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Ng Chee Meng not in Cabinet as part of ‘temporary arrangement’: PM Wong

On Wednesday (21 May), Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced his new Cabinet line-up, but NTUC chief Ng Chee Meng was not included.

However, this is only a “temporary arrangement”, with Mr Ng to be part of the Cabinet “before too long”, the PM said.

Source: Ng Chee Meng on Facebook

Ng Chee Meng requested not to be offered Govt position

During the press conference on Wednesday, 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.

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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