Ng Chee Meng apologises for 2017 MOE incident, asks PM not to assign him position in Government

Labour chief Ng Chee Meng has apologised for criticisms made against him concerning an incident in a dialogue hosted by the Ministry of Education, and has asked Prime Minister Lawrence Wong not to assign him any position in the Government.

In a statement on May 6, Mr Ng, who was elected as an MP for Jalan Kayu SMC on May 3, said: "The PM has agreed to consider this."

He also responded to online comments circulating about his conduct regarding an MOE dialogue in 2017 and photos that surfaced of him with convicted money launderer Su Haijin.

Mr Ng said: "I do not remember the exact words I used that day as close to a decade has passed since the dialogue. I regret if any of my remarks came across as disrespectful, especially when the participants had raised questions in good faith.

"I could have handled the situation better. I sincerely apologise. I have received and accepted the feedback, and will continue to do better."

He added that he "greatly values" the work that teachers do every day and that they make a "tremendous difference in our students' lives."

Online posts had circulated about what Mr Ng had supposedly said during a minister's dialogue session with teachers, during his time as education minister (schools).

The series of Instagram stories by a poster who used to be with the Ministry of Education claimed the minister had reacted angrily to a question, and that he also asked attendees if they read fiction or serious books.

Mr Ng added: "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."

Regarding the dinner with Su, Mr Ng said it took place "some time back" and he had no further interactions with Su after the police investigations and subsequent criminal charges against him.

Mr Ng said: "As the Secretary-General of NTUC, it is part of my work to engage with different companies and private sector leaders.

"These engagements help me better understand the concerns and challenges in different industries."

He added that at these engagements, people would often approach him for photographs.

"This dinner was one such engagement," he said.

"I learnt later about the police investigations and subsequent criminal charges against Su. Thereafter, I had no further interactions with him."

This follows a statement from the press secretaries of Ministers Ong Ye Kung and Chee Hong Tat who addressed pictures circulating online showing both ministers at dinners where Su was present.

Earlier on May 6, the press secretaries of Mr Ong and Mr Chee said in a joint statement that the ministers do not know Su personally, and do not have any contact with him.

The statement added: "As Ministers, they meet a diverse range of people at various events and gatherings. They attended the dinners at the invitation of a friend, and Su happened to be there. "Minister Ong recalls that months later, at another dinner, Su happened to be there too."

The statement added the PAP government upholds a high standard of integrity, and the ministers are determined to uphold this, even though in the course of their work, they may inadvertently come into contact with people who are later established to be unsavoury. It added: "Maintaining this standard is non-negotiable."

Su, a Cypriot national, was among 10 foreigners arrested in a $3 billion money laundering case on Aug 15, 2023.

He was sentenced to 14 months' jail in April 2024, after admitting to one charge of resisting arrest and two money laundering charges. Another 11 charges were taken into consideration during sentencing.

The 10 involved in the case received between 13 and 17 months' jail and were all deported after their release from prison.

In the 2025 General Election Mr Ng beat WP fresh face Andre Low to the Jalan Kayu single seat, after he garnered 51.47 per cent of the vote.

Mr Ng was chief of defence force before entering politics in 2015 and winning Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC as part of a PAP team. He went on to hold several Cabinet positions, including education minister (schools) and second minister for transport.

In 2020, he helmed the PAP team in the newly created Sengkang GRC but lost to a WP team.

He has remained the NTUC secretary-general, a positioned he held since 2018.