5 ways Ng Eng Hen has been living his best life since retiring from politics

What has Ng Eng Hen been up to since retiring?

Earlier this year, Dr Ng Eng Hen announced his retirement after almost 25 years in politics.

While he may be best-known as Singapore’s longest serving defence Minister, Dr Ng has also served as the Minister for Manpower and the Minister for Education.

Prior to politics, the 66-year-old trained as a cancer surgeon, working at the Singapore General Hospital before shifting to private practice at Mount Elizabeth Hospital.

Now that Dr Ng has taken a step back from work, let’s take a look at what he has been doing to fill his time.

1. Supports local eateries while using CDC vouchers

Anyone that follows Dr Ng on Facebook will know that he is a huge supporter of Singapore’s hawkers and heartland businesses.

Ever so often, he logs his visits to various food stalls, proudly showing off his new finds and taking nostalgic trips down to old ones.

After local chef Ah Ching opened his second stall — Ah Ching Claypot Restaurant — at Lower Delta, Dr Ng headed down to try his signature claypot dishes.

In his Facebook post, Dr Ng praised Ah Ching for his “developed” cooking skills, adding that he and his wife “demolished the entire pot”.

Having worked at SGH for two decades, Dr Ng also wondered why he has never visited Everton Park HDB, located less than 2km away from the hospital.

Exploring the block, Dr Ng got his hands on Ji Xiang Confectionary’s famous ang ku kuehs and Quah Song’s pastries with a side of coffee.

Meanwhile, some food remain familiar favourites for Dr Ng.

As he had a bowl of porridge at Tiong Bahru, Dr Ng reminisced his surgical days, sharing that he would indulge in the dish after a busy night call.

Lamenting that he misses a Cantonese porridge stall that has since shifted elsewhere, Dr Ng’s comments section were filled with helpful netizens who located the stall’s new location.

Bukit Merah View also offers Dr Ng’s favourite bak chor mee and kopi siu tai.

Like a true Singaporean, Dr Ng has been putting his SG60 Community Development Council (CDC) vouchers to good use.

Relishing in yam rice organ soup in addition to rojak and popiah, Dr Ng remarked that “food tastes better” with the vouchers — something we can all relate to.

2. Frequently explores Singapore with his grandchildren

Family is a recurring theme in Dr Ng’s life.

Through his heartwarming stories, we are offered a glimpse into his role as a doting grandfather.

In particular, Dr Ng and his grandchildren often visit Singapore’s iconic wildlife attractions, including the Singapore Zoo and River Wonders.

When they recently dropped by Mandai’s newly-opened Rainforest Wild ASIA, Dr Ng also shared photos of its unique karst formations and open-concept habitats.

With more free time this National Day, Dr Ng spent it with his family at Jacob Ballas Children’s Garden.

In a touching caption, Dr Ng wrote that the day was “just as pleasurable compared to previous years”.

Apart from their outdoorsy bonding activities, Dr Ng and his grandchildren have also spent time at the National Gallery and the Victoria Theatre — where they viewed a staging of Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr Fox.

3. Swinging into retirement with a round of golf

Besides food and family, a highlight of Dr Ng’s retirement life is golf, a sport that he has been playing for many years.

Sure enough, Dr Ng spent his first day of retirement at the golf course.

Dr Ng also took the liberty to share the perks of morning golf, which includes watching the sun rise and having a good breakfast at popular stalls before the queues start forming.

On Facebook, the retiree posted a photo of a golf course against a beautiful, pink sunset, and of his well-loved black carrot cake from Bukit Merah View.

To top things off, Dr Ng was recently awarded a “surprise memento” from the National Service Resort and Country Club (NSRCC).

The plaque celebrated his achievement of hole-in-ones in all three golf courses managed by the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) — a feat that Dr Ng himself was not aware about.

“‘Kelong [cheating]?’ No lah, just thrice lucky with the SAF!” Dr Ng wrote playfully in his caption.

4. Travels to international destinations like Bali and Honolulu

While Dr Ng’s endeavours are deeply rooted in Singapore, he also shares a passion for travel.

Most recently, Dr Ng visited Bali, Indonesia with his family.

From wearing shorts and sandals on a flight to trying his luck at a barbershop in Bali, Dr Ng cherished the little moments on his trip.

In true Singaporean fashion, Dr Ng particularly appreciated the cool mornings and nights in Bali.

While he savoured coffee and matcha, his little uns had a blast playing in the swimming pool.

Earlier into retirement, Dr Ng also visited Honolulu, Hawaii, where he trekked Hanauma Bay and took in the seaside views at Ehukai Beach Park.

“Life’s best — to be with loved ones surrounded by nature’s beauty and serenity,” said Dr Ng in the caption that accompanied a photo of himself and his wife against a backdrop of lush greenery.

5. Stays active while recovering from knee replacement surgery

Amid all his food content, Dr Ng also likes to stay active — a habit that his followers on Facebook have encouraged.

After posting about having yam rice organ soup, rojak, and popiah at a hawker centre, many urged Dr Ng to go for a run.

Sure enough, he followed up with photos of himself jogging along a residential area two days later.

“Don’t say I never follow advice, ok!” Dr Ng humorously wrote.

In July, Dr Ng also shared a personal milestone: being able to slow jog for 50 minutes — an incredible feat given that he underwent a total knee replacement surgery in 2024.

He assured that recovery has been smooth and that he was “back to enjoying the outdoors”.

Of course, Dr Ng takes any opportunity to include his grandchildren.

Sharing that his granddaughter “boasted she’s a fast runner”, Dr Ng raced head-to-head against the little girl, who, according to the retiree, “didn’t give chance”.

A well-deserved retirement

It has been almost half a year since Dr Ng has retired, and he has occupied himself with a plethora of activities since.

Once in a while, he treats his 123,000 followers on Facebook to glimpses of his new life.

Based on the reactions to these posts, many Singaporeans are glad to see that their former Minister can finally relax after decades of service.

Also read: Ng Eng Hen misses old porridge stall in Tiong Bahru, netizens inform him about chef’s new shop

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Featured image adapted from Ng Eng Hen on Facebook, Facebook, and Facebook.