Banking exec wants to speak out for the average Singaporean

SINGAPORE — Mr Dylan Ng had a “wake-up call” after one of his best friends died in 2009. The new Workers’ Party (WP) candidate, who has been in banking for 15 years, asked himself if his life was more than just his personal career.

The answer he came to: “It’s about giving back to society through public service.”

He decided to enter politics, as it was one way to serve the community, and joined the WP because he felt the party walked the ground, lent a listening ear and understood issues from “bottom up, rather than top down”.

The 40-year-old started volunteering with the WP about three years ago, helping WP chief Low Thia Khiang during his Meet-the-People sessions and ground activities, and became a party memberthis year. Mr Ng said that through his interactions with residents, he could understand their daily needs and struggles as an average Singaporean.

Asked why politics was a way to serve the community, he said one would be able to engage in the policymaking process, debate policies and represent constituents: “A good policy will impact their lives positively, and you’ll reach out to a critical mass.”

As to the specific concerns of residents, he said: “It’s still about the bread and butter, the overcrowding, the overpopulation ... To me, it’s about the universal issue facing Singaporeans.”

Responding to a question about the WP’s candidate introductions being done at party headquarters vis-a-vis some of the candidate introductions done by the People’s Action Party at coffee shops or hawker centres, Mr Ng said the venue did not matter.

“To new faces like us, the important thing is what we stand for, what we can do for the voters and how can we help them in their decisions,” he added.

And on whether his family had reservations about joining the WP, Mr Ng said his parents and wife were supportive of his choice to join politics.

“They’re supportive because they know I have a purpose; I want to speak out for the average Singaporean ... so I don’t think they have a concern,” he added.

Dylan Ng Foo Eng, 40

Head of Wealth Management & Loan Sales at the Singapore office of a Malaysian bank

FACT FILE:

• Married with two children (a 10-year-old daughter and six-year-old son)

• Graduated from University of Western Australia in 2000, triple major in Economics, Finance and International Trade

• Advanced Diploma in Private Banking, Singapore Management University

• Been in the banking industry for the past 15 years

HE SAID: “I have been helping out at the Workers’ Party for the past three years mainly at Meet-the-People sessions, as well as grassroots activities and events ... Elections is about the people, there are still many issues that can be improved on. This includes the bread and butter issues, and the population policy.”