Former Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Ng Chee Meng will continue serving in the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) as Secretary-General, he said in a Facebook post on Tuesday, July 14.

This makes him the first Secretary-General in NTUC in 40 years to not hold a Cabinet position concurrently.

Roles of Labour Chief and Cabinet Minister "independent"

In his post, Ng wrote that he was "humbled and honoured" when he took on the role two years ago after being seconded from Cabinet.

He explained that the role of the Labour Chief and Cabinet Minister are "in fact independent" even though they are "inextricably linked".

Saying that he has already stepped down as a Member of Parliament and will soon be stepping down from the Cabinet, Ng said he will continue in his elected role as Secretary-General of NTUC.

He was elected to the role on May 22, 2018, after current Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing stepped down.

"Humbled" by strong support from NTUC Central Committee

Ng said: "I will continue to serve workers who have given me their trust and I remain undeterred as the day I first joined the Labour Movement -- to be alongside our workers and to be their voice."

He added that he is "humbled and honoured by the strong support and encouragement from [his] sisters and brothers in the Labour Movement, in particular that of the NTUC Central Committee".

Earlier in the day, the NTUC Central Committee released a statement in support for Ng to remain as Secretary-General.

Ng ended the post by saying that together with union leaders and his NTUC colleagues, they will "stay the course to care for and do right by [their] workers".

Ng's four-member People's Action Party (PAP) team lost to the Workers' Party team in Sengkang GRC, which pulled off an unexpected victory after a closely-fought battle.

The PAP team's defeat meant the party lost three office-holders from its 4G leadership, which Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong described as "a significant loss".

Top image via Ng Chee Meng's Facebook page