Jalan Kayu residents question Ng Chee Meng's ability to juggle three roles after Cabinet return

Jalan Kayu residents have questioned whether Ng Chee Meng can effectively juggle three demanding roles after returning to Cabinet as Minister in the Prime Minister's Office.

Ng is now serving concurrently as the constituency's Member of Parliament and National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) Secretary-General, in addition to his newly appointed ministerial position.

Residents interviewed by local Mandarin daily Lianhe Zaobao and 8World News raised questions about whether Ng's expanded responsibilities could affect his ability to serve Jalan Kayu and respond to residents' concerns.

Some residents pointed to issues within the constituency and questioned Ng's performance over the past year, while others expressed confidence that his new Cabinet position could strengthen his ability to address local problems.

The questions followed Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's announcement on 22 July 2026 that Ng would return to Cabinet as Minister in the Prime Minister's Office.

Residents question whether three roles can be balanced

A resident in his 70s, identified only as Chen by Zaobao, has lived in Jalan Kayu for 18 years and said he had reservations about Ng's performance over the past year.

Chen said he did not believe Ng had achieved noticeable results in the constituency and said he was not confident about Ng's ability to serve residents after returning to Cabinet.

He cited cracked and uneven floor tiles outside the coffee shop at Block 437 as an example, saying the condition was particularly dangerous for elderly residents and had yet to be repaired.

"Residents' welfare is the most important. If even these small matters cannot be handled properly, how can he handle bigger matters after becoming a minister? So I don't have much confidence," he said.

Chen also said the Allianz acquisition of Income Insurance had affected his impression of Ng.

He hoped Ng would continue advocating improvements to transport in the area after becoming a minister and pay greater attention to the welfare of older residents.

A 52-year-old resident, identified as Qiu by 8World News, said she was disappointed with Ng's performance as an MP.

She said she had rarely seen Ng visiting residents and hoped he would spend more time conducting constituency visits and improving facilities in the area.

Qiu also questioned whether Ng would have enough time for constituency matters after taking on his new ministerial responsibilities.

"Even before becoming a minister, I completely did not see him. After becoming a minister, I think he will be even busier," she said.

Another resident, 67-year-old Zhuang, declined to comment on the appointment.

He said Ng had chosen to focus on NTUC and constituency work the previous year and might have had his own reasons for doing so.

Zhuang said the government's decision to appoint Ng as a minister was presumably based on the needs of the current situation.

Some residents welcome Cabinet return

Other residents interviewed by Zaobao and 8World News welcomed Ng's return to Cabinet, saying the appointment could strengthen his ability to serve Jalan Kayu.

A 40-year-old administrative staff member who has lived in the area for 13 years said Ng had been active in the community over the past year.

The resident expressed hope that Ng could use his new position to better address residents' concerns.

Other residents praised Ng's accessibility and responsiveness, citing examples of him visiting homes and helping to resolve issues.

An elderly resident also said Ng's ministerial position would give him "more weight", while expressing confidence that it would not affect his grassroots work.

A 76-year-old resident interviewed by 8World News described Ng as patient and willing to listen to residents' views.

She said she believed Ng would not neglect constituency matters because of his ministerial responsibilities.

"I think he is a very wise person and should know how to arrange his time and handle things properly," she said.

The residents who welcomed Ng's appointment said his return to Cabinet could provide him with greater administrative resources and influence to address constituency problems more quickly.

Online comments call for tougher questions and younger voters' views

Online comments on Zaobao and 8World News Facebook pages showed mixed reactions towards Ng’s return to Cabinet, with some questioning his reversal of an earlier decision not to take up a government role.

Some commenters asked, “He said he did not want to be a minister? Why become one 14 months later?”

Others questioned his credibility, saying that as a former Chief of Defence Force and MP, he should honour his commitments to residents.

One commenter cited the saying “君子一言，驷马难追” (“A gentleman’s word is his bond”), suggesting Ng may have forgotten his earlier promise.

