Ng Chee Meng apologises for 2017 MOE incident, requests PM not to give him position in Govt

Labour chief Ng Chee Meng has issued an apology for remarks he made during a 2017 Ministry of Education (MOE) dialogue that have since sparked public concern and outrage.

In a Facebook statement released on Tuesday (May 6), Ng, who was elected as MP for Jalan Kayu SMC in the May 3 General Election, acknowledged having read online posts regarding the incident.

Allegations first surfaced during the recent election campaign when a former MOE teacher claimed online that Ng had behaved rudely and angrily during the 2017 session.

The person also recounted being told to stand up when being spoken to.

"I regret if any of my remarks came across as disrespectful, especially when the participants had raised questions in good faith," said Ng, who admitted that he could have handled the situation better.

"I sincerely apologise. I have received and accepted the feedback, and will continue to do better," he added.

He expressed deep appreciation for the work that teachers do daily, stating that they "make a tremendous difference in students' lives".

Ng noted that given the nearly decade-long gap since the dialogue, he could not recall the exact words used at the time.

Ng affirmed that he will continue to focus on his duties in the constituency and his role as secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) for the next five years.

"The needs of my residents and all Singaporean workers are my priorities," Ng stated.

He also mentioned that during this period he has requested to not be given any position in Government.

"I have asked the Prime Minister not to assign me any position in Government. The Prime Minister has agreed to consider this," he said, adding that he would "continue to serve to the best of his abilities". 

xingying.koh@asiaone.com 

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