Ng Eng Hen

Ng Eng Hen 黄永宏
Minister for Defence
Incumbent
Assumed office 21 May 2011
Prime Minister	Lee Hsien Loong
Preceded by	Teo Chee Hean
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
Member of Parliament for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC
Incumbent
Assumed office 25 October 2001
Preceded by	Ibrahim Othman
Majority	15,180 (13.9%)
Personal details
Born	December 10, 1958 (1958-12-10) (age 52) Singapore
Political party	People's Action Party
Spouse(s)	Ivy Lim Swee Lian

This is a Chinese name; the family name is Ng.

Dr Ng Eng Hen (simplified Chinese: 黄永宏; traditional Chinese: 黃永宏; pinyin: Huáng Yǒnghóng) (born 10 December 1958) is a politician from Singapore. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he is currently the country's Minister for Defence and Leader of the House.^[1]

Early life

Ng was born in Singapore in 1958. 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 in the United States at the M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

Career

Ng was a Consultant Surgeon at Singapore General Hospital from 1992-97, and maintained a private practice in Mount Elizabeth Hospital as a surgical oncologist from 1997-2001.^[2]

Political career

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

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 Minster 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 Singaporean air force detachment stationed at Cazaux Air Base in France.^[4]

In March 2010, Ng Eng Hen mentioned that the weightage of mother-tongue examinations in the Singapore Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) will be reduced in order to benefit some students who are weak in their mother-tongue due to the over-emphasis on the English language in the Singapore education system. This sparked a hot debate from many local Singaporeans who support the mother-tongue education. Ng subsequently assured Singaporeans that the weightage mother-tongue in PSLE will not be reduced.

Private life

Ng is married to a paediatrician and geneticist, Ivy Lim Swee Lian. He has four children, born between 1984 and 1994.

During his spare time, he enjoys jogging, reading and playing golf.

External links

• Dr Ng Eng Hen - Official profile, Singapore Cabinet.

References

1. ^ "PM Lee announces changes to Cabinet". 2011-05-18. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1129632/1/.html. Retrieved 2011-05-18. 
2. ^ http://www.mfa.gov.sg/washington/jan2003.pdf
3. ^ About Dr. Ng Eng Hen
4. ^ Channelnewsasia.com

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 2004 – 2008	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) 2011 - present	Incumbent

Persondata
Name	Ng, Eng Hen
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	10 December 1958
Place of birth	Singapore
Date of death
Place of death