Some also questioned whether Ng could effectively manage multiple responsibilities, asking how one person could handle three major roles and joking, “Is he Superman?”

Others urged Zaobao and 8World News to include more views from younger voters and ask tougher questions about his change in position.

Meanwhile, some defended Ng’s grassroots work, saying residents could judge an MP’s performance by the cleanliness and condition of the constituency, as town councils fall under MPs’ oversight.

Wong says Ng's return is timely

PM Wong on 22 July described Ng's appointment as "timely", pointing to the government's increasing focus on jobs and workplace transformation.

Ng previously held the same ministerial position before leaving Parliament following the 2020 General Election.

Speaking at a press conference, Wong said he had accepted Ng's request in May 2025 to focus solely on the labour movement and his Jalan Kayu ward.

Wong said that, after a year, Ng had settled into the ward and worked hard on the ground.

"And now as we look at the situation, we know that jobs and workplace transformation has become a much higher priority for the government," Wong said.

He noted that jobs and workplace transformation had featured prominently in parliamentary debates, including a motion on artificial intelligence and jobs put forward by Ng.

Wong said Ng would be able to make a more impactful contribution by serving as both NTUC chief and a minister.

"So I approached him, and he agreed to do so," Wong said.

Ng's Cabinet return reverses earlier decision

Ng's return to Cabinet also reverses his earlier decision not to take up a government role.

Before Wong unveiled his leadership team in May 2025, Ng said he wanted to focus on his responsibilities as Jalan Kayu MP and NTUC Secretary-General.

In a statement dated 6 May 2025, Ng said he had asked Wong not to assign him a government role and that the Prime Minister had "agreed to consider this".

Wong later described the arrangement as temporary and said he hoped Ng would join Cabinet "before too long".

Ng's decision in 2025 followed several controversies that had drawn public attention.

He faced criticism over a 2017 Ministry of Education dialogue, where he was accused of being aggressive towards teachers.

Ng said he did not recall his exact words but apologised if any remarks were perceived as disrespectful, adding that he could have handled the situation better.

He also came under scrutiny after photographs emerged of him dining with Su Haijin, who was later convicted in the S$3 billion money laundering case.

Ng said the dinner took place "some time back" and that he had no further contact with Su after learning of the police investigation.

The proposed sale of Income Insurance to German insurer Allianz also drew scrutiny because of Ng's roles as NTUC Chief and NTUC Enterprise chairman.

The government blocked the deal in October 2024 over concerns that the planned S$1.85 billion capital extraction could affect Income's social mission.

During the GE2025 campaign, Ng defended the transaction, saying it had been conducted in good faith.

He said he had "initiated a review in NTUC Enterprise so that we can learn the right lessons humbly and do better for fellow Singaporeans".

Critics, including former NTUC Income chief executive Tan Suee Chieh, argued that Ng should take responsibility for the failed transaction.

Ng's political record

Ng entered politics in 2015 after serving as Chief of Defence Force, becoming the highest-ranking military officer to do so.

He was elected on the People's Action Party (PAP) slate in Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC and appointed acting Minister for Education (Schools).

He later became a full minister and Second Minister for Transport.

In 2018, he relinquished those portfolios to become Minister in the Prime Minister's Office and NTUC chief.

His team lost Sengkang GRC to the Workers' Party at the 2020 General Election, although Ng remained NTUC chief.

Ng returned to Parliament on 3 May 2025 after winning the single-seat Jalan Kayu ward in the tightest contest of the 2025 General Election.

Ng said in a Facebook post on 22 July that his commitments remained unchanged.

He said he would continue serving residents in Jalan Kayu with the team that had come together over the past year.

He also said he would continue championing better wages, welfare and work prospects for workers in Singapore amid an AI-disrupted world.

"Together with our unions, employers and tripartite partners, we will continue preparing workers, including PMEs, for the future with targeted initiatives, and supporting all in transition with enhanced measures," he wrote.