Ng Phek Hoong, Irene
Encyclopedia
Irene Ng Phek Hoong is a Singapore
an Member of Parliament
who represented Tampines GRC since 2001. She is also a Writer-in-Residence at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS).
. Irene has won several journalism and writing awards. After joining politics, she worked as Director of Programmes and Senior Research Fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, and later, as a Director at National Trades Union Congress
.
In the 2001
and 2006 general elections
, Ng's party, the People's Action Party
, were up against the Singapore Democratic Alliance
over Tampines GRC. On both occasions, her team won with 73.34% and 68.51% of the votes respectively. At the 2011 general election, she was re-elected with 57.22% of the votes against the National Solidarity Party.
Ng is currently writing the second volume of the biography on Mr S. Rajaratnam, Singapore's first Foreign Minister
. The first volume, The Singapore Lion: A Biography of S. Rajaratnam, was published in early 2010. It recently won the Excellence Award for the ‘Best Book/Best Writer’ on Asian socio-economic or media scene’ at the prestigious Asian Publishing Awards 2010. On 11 August 2011, she produced another book "The Short Stories and Radio Plays of S. Rajaratnam", which she edited with an introduction. It was launched by President SR Nathan.
She is in the Government Parliamentary Committees of Education, Information and the Arts.
Ng has Master of Science
in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science. In June 2006, Ng was awarded an Honorary