SINGAPORE: Labour chief Ng Chee Meng will contest the new Jalan Kayu single-seat ward for the People’s Action Party (PAP) in the May 3 General Election, the party announced on Saturday (Apr 19).

It will be his third time standing in an election, but his first time doing so in a Single Member Constituency.

In 2020, the former Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office led a four-man team unsuccessfully in the newly created Sengkang GRC, losing to the Workers’ Party.

"I'm stepping forward in this general election because I want to serve. My public service has always been about people,” said Mr Ng, during a press conference at the PAP’s Teck Ghee branch office.

"Some have asked me in my interactions, why return to politics after the last election? My answer is a simple one: because I never stopped caring."

Addressing members of the media after the introduction, Mr Ng said that if he were elected to Parliament, he would want it to be based on his own merit, and not because he was “parachuted into a safer seat”. 

"That's quite important to me. My focus right now is really on doing my very best for the residents of Jalan Kayu SMC."

He said he has been spending the past few weeks walking the Jalan Kayu and Fernvale neighbourhoods, visiting homes, catching up with residents and having good conversations with them in the coffee shops and community spaces.

"These conversations have given me a much better sense of what matters to the residents of Jalan Kayu SMC,” he said.

“Many residents have opened up to me and shared with me about their hopes for their children, their concerns for their parents, and simply, their aspirations for a better life."

The former Cabinet minister made his political debut in the 2015 hustings, winning as part of a six-member PAP team in Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC.

He had resigned as the Chief of Defence Force in the Singapore Armed Forces, becoming the highest-ranking military officer to become a Member of Parliament.

Since the 2020 defeat, Mr Ng has remained as secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), and was co-opted into the ruling party’s 38th central executive committee in December last year.

Through his time in NTUC and as a former Cabinet minister, Mr Ng said he had the benefit of seeing both the macro view and the day-to-day realities of workers and their livelihoods. 

“Every day, I try to (bridge the gap) between those macro policies and the micro issues on the ground. It’s been a very important lesson,” he said. 

"I would say that I can now occupy a space where I can address both Cabinet-level issues with the understanding and empathy for ordinary citizens, and bring heartfelt feedback and challenges on the ground back to Cabinet for policy conversations."

Mr Ng said this in response to a question from the media on how being elected or potentially becoming a minister would differ from what he was able to do in the past, and how his experience in the labour movement has shaped his perspective.

"Chee Meng had the grit and a sense of responsibility to continue serving in NTUC as its secretary-general, and he continued to receive the support of the labour movement,” said Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Saturday.

He said Mr Ng led the labour movement to play a key role during the COVID-19 pandemic, saving jobs by pushing for skills upgrading and transforming businesses. This made a big difference to the lives of workers here, and helped the country bounce back stronger after COVID-19.

"Chee Meng has shown his mettle and will serve Jalan Kayu residents with equal commitment and dedication,” said Mr Lee.

Jalan Kayu SMC was carved out of the five-member Ang Mo Kio GRC, which had the most voters across all wards, in the latest electoral boundaries review.

The new ward, which has 29,565 voters, includes private estates along Jalan Kayu Road, the Seletar Aerospace Park and a portion of the Housing and Development Board flats in Fernvale.

Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who anchors the Ang Mo Kio GRC team, had said that Jalan Kayu SMC will also go under the purview of the Ang Mo Kio Town Council after the upcoming contest.

Mr Ng could face competition for the seat from a Red Dot United candidate. Ms Kala Manickam, a former Progress Singapore Party candidate in 2020, was introduced last month as leader of the party’s work on the ground in Jalan Kayu.

The People’s Alliance for Reform (PAR) and the People’s Power Party (PPP) had also indicated their interest in the ward, though PAR has since withdrawn.