Ng Eng Hen

Ng Eng Hen
黄永宏
Minister for Defence
Assumed office
21 May 2011
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
Preceded by Teo Chee Hean
Member of the Singapore Parliament
for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC
(Toa Payoh Central)
Assumed office
25 October 2001
Preceded by Ibrahim Othman
Leader of the House
In office
31 May 2011  30 September 2015
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
Deputy Heng Chee How
Preceded by Mah Bow Tan
Succeeded by Grace Fu
Minister for Education
In office
1 April 2008  21 May 2011
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
Preceded by Tharman Shanmugaratnam
Succeeded by Heng Swee Keat
Minister for Manpower
In office
12 August 2004  April 2007
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
Preceded by Lee Boon Yang
Succeeded by Gan Kim Yong
Second Minister for Defence
In office
July 2005  21 May 2011
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
Preceded by Teo Chee Hean
Succeeded by None
Personal details
Born (1958-12-10) December 10, 1958
Singapore
Political party People's Action Party (2001)
Spouse(s) Ivy Lim Swee Lian
Children 4
Alma mater National University of Singapore

Dr Ng Eng Hen (simplified Chinese: 黄永宏; traditional Chinese: 黃永宏; pinyin: Huáng Yǒng Hóng; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: N̂g Éng-hông; born 10 December 1958) is a Singaporean politician. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he has been the Minister for Defence since 2011 and was re-elected in this role in October 2015.[1] He previously served as the Minister for Manpower from 2004 to 2008 and Minister for Education from 2008 to 2011, as well as the Leader of the House in Parliament from 2011 to 2015. He has been a Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Bishan-Toa Payoh Group Representation Constituency (GRC) since 2001.

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.[2]

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.[3]

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.[4]

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.

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]

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 in November 2005

Private life

Ng is married to Ivy Lim Swee Lian, a paediatrician and geneticist who is the CEO of SingHealth.[6] They have four children, born between 1984 and 1994.

References

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
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