21-05-2025
Labour chief Ng Chee Meng left out of new Cabinet in ‘temporary arrangement', says PM Wong
SINGAPORE: Labour chief Ng Chee Meng has been left out of Singapore's new Cabinet in a 'temporary arrangement', said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Wednesday (May 21).
Speaking at a press conference announcing his leadership team for the next term of government, Mr Wong noted that the National Trade Union Congress' (NTUC) secretary-general has traditionally held a position in Cabinet.
'I value this link, and I know that NTUC does too,' he added.
But Mr Wong said he would respect Mr Ng's request to not be offered such a position, in order to focus on his work in NTUC and Jalan Kayu SMC, which he successfully contested in the May 3 polls.
'But to be clear, this is a temporary arrangement, and I look forward to having the labour chief being part of the Cabinet before too long,' Mr Wong added.
Meanwhile, the government will continue to work closely with the labour movement and ensure that the views of NTUC and union leaders - as well as the interests of Singapore workers - are 'fully taken into account' in its deliberations and decisions, said the Prime Minister.
When asked to elaborate about wanting the labour chief in his Cabinet 'before too long', Mr Wong said he 'really can't tell' how long this would take.
'But I'm in close touch with him, and at some point when he's ready, when we think that things have improved or stabilised, whether it's him or whether it's someone else, I can't say,' he added.
'But certainly, my wish is for an NTUC secretary-general to be in the team.'
In the closest contest of the recent General Election, Mr Ng won the Jalan Kayu single seat for the People's Action Party (PAP) with 51.47 per cent of the vote, beating Workers' Party (WP) candidate Andre Low.
'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,' the 56-year-old said in a statement at the time.
This came along with an apology for his behaviour at a Ministry of Education (MOE) dialogue that took place in 2017, before he became NTUC chief.
Mr Ng was Minister for Education (Schools) between 2016 and 2018.
This year marked Mr Ng's third election outing but his first time running in an SMC. He was part of the PAP team that lost to the WP in Sengkang GRC in 2020; prior to that he was elected in the now-defunct Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC in 2015.
