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Independent Singapore
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Independent Singapore
Ex-Income CEO Tan Suee Chieh endorses Harpreet Singh, says he'll serve Singapore's future
SINGAPORE: Tan Suee Chieh, the former chief executive officer of NTUC Income, posted on social media what is tantamount to an endorsement of the Workers' Party (WP) candidate for Punggol GRC, Harpreet Singh Nehal. Mr Tan, who explained that he is a longtime supporter of the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) and thinks well of Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, underlined that his political allegiance has not shifted, but added that 'like many, I recognise that Singapore's political culture must change'. He explained that he personally knows Mr Singh, who was his lawyer in 2022, and believes that 'strengthening diverse, capable voices in Parliament — like Harpreet Singh Nehal's — will serve our nation's future'. Interestingly, Mr Tan tagged a number of political leaders in his April 30 Facebook post, namely PM Wong, Ministers K Shanmugam, Tan See Leng , Josephine Teo, Edwin Tong, and Vivian Balakrishnan; Workers' Party chief Pritam Singh, Progress Singapore Party (PSP) chair and former PAP MP Tan Cheng Bock , and Mr Harpreet Singh himself. In the past few days, Mr Tan wrote two open letters that have received a lot of attention. In the first one, published on April 27, he appealed to voters in Jalan Kayu SMC , urging them to hold NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng accountable for the aborted Income Insurance-Allianz deal. Mr Ng is hoping to return to Parliament through a win at Jalan Kayu. In a second open letter on April 28 , Mr Tan publicly called on Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong to address unresolved concerns surrounding the blocked deal. He said that the issue is a matter of leadership, governance, and public trust. In a rally that night, Mr Singh asked if the Deputy Prime Minister would answer Mr Tan's questions. Mr Tan wrote on April 29 that 'Singapore stands at an important crossroads' and added that he has been 'offering reflections on how we can renew our resilience.' He attached a two-page document to his post, explaining his political views and relationship to the WP candidate. FB screengrab/Tan Suee Chieh FB screengrab/Tan Suee Chieh While he wishes PM Wong success 'in leading a transformational national reset', he recognises that there may be fewer PAP MPs — but he believes that 'if handled well', this will be to Singapore's advantage. Regarding Mr Singh, he wrote that the latter had been his lawyer when he raised private objections regarding the corporatisation of NTUC Income, because he wanted to make sure his r epresentations were 'legally sound and appropriately framed'. Last July, Mr Tan engaged Mr Singh again at the beginning of the Allianz-Income deal, though he was unaware at that point of Mr Singh's political interests. 'The Allianz-Income issue was about integrity and public trust, not politics. 'From my professional dealings with Mr. Harpreet Singh Nehal, I can say: '1. His professional standards are high, and his strategic thinking is excellent. '2. He has maintained strict confidentiality and professionalism at all times. '3. He had no prior knowledge of my recent public postings about Jalan Kayu or Punggol, nor this current one. '4. He has never sought my endorsement for his political activities in any way. 'I believe that someone of Harpreet's calibre, Parliament would strengthen, not weaken, professionalism and ethical standards serving Singapore's governance, resilience, and adaptability,' wrote Mr Tan. /TISG Read also: Harpreet Singh asks DPM Gan, 'Will you answer Tan Suee Chieh's questions about the Income-Allianz deal?'
Independent Singapore
27-04-2025
- Business
- Independent Singapore
Ex-NTUC Income CEO urges Jalan Kayu voters to hold Ng Chee Meng accountable for aborted Allianz deal
SINGAPORE: Former NTUC Income Chief Executive Officer Tan Suee Chieh has issued a pointed appeal to voters in Jalan Kayu SMC, urging residents to hold NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng accountable for the aborted Income Insurance-Allianz deal, as the ruling party politician mounts a bid to return to Parliament through the single-member ward. In an open letter published on Facebook this morning (27 Apr), Mr Tan called on residents to question Mr Ng over his leadership role in the controversial attempt to sell Income Insurance to German insurer Allianz last year. Mr Tan recounted how Mr Ng publicly endorsed the proposed sale on 5 August 2024 — just one day before the first parliamentary debate on the matter — but remained silent in the critical weeks that followed, even as public opposition to the deal intensified. 'Between 6 August and 14 October — when the deal was stopped in Parliament — he did not offer any clarification, even as public concerns mounted,' Mr Tan wrote, 'Ultimately, the deal collapsed following widespread public outcry and urgent intervention by the Government.' The former income chief shared that he had personally raised concerns with Mr Ng and NTUC President K Thanaletchimi in late July 2024 through private letters and numerous social media posts. However, he said, his representations were met with silence. 'Despite these efforts, Mr Ng did not respond to my representations, nor did he publicly engage as scrutiny grew following the parliamentary debates of 6 August 2024,' Mr Tan added, 'Between August and October 2024, as national concern deepened, he remained silent on the key issues surrounding governance, mission, and accountability.' As a member of the NTUC Enterprise Board that approved the deal, Mr Ng must take responsibility for what transpired, Mr Tan argued. He stressed that accountability is crucial, especially now that Mr Ng is seeking public office. 'Now that he seeks the trust and mandate of Jalan Kayu residents, it is fair — and necessary — for citizens to ask him to account for his role and decisions,' he said. Framing his letter as an act of civic duty, Mr Tan urged Singaporeans to remain vigilant and engaged on decisions that affect national institutions. 'We live in a troubled world. Citizens must speak up on matters that affect our collective future, especially when decisions are taken in our name,' he wrote, 'These are not acts of division; they are acts of care for our country and for the institutions we rely upon.' He added that for a 'young democracy like Singapore,' the ability and willingness to speak up are vital to the nation's resilience. 'It is in this spirit that I write this open letter to the voters of Jalan Kayu,' Mr Tan concluded. The contest at Jalan Kayu is one of the most closely watched this election season. Mr Ng is facing off with the Workers' Party (WP) once again, following his defeat at the 2020 general election in Sengkang, after Red Dot United ceded Jalan Kayu to WP at their request, allowing the party to mount a one-on-one contest.
