Labour Chief Chan Chun Sing will be handing over the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) leadership baton to Minister Ng Chee Meng and Senior Minister of State Koh Poh Koon.

Ng is the Minister for Education (Schools) and Second Minister for Transport, while Koh is Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry, and National Development.

Both Ng and Koh were unveiled as part-time deputy secretaries-general in the labour movement on April 23, after an NTUC Central Committee meeting.

They were introduced to about 150 key union leaders at a dialogue session held at NTUC Centre this evening by NTUC President Mary Liew and Chan.

PM Lee: Chan to return to government

In his Facebook post, PM Lee shared that he had asked Chan to return to the Government.

In response, NTUC asked PM Lee to send Ng to serve in the Labour Movement. NTUC further requested for another leader to help the Labour Movement translate Industry Transformation Maps (ITMs) into tangible training programmes for working people.

This comes ahead of an impending Cabinet reshuffle that will see Chan, one of the frontrunners in the race to be the next Prime Minister, take on a new role in the Cabinet.

PM Lee has also revealed that he would be announcing the reshuffle in a day or two.

It is speculated that Ng will eventually take Chan's place as NTUC's new Secretary-General.

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According to the Straits Times, Ng was rather coy on whether he would be stepping up to the role of Secretary-General.

But let's not beat around the bush - Ng will be the full-time deputy secretary-general come May 1, 2018 (which is Labour Day). And the only way forward is up.

And Ng is off to a good start, saying that he is "humbled and honoured to join the Labour Movement".

On the other hand, Koh will continue part time in his deputy secretary-general role.According to political observers that Lianhe Zaobao spoke to, Koh is one of the Senior Ministers of State who is expected to receive a promotion, though no one has the foggiest idea where he might be deployed to if he receives said promotion.

Chan: "Welcome, brothers Chee Meng and Poh Koon"

In his Facebook post, Chan gave a warm welcome to Ng and Koh, saying that both are not new to the Labour Movement as they had "spent time serving our working people in various areas".

 

According to the Straits Time's sources, Chan is expected to helm the Trade and Industry ministry next after the reshuffle.

Some thoughts on the next Cabinet reshuffle:

Chan won't say if he's the next PM but he answers our inane questions here:

Top photo from Chan Chun Sing Facebook.