Ng Eng Hen

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The Honourable

Ng Eng Hen
黄永宏
Ng Eng Hen 2.jpg
Minister for Defence
Assumed office
21 May 2011
Prime MinisterLee Hsien Loong
Preceded byTeo Chee Hean
Member of the Singapore Parliament
for Bishan–Toa Payoh GRC
(Toa Payoh Central)
Assumed office
25 October 2001
Preceded byIbrahim Othman (PAP)
ConstituencyBishan–Toa Payoh GRC
Majority32,259 (34.52%)
Leader of the House
In office
31 May 2011 – 30 September 2015
Prime MinisterLee Hsien Loong
DeputyHeng Chee How
Preceded byMah Bow Tan
Succeeded byGrace Fu
ConstituencyBishan–Toa Payoh GRC
Minister for Education
In office
1 April 2008 – 20 May 2011
Prime MinisterLee Hsien Loong
Preceded byTharman Shanmugaratnam
Succeeded byHeng Swee Keat
ConstituencyBishan–Toa Payoh GRC
Minister for Manpower
In office
12 August 2004 – 29 May 2006
Prime MinisterLee Hsien Loong
Preceded byLee Boon Yang
Succeeded byGan Kim Yong
ConstituencyBishan–Toa Payoh GRC
Second Minister for Defence
In office
1 July 2005 – 20 May 2011
Prime MinisterLee Hsien Loong
Preceded byTeo Chee Hean
Succeeded byNone
ConstituencyBishan–Toa Payoh GRC
Personal details
Born (1958-12-10) 10 December 1958 (age 62)
Singapore
CitizenshipSingapore
NationalitySingaporean
Political partyPeople's Action Party
Spouse(s)Ivy Lim Swee Lian
Children4
Alma materNational University of Singapore
Signature
In this Chinese name, the family name is Ng.

Ng Eng Hen (born 10 December 1958) is a Singaporean politician and former surgical oncologist. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he is a Member of Parliament (MP) of Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC for Toa Payoh Central and was appointed as the Minister for Defence since 2011 by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Early life and education[]

Ng is one of six children and lived in a rental flat in Zion Road during his childhood. He attended Anglo-Chinese School and National Junior College, before going on to medical school at the National University of Singapore and fellowship training in surgical oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.[1]

Career[]

Ng was a consultant surgeon at the Singapore General Hospital from 1992 to 1997, and maintained a private practice in Mount Elizabeth Hospital as a surgical oncologist from 1997 to 2001.[2]

Political career[]

In 2001, Ng was elected a Member of Parliament for Bishan–Toa Payoh Group GRC. In 2002, he was made a Minister of State at the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Manpower.[3]

He has been a Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Bishan–Toa Payoh Group Representation Constituency (GRC) for Toa Payoh Central Division since 25 October 2001 and is an adviser to Bishan-Toa Payoh Town Council and also to Bishan-Toa Payoh Grassroots Organisations.

In August 2004, Ng became the Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Education. In 2005, his Second Minister's portfolio was switched from Education to Defence.[4]

In April 2008, Ng was made the Minister for Education and relinquished the post of Minister for Manpower.

Ng has also served as Chairman of the Jobs Task Force at the Ministry of Manpower, and Chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Low Wage Workers.

In June 2007, Ng travelled to France at the invitation of the French Ministry of Defence to visit the Paris Air Show and also to visit a permanent Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) detachment stationed at Cazaux Air Base in France.[5][6]

In March 2010, Ng mentioned that the weight of mother-tongue language examinations in the Singapore Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) might be reduced in order to benefit some students who are weak in their mother-tongue due to the emphasis on the English language in the Singapore education system. This sparked a debate among Singaporeans who support emphasis on mother-tongue languages in education. Ng subsequently assured Singaporeans that the weight of mother-tongue language in the PSLE would not be reduced.

In 2011, Ng was appointed as Minister for Defence. He was also appointed as Leader of the House in Parliament. Ng was in charge to lead the Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC after Wong Kan Seng announced his retirement from politics.

He has served as Deputy Leader of the House from 1 April 2007 to 30 May 2011 and as Leader of the House from 31 May 2011 to 30 September 2015.[4]

In 2017, Ng appeared in a Channel 8 drama, When Duty Calls in episode 20 where he delivered his speech on National Service.

Ng and team remained representatives for Bishan–Toa Payoh GRC in the 2020 Singaporean general election, garnering 67.26% of the valid votes.[7]

Ng in November 2005

Ng is currently an adviser to the Bishan-Toa Payoh Town Council and the grassroots organisations.

Awards[]

In 2018, Ng was awarded the French Legion of Honour.[8][9]

Private life[]

Ng is married to Ivy Ng Swee Lian, a paediatrician and geneticist who is the CEO of SingHealth.[10] They have four children, born between 1984 and 1994.

References[]

  1. ^ Ng Eng Hen (7 March 2011). "Social Mobility — The Singapore Story: Past, Present and Future". Ministry of Education, Singapore. Archived from the original on 19 October 2014.
  2. ^ "Introducing New Ministers: Ng Eng Hen" (PDF). Singapore. Singapore Embassy, Washington, D.C. January 2003. p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 October 2007.
  3. ^ "Dr. Ng Eng Hen". Prime Minister's Office, Singapore. 20 November 2018. Archived from the original on 23 November 2017.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b "Biography: Dr Ng Eng Hen". Ministry of Defence, Singapore. Archived from the original on 4 June 2018.
  5. ^ "Second Minister for Defence Visits France". Ministry of Defence, Singapore. 15 June 2007. Archived from the original on 4 June 2018.
  6. ^ "Bilateral visits since 1977". Embassy of France in Singapore. Archived from the original on 4 June 2018.
  7. ^ hermesauto (2020-07-11). "GE2020 official results: PAP wins Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC in 3rd successive challenge by SPP". The Straits Times. Retrieved 2020-07-15.
  8. ^ Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur "Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen conferred French Legion of Honour award". Singapore: Channel News Asia. 20 February 2018.
  9. ^ "Le ministre singapourien de la Défense décoré de la Légion d'Honneur". Le Petit Journal Singapour (in French). Singapore. 20 February 2018. Archived from the original on 4 June 2018.
  10. ^ Prof Ivy Ng "Senior Management". SingHealth.

External links[]

Political offices
Preceded by
None 		Second Minister for Education
2002 - 2003 		Succeeded by
None
Preceded by
Teo Chee Hean 		Second Minister for Defence
2003 – 2011 		Succeeded by
None
Preceded by
Lee Boon Yang 		Minister for Manpower
2003 – 2008
Acting: 2003–2004 		Succeeded by
Gan Kim Yong
Preceded by
Tharman Shanmugaratnam 		Minister for Education
2008 – 2011 		Succeeded by
Heng Swee Keat
Preceded by
Teo Chee Hean 		Minister for Defence
2011 – present 		Incumbent
Parliament of Singapore
Preceded by
Ibrahim Othman 		Member of Parliament for Bishan–Toa Payoh GRC
(Toa Payoh Central)
2001 – present 		Incumbent
Preceded by
Mah Bow Tan 		Leader of the House
2011 – 2015 		Succeeded by
Grace Fu
Retrieved from ""