Nee Soon GRC MP Louis Ng has announced he will step away from politics, saying it is time for him to focus on spending more time with his three young daughters.
The 46-year-old, who has served two terms in Parliament, made the emotional announcement on April 22 during a media doorstop in Yishun.
He was joined by fellow Nee Soon MPs Carrie Tan and Derrick Goh - both of whom also said they would not be contesting in the upcoming General Election.
"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," said Mr Ng, visibly choking up.
According to The Straits Times, Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam reached over at one point to dab his tears.
Mr Ng, who founded the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES), said he's missed "a lot of important milestones" in his daughters' lives. He has an 11-year-old daughter and eight-year-old twin girls.
Mr Shanmugam said that both he and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong had "spent many hours" trying to persuade Mr Ng to stay, but ultimately respected his decision to step down.
Mr Ng said he plans to return to the non-profit sector and continue championing causes he believes in, armed with "all [his] learnings and experience as an MP for the past decade".
ST reported that Mr Ng was the most active MP in each of the last two terms.
In the most recent term, he filed or clarified 728 parliamentary questions and made 195 speeches or clarifications. Across both terms, he raised more than 1,000 parliamentary questions and introduced several private member's motions and bills.
In a social media post on April 13, he hinted at his departure by sharing a "report card" of his parliamentary performance. He expressed pride in speaking up on issues such as single unwed parents, animal welfare, migrant workers, parental leave, climate change and the LGBTQ+ community.
Carrie Tan and Derrick Goh also step down
Joining Mr Ng in exiting politics are Ms Carrie Tan, 38, and Mr Derrick Goh, 57. Both were first-term MPs who served in Nee Soon South and Nee Soon Link respectively.
Ms Tan, founder of charity Daughters of Tomorrow, said she hopes to make room for someone younger and more energetic.
"I will continue to be a change-maker and bring what I learnt back into the community to advocate for Singaporeans' well-being," she said.
Mr Shanmugam said that Mr Goh, who was recently promoted to Group COO at DBS Bank, had extensive travel commitments that could affect his ability to serve residents on the ground.
"I'm stepping aside, but not stepping away," added Mr Goh. "I will definitely and deeply miss my residents, my volunteer... It's been an honour and privilege to serve them all."
Mr Shanmugam, who will remain in the Nee Soon team alongside four new candidates, praised all three MPs for their contributions and for making a meaningful impact on residents' lives.
