Leong Mun Wai questions why NTUC leaders often come from the ruling party
During the Platform Workers Bill debate on 10 Sept, Mr Leong Mun Wai, NCMP from the Progress Singapore Party, backed WP MP Gerald Giam’s call for an independent NTUC. He expressed concerns about NTUC’s ties to the ruling party, questioning its independence given that its leaders are often from the PAP.
SINGAPORE: Mr Leong Mun Wai, Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) from the Progress Singapore Party, voiced support for the Workers' Party and its MP Gerald Giam’s call for an independent and non-partisan NTUC, separate from the ruling People's Action Party (PAP). During a parliamentary debate on the Platform Workers Bill on Tuesday (10 Sept), Mr Leong acknowledged that tripartism is a fundamental aspect of governance that all parties, including opposition ones, seek to foster. He noted that unions naturally seek political power to effect change but expressed concerns about the extent of NTUC’s relationship with the ruling party. However he questioned the level of NTUC's independence from the government. He pointed out that the NTUC’s secretary-general is often a minister or former minister and that many NTUC leaders come from the ruling party. “Can you find another trade union in the world where the trade union chief is a minister? Are there any countries? Please let me know if there are,” Mr Leong asked, further noting that few opposition politicians are given appointments in NTUC. “I think we are entitled to think that the independence of NTUC ought to be better than this.” Earlier, PAP MP Christopher De Souza criticized MP Gerald Giam for using the term “tether” to describe the NTUC-PAP relationship, emphasizing that the NTUC operates through partnership, alliance, and solidarity rather than subordination. In response, Mr Giam clarified that when he used the terms “tether” or “untether,” he meant that the NTUC and the PAP should be separate and independent organizations. He sought to ensure that NTUC does not appear to be biased towards the ruling party. Mr Giam also raised concerns about NTUC’s structure, particularly questioning why the Platform Associations need a Council of Advisors with the power to dismiss the Executive Council and why these advisors are predominantly PAP members or MPs. He suggested that this structure indicates a lack of independence for NTUC. The current NTUC secretary-general is Ng Chee Meng, a former PAP minister who assumed the position in 2018 and continues to hold it despite losing to WP's new team in GE2020.
