Ng Chee Meng not in Cabinet as part of ‘temporary arrangement’: PM Wong
On Wednesday (21 May), Prime Minister (PM) Lawrence Wong announced his new Cabinet line-up, but NTUC chief Ng Chee Meng was not included.
However, PM Wong said this is only a “temporary arrangement” and that he wanted the labour chief to be part of his Cabinet “before too long”.
Source: Ng Chee Meng on Facebook
Ng Chee Meng requested not to be offered Govt position
During the press conference on Wednesday (21 May), Mr Wong noted that Mr Ng Chee Meng had requested not to be offered a position in Government.
This is so that he can focus on his work in NTUC and Jalan Kayu Single-Member Constituency (SMC), which elected him as MP on 3 May.
Mr Ng said this in a statement on 6 May, adding that the needs of his residents and all Singaporean workers are his priorities.
Source: Ng Chee Meng on Facebook
PM looks forward to having Ng Chee Meng in Cabinet
Mr Wong said he respected Mr Ng’s wishes.
But he also made clear that this was a “temporary arrangement”, adding:
I look forward to having the Labour Chief being part of the Cabinet before too long.
Source: Prime Minister’s Office, Singapore on YouTube
NTUC chief has traditionally held Cabinet position
The PM pointed out that the NTUC Secretary-General has traditionally held a position in the Cabinet.
This is because the Government “works closely with the tripartite partners in developing our economic strategies”, and this partnership is anchored by the “symbiotic partnership” between the People’s Action Party and NTUC.
“I value this link, and I know the NTUC does too,” Mr Wong said.
Responding to another question later on, PM Wong said he wanted an NTUC Secretary General to be in his Cabinet, but that person might not be Mr Ng himself:
Whether it’s him, whether it’s someone else, I can’t say. But certainly, my wish is for an NTUC Secretary General to be in the team …
The Cabinet has been without the labour chief for the past five years, since the 2020 general election.
Ng Chee Meng congratulates new Cabinet
In a Facebook post on Wednesday night, Mr Ng congratulated the newly appointed Cabinet, saying he was confident that the PM and Cabinet would lead Singapore through the challenges ahead.
NTUC looks forward to its continued partnership with the Cabinet and Government, he added, stating:
Let us work together, hand in hand with our tripartite partners, for a brighter future for Singapore and Singaporeans.
Petition called for him to be excluded from new Cabinet
Before Mr Ng revealed that he had requested not to be offered a position in Government, a Change.org petition on this was started on 5 May.
It called for him to be excluded from the new Cabinet, and has garnered more than 28,000 signatures so far.
One of the reasons cited was his role in the NTUC-Allianz saga, where he supported a proposal to sell a majority stake in Income Insurance to the foreign insurer Allianz.
The proposed deal sparked backlash from former NTUC leaders and opposition MPs and was eventually blocked by the Government.
Also read: 5 lesser-known facts about Ng Chee Meng, the NTUC chief who’s from a family of military generals
5 lesser-known facts about Ng Chee Meng, the NTUC chief who’s from a family of military generals
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Featured image adapted from Ng Chee Meng on Facebook and Prime Minister’s Office, Singapore on YouTube.
