SINGAPORE — The labour movement will have a new president, with former Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) and unionist Mary Liew Kiah Eng elected by the movement’s top decision-making body today (Oct 29), while Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Chan Chun Sing remains secretary-general. 

Credit: National Trades Union Congress

Ms Liew, 52, is general secretary of Singapore Maritime Officers’ Union and has been with National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) for 35 years. She takes over from Ms Diana Chia Siew Fui, who did not run as she would not be able to serve the full four-year term if elected. 

NTUC requires top union leaders to step aside for new blood when they turn 62. Ms Chia is 59.

Ms Liew served as NMP from 2012 to last year, and raised issues ranging from manpower to housing during her term. Speaking to reporters after her election today, Ms Liew said Ms Chia has “done a lot of good work”, and served with humility and care for the labour movement. 

“It’s an honour for me right now to take over her place and to continue the good work she has begun,” she said. 

NTUC kicked off the election today, on the last day of its National Delegates Conference. Some 400 union leaders elected 21 members into the central committee, which is the movement’s highest decision-making body. The new committee then chooses who takes up key posts in a closed-door meeting.  

The ballot is Mr Chan’s first after taking over as labour chief from Manpower Minister Lim Swee Say in May. There were also no changes to the deputy secretary-general and assistant secretary-general positions. 

Senior Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Heng Chee How remains deputy secretary general, while Ms Cham Hui Fong and Member of Parliament (MP) Patrick Tay remain assistant secretary-generals.

The newly elected committee also appointed MPs Ang Hin Kee and Zainal Sapari, and former MP Yeo Guat Kwang as assistant secretary-generals in the NTUC Secretariat. 

The new committee has eight new faces, and its members range from 39 to 58 years old. Two members are under 40: Singapore Manual & Mercantile Workers’ Union deputy secretary-general Andy Lim Tze Khong and Port Officers’ Union president Benjamin Tang Chun Wai. Both are 39. 

United Workers of Petroleum Industry general secretary K Karthikeyan and Singapore Teachers’ Union general secretary Edwin Lye Teck Hee remain vice-presidents of the committee; while Food, Drinks & Allied Workers’ Union general secretary Tan Hock Soon, previously a member, was elected vice-president. 

Mr Chan said the new central committee is a “balanced team”, with members from the industrial sector, services sector and the public service sectors. 

He thanked the previous central committee members such as Ms Chia, adding that the movement would continue to tap them to guide the new generation of committee members. 

For example, Mr Chan noted that Ms Chia is “very strong” in leadership development. “So, we foresee that we will be able to request her to help us guide the new generation of younger unionists,” he said.