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SINGAPORE: Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said on Tuesday (Apr 22) he and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong tried but failed to persuade former Nee Soon GRC MP Louis Ng from stepping down.
"He (Mr Ng) spoke with me last year about wanting to step away. And I said: 'He is still very young, he should continue.' And the reasons were intensely personal," said Mr Shanmugam, who again will anchor the People's Action Party (PAP) team contesting Nee Soon this year.
"I can tell you that I spent many hours trying to persuade him to stay. And not just me, the prime minister himself - the current secretary-general - spoke with him many times.
"He thought about it a lot. He took what we said very seriously. You know, he had a lot of value, both to Yishun and parliament, but his decision was based on very personal reasons. And we decided to, I mean, we had to agree."
Mr Shanmugam had announced on Monday that the PAP will field four new faces in Nee Soon GRC this year.
The first-timers are former Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) director Goh Hanyan, ex-Nominated Member of Parliament Syed Harun Alhabsyi, director of a cleaning service and pest control company Jackson Lam, and longtime Nee Soon volunteer Lee Hui Ying.
The changes mean that Mr Ng, Ms Carrie Tan and Mr Derrick Goh will not be in the Nee Soon GRC team. Mr Ng is a two-term MP, while Ms Tan and Mr Goh have served in a single term of parliament.
Mr Shanmugam did not say on Monday whether they will be redeployed elsewhere or are quitting politics.
On Tuesday, Mr Shanmugam clarified that Mr Ng, Ms Tan and Mr Goh will be stepping away from Nee Soon GRC due to a mixture of personal and career reasons.
But he stopped short of confirming they would be retiring from politics, adding that everything will become clear on Wednesday, which is Nomination Day.
"But as I told him (Mr Ng), nothing is confirmed until it's confirmed - that is tomorrow. But until then, we talk about him stepping away," Mr Shanmugam added.
When pressed further whether the three will be retiring from politics, Mr Shanmugam said: "You will have the answer tomorrow."
(Clockwise) Ms Goh Hanyan, Mr Syed Harun Alhabsyi, Mr Jackson Lam, Ms Lee Hui Ying, Mr Louis Ng, Mr K Shanmugam, Ms Carrie Tan and Mr Derrick Goh seated at a table at a coffeeshop at Blk 846, Yishun Ring Road on Apr 22, 2025. (Photo: CNA/Ooi Boon Keong)
"NOT AN EASY DECISION": LOUIS NG
Mr Ng, whose absence from the PAP's Nee Soon slate on Monday sparked online comments about how much of a loss he would be for local politics, said "stepping away" has not been an "easy decision".
He has become known for raising multiple issues in parliament and fighting for causes like animal welfare and environmental protection, and on Tuesday he told reporters he would be "heading back to the nonprofit sector".
"I'm stepping away, not because I stopped loving this job. Really far from it, but being an MP has never just been a job for me. It's been a calling, a deep privilege, and honestly, one of the greatest honours of my life," he said.
"Having the chance to speak up for others and help shape our country has meant more to me than I can say, and I've spoken up in parliament as much as I can without fear or favour, and I'm very glad that has led to many policy and legislative changes."
Mr Ng said Mr Shanmugam had asked him to reconsider his decision, noting that the minister was the one who brought him into politics.
"In the last 17 years I've known him, he has not just been a colleague, a minister, a friend or mentor, but really a very nurturing fatherly figure," Mr Ng said, choking back tears.
"And I daresay he's probably the person that has put his arm around me the most time, often to show me care and concern and encouragement, although sometimes to strangle me as well.
"But after 10 years as an MP I do feel it's time for the next chapter. I will be heading back to the nonprofit sector, armed with all my learnings and experience as an MP for the past decade and until my last breath, fight hard to build a more caring, compassionate and inclusive Singapore."
Still emotional, Mr Ng said being an MP has made him miss "a lot of important milestones" in his daughters' childhoods.
"I now want to be more present in their lives and be there for the little, but precious, important moments," he added, as the other PAP members wiped his tears and put their arms around him.
"To the residents in Nee Soon East, thank you. It has been an incredible privilege serving as your MP and walking this journey together with you."
