal charges were brought against him.

He said it is part of his work as labour chief to engage with different companies and private sector leaders.

“These engagements help me better understand the concerns and challenges in different industries,” he said, adding that people would often approach him for photographs at these meetings.

“This dinner was one such engagement,” Mr Ng said.

His statement follows one from the press secretaries of Health Minister Ong Ye Kung and Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat, who addressed pictures circulating online showing both ministers at dinners where Su was present.

Former Reform Party chairman Charles Yeo had posted a picture of Su and Mr Ng at a dinner, as well as pictures of Mr Ong and Mr Chee with Su.

Earlier on May 6, the press secretaries of Mr Ong and Mr Chee, who is also Second Minister for Finance, said in a joint statement that the ministers do not know Su personally, and do not have any contact with him.

The statement added: “As ministers, they meet a diverse range of people at various events and gatherings. They attended the dinners at the invitation of a friend, and Su happened to be there.”

Also appearing in the photos is local tycoon Sam Goi, dubbed the “popiah king”. One group photo shows Mr Goi with Su, Mr Ong and former Cabinet minister Lim Swee Say.

Mr Goi told Bloomberg News that the dinner with Su and Mr Ng took place “around 2020”.

He also said he had organised and paid for the meals that Su and the ministers attended, which took place before Singapore implemented strict Covid-19 pandemic restrictions later that year.

“It’s all for friends and I paid for them all,” the businessman told Bloomberg, adding that he has not kept in touch with Su.

Responding to queries, Mr Lim said he was invited to a dinner between friends.

“When we got there, we saw a stranger at the dinner too. The dinner was a social gathering among good old friends, in the presence of spouses. Su was the only stranger there. No idea why he was included since it was a gathering of good old friends,” he told ST.

“I did not know him before the dinner. I did not have any contact with him after the dinner,” Mr Lim added.

Su, a Cypriot national, was among 10 foreigners arrested in a $3 billion money laundering case on Aug 15, 2023. He was sentenced to 14 months’ jail in April 2024 after admitting to one charge of resisting arrest and two money laundering charges. Another 11 charges were taken into consideration during sentencing.

The 10 involved in the case received between 13 and 17 months’ jail and were all deported after their release from prison.

In the 2025 General Election, Mr Ng beat WP fresh face Andre Low in the Jalan Kayu single seat after he garnered 51.47 per cent of the vote.

During his post-election press conference, PM Wong was asked what role Mr Ng could play in his Cabinet.

PM Wong replied that in previous Cabinet line-ups, the labour chief “would potentially have a role in Cabinet”. He added that he would unveil the line-up in due course at a separate press conference.

Mr Ng was chief of defence force before entering politics in 2015 and winning in Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC as part of a PAP team. He went on to hold several Cabinet positions, including education minister (schools) and second minister for transport.

In 2020, he helmed the PAP team to contest the newly created Sengkang GRC, but lost to a WP team.

He has been the secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress since 2018.

In a Facebook post on May 6, Mr Ng acknowledged the public attention and concern around the photos and comments of him circulating online.

“Thank you residents, union leaders, colleagues and supporters who have continued to encourage and support me,” he said.