Ng Chee Meng

Ng Chee Meng
PJG PPA(E) PPA(G) PBS
黄志明
Ng in 2015
Secretary-General of the
National Trades Union Congress
Incumbent
Assumed office
22 May 2018
DeputyKoh Poh Koon
Chee Hong Tat
Heng Chee How
Desmond Tan
Preceded byChan Chun Sing
Minister in the Prime Minister's Office
In office
1 May 2018 – 26 July 2020
Serving with Indranee Rajah
Prime MinisterLee Hsien Loong
Preceded byChan Chun Sing
Josephine Teo
Succeeded byMaliki Osman
Tan See Leng
Minister for Education
(Schools)
In office
1 November 2016 – 30 April 2018
Acting: 1 October 2015 – 31 October 2016
Serving with Ong Ye Kung (2015–2018)
Prime MinisterLee Hsien Loong
Preceded byHeng Swee Keat
(as Minister for Education)
Succeeded byOng Ye Kung
(as Minister for Education)
Second Minister for Transport
In office
1 November 2016 – 30 April 2018
Prime MinisterLee Hsien Loong
MinisterKhaw Boon Wan
Member of the Singapore Parliament
for Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC
(Punggol North)
In office
11 September 2015 – 23 June 2020
Preceded byPenny Low
Succeeded byConstituency abolished
Personal details
Born (1968-08-08) 8 August 1968 (age 56)[1]
Singapore
Political partyPeople's Action Party
Alma materUnited States Air Force Academy (BS)
Tufts University (MA)
Military service
Allegiance Singapore
Branch/service Republic of Singapore Air Force
Years of service1986–2015
RankLieutenant-General
CommandsChief of Defence Force
Chief of Air Force
Deputy Chief of Air Force
Director, Joint Operations
Head, Air Plans
Deputy Head, Joint Communications and Information Systems Department
Commander, Changi Air Base
Commanding Officer, 144 Squadron
In this Chinese name, the family name is Ng.

Ng Chee Meng PJG PPA(E) PPA(G) PBS (Chinese: 黄志明; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: N̂g Chì-bêng; pinyin: Huáng Zhìmíng; born 8 August 1968)[1] is a Singaporean politician, union leader and former lieutenant-general who is a member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP) and has been serving as Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) since 2018.

Prior to entering politics, Ng served in the Republic of Singapore Air Force under the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) between 1986 and 2015 and held the appointments of Chief of Air Force between 2009 and 2013 and Chief of Defence Force between 2013 and 2015, holding the rank Lieutenant-General. He left the Singapore Armed Forces in order to contest the 2015 general election.

He made his political debut in the 2015 general election as part of a five-member PAP team contesting in Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC and won. He represented the Punggol North division of Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC between 2015 and 2020, and served as Minister for Education (Schools) between 2015 and 2018, and Minister in the Prime Minister's Office between 2018 and 2020.

However, during the 2020 general election, he led a four-member PAP team contesting in Sengkang GRC and lost to the opposition Workers' Party team, which won 52.12% of the vote.[2][3] He remained the Secretary-General of NTUC, and was co-opted into the PAP's Central Executive Committee (CEC) in 2020.

Education

[edit]

Ng was educated at The Chinese High School and Hwa Chong Junior College, and was awarded the Singapore Armed Forces Overseas Training Award (Graduating) in 1987.[4] He completed a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering at the United States Air Force Academy in 1991, and graduated from the Singapore Command and Staff College in 1999. In 2002, he obtained a Master of Arts in international relations from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.[5]

Military career

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Ng (left) with Itthaporn Subhawong and Gary L. North at Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base in March 2010

Ng enlisted into the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) in December 1986 and was a fighter pilot in the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF). During his military career, among the appointments he held were: Commanding Officer, 144 Squadron; Commander, Changi Air Base; Deputy Head, Joint Communications and Information Systems Department; Head, Air Plans; Director, Joint Operations; Deputy Chief of Air Force. He was also Military Private Secretary to the Minister for Defence from December 1995 to July 1996.[5]

On 10 December 2009, Ng succeeded his elder brother, Ng Chee Khern, as the Chief of Air Force.[6] He was succeeded by Hoo Cher Mou on 25 March 2013,[7] after his appointment as Chief of Defence Force on 27 March 2013.[8] He was promoted from the rank of Major-General to Lieutenant-General on 27 June 2013.[9] Ng was the second general from the RSAF to be appointed as Chief of Defence Force, after Bey Soo Khiang in 1995.

Ng chaired the organising committee for the state funeral of Singapore's first Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew, from 23 to 29 March 2015. He also led the first round of the vigil guard who stood guard during Lee's lying in state in Parliament House from 25 to 28 March.[10][11]

Ng retired from the SAF on 18 August 2015 and was succeeded by Perry Lim as Chief of Defence Force.[10][11]

Political career

[edit]

On 18 August 2015, Ng announced that he would enter politics after retiring from the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).[12] On 22 August 2015, the People's Action Party (PAP) announced that Ng would be part of the six-member PAP team that would be contesting in Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC in the 2015 general election.[13] The PAP team won, clinching 72.89% of the electorate's valid votes in the constituency.[14] Ng was appointed subsequently appointed Acting Minister for Education (Schools), and served as Second Minister for Transport, and Minister for Education (Schools) concurrently from 1 November 2016 to 30 April 2018.

On 23 April 2018, Ng joined the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and was appointed Deputy Secretary-General.[15][16][17] He was then appointed Minister in the Prime Minister's Office on 1 May 2018. On 22 May 2018, Ng was elected Secretary-General of the NTUC by the NTUC Central Committee.[18][19]

In the 2020 general election, Ng's PAP team lost to the WP team led by He Ting Ru by a margin of 4.26%, losing his parliamentary seat. He also left his positions in the cabinet, while remaining as Secretary-General of the NTUC.[20][21]

On 19 November 2020, he was co-opted into the PAP's Central Executive Committee (CEC) despite not being a Member of Parliament. This was thought to be due to his role as the Secretary-General of NTUC which would allow the trade union to be represented on the CEC.[22]

Personal life

[edit]

Ng has an elder brother, Ng Chee Khern, a former major-general who served as Chief of Air Force between 2006 and 2009, and a younger brother, Ng Chee Peng, a former two-star rear-admiral who served as Chief of Navy between 2011 and 2014.[6]

Awards and decorations

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Who is Ng Chee Meng, NTUC's Secretary-General?". 21 June 2018.
  2. ^ "Singapore GE2020: PAP team led by Ng Chee Meng to face off against WP in new Sengkang GRC". The Straits Times. 28 June 2020.
  3. ^ "Singapore GE2020: PAP's Ng Chee Meng congratulates WP's Sengkang team on election win". Channel News Asia. 11 July 2020.
  4. ^ "NG CHEE MENG 黄志明" (PDF). www.pap.org.sg. pap.org.sg. 23 July 2015. Retrieved 25 January 2017.
  5. ^ a b c "SAF Leadership". Ministry of Defence. Retrieved 15 November 2013.
  6. ^ a b Jermyn Chow (17 October 2009). "Brother succeeds RSAF chief". AsiaOne. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 15 November 2013.
  7. ^ "New Chief of Air Force takes command". AsiaOne. 25 March 2013. Archived from the original on 27 December 2013. Retrieved 15 November 2013.
  8. ^ "New Chief of Defence Force for the SAF". Ministry of Defence. 27 March 2013. Retrieved 15 November 2013.
  9. ^ Ong Hong Tat (27 June 2013). "Greater responsibility & recognition: SAF promotes over 500 personnel". Cyber Pioneer. Retrieved 15 November 2013.
  10. ^ a b "Change in Chief of Defence Force and Chief of Army". MINDEF Official Releases. Ministry of Defence. 31 July 2015. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  11. ^ a b "Chief of Defence Force Ng Chee Meng will retire after 29 years in SAF". Channel NewsAsia. 31 July 2015. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  12. ^ Jermyn Chow (18 August 2015). "Outgoing Chief of Defence Force Ng Chee Meng to enter politics". The Straits Times. Retrieved 18 August 2015.
  13. ^ "Former defence chief Ng Chee Meng joins PAP's Pasir Ris–Punggol team". AsiaOne. 22 August 2015. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  14. ^ "Results". Channel NewsAsia. Archived from the original on 11 January 2016. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
  15. ^ Kwang, Kevin (23 April 2018). "Education Minister Ng Chee Meng, Koh Poh Koon join NTUC as deputy sec-gens". Channel NewsAsia (in Korean).
  16. ^ "Ng Chee Meng is new NTUC Deputy Sec-Gen, expected to take over as new labour chief". The Straits Times. 23 April 2018.
  17. ^ "Outgoing labour chief Chan Chun Sing lays out NTUC's focus going forward". Retrieved 5 April 2019.
  18. ^ "Ng Chee Meng steps up as labour chief, taking over from Chan Chun Sing". The Straits Times. 22 May 2018.
  19. ^ "Ng Chee Meng elected NTUC secretary-general". CNA.
  20. ^ "GE2020: Sengkang GRC a 'major loss' to 4G team, says PM Lee". TodayOnline. 11 July 2020. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
  21. ^ "Without a parliamentary seat, Ng Chee Meng can 'still be an effective labour chief but may not wield same influence'". TODAYonline.
  22. ^ Ong, Justin (20 November 2020). "PAP co-opts four new members into its top decision-making body, including Ng Chee Meng". The Straits Times. Retrieved 26 February 2021.
  23. ^ Singapore, Prime Minister's Office (22 November 2021). "PMO | Recipients". Prime Minister's Office Singapore. Retrieved 8 December 2021.
  24. ^ "Chief of Defence Force Receives Prestigious State Award from Brunei". www.mindef.gov.sg. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ng Chee Meng.
Political offices
Preceded byas Minister for Education Minister for Education (Schools)
2016 – 2018
Acting: 2015 – 2016
Served alongside: Ong Ye Kung (Higher Education and Skills) 		Succeeded byas Minister for Education
Preceded by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office
2018 – 2020
Served alongside: Indranee Rajah 		Succeeded by
Parliament of Singapore
Preceded by Member of Parliament for
Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC (Punggol North)
2015 – 2020 		Succeeded by
Trade union offices
Preceded by Secretary-General
of the National Trades Union Congress
2018 – present 		Incumbent
Military offices
Preceded by
Major-General Ng Chee Khern
 Chief of the Republic of Singapore Air Force
10 December 2009 – 25 March 2013 		Succeeded by
Brigadier-General Hoo Cher Mou
Preceded by
Lieutenant-General Neo Kian Hong
 8th Chief of Defence Force
27 March 2013 – 18 August 2015 		Succeeded by
Major-General Perry Lim
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