Ng Eng Hen


Ng Eng Hen is a Singaporean politician and former surgical oncologist. A member of the governing People's Action Party, he has been the Minister for Defence since 2011. He has been a Member of Parliament representing the Bishan–Toa Payoh Group Representation Constituency 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.

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.

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.
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 detachment stationed at Cazaux Air Base in France.
In March 2010, Ng mentioned that the weight of mother-tongue language examinations in the Singapore Primary School Leaving Examination 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 and team remained representatives for Bishan–Toa Payoh GRC in the 2020 Singaporean general election, garnering 67.26% of the valid votes.

Awards

In 2018, Ng was awarded the French Legion of Honour.

Private life

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