Incumbent Nee Soon GRC MP Derrick Goh has announced his decision to step down from politics to focus on his new role at DBS Bank. Anchor minister K. Shanmugam shared that Mr. Goh’s new responsibilities as the chief operating officer at DBS Bank would involve extensive travel, making it challenging to balance them with the intense commitments of an MP. Shanmugam highlighted Mr. Goh’s contributions as the town council chairman, emphasizing the positive impact he has made on the lives of Nee Soon Link residents.
In response to stepping down, Derrick Goh expressed, “I will be stepping aside, but not stepping away… I will definitely and deeply miss my residents and my volunteers, and I thank them for the support that they have given me.” He also mentioned, “It’s been an honour and privilege to serve them all. I will cherish all these moments from the bottom of my heart.” He reflected on the honor and privilege of serving the community and expressed gratitude for the moments shared with them.
Incumbent MP Carrie Tan also discussed her decision to step down from Nee Soon GRC, emphasizing that while it wasn’t an easy choice, she believes it is the right move to allow for a younger and more energetic individual to take over.
Ms. Tan told reporters: “I will be pursuing some of my own learning development in the wellness space, and I will continue to be a change-maker and bring what I learned back into the community to advocate for Singaporeans’ well-being. I’m going to miss everyone so much but I will always be around in the community, in a different role.” She expressed her plans to focus on personal development in the wellness sector and continue advocating for Singaporeans’ well-being.
On Louis Ng’s emotional departure from politics, he shared that being an MP has been more than just a job to him, describing it as a calling and one of the greatest honors of his life. “I’m stepping away, not because I stopped loving this job, really far from it, but being an MP has never just been a job for me. It’s been a calling, a deep privilege, and, honestly, one of the greatest honours of my life,” he said.
Louis expressed his decision to step away to spend more time with his daughters and emphasized the privilege he felt in serving the community. “I share a lot about my daughters in my speeches in Parliament,” he said. “But the truth is, I’ve missed a lot of important milestones in their childhood. It has been an incredible privilege serving as your MP and walking this journey together with you. This privilege, this trust, is something that I have never taken lightly.”
Mr Shanmugam said that he and PM Lawrence Wong had “spent many hours” persuading Mr Ng to stay, but ultimately understood his reasons for stepping down.
He added: “I can tell you that I spent many hours trying to persuade him to stay, and not just me, the prime minister himself… spoke with him many times.
“But his decision was based on very personal reasons, and we decided we had to agree. But as I told him, nothing is confirmed until it’s confirmed. That is tomorrow.”
Throughout the announcements, it was evident that the departing MPs held a deep sense of appreciation for the opportunities they had to serve in their roles. Their decisions to step down were met with understanding and support from their colleagues and constituents. The changes signal a new chapter in Nee Soon GRC politics, as the PAP introduces a new team for the upcoming GE2025, featuring anchor minister K. Shanmugam and a lineup of fresh faces to continue the constituency’s governance.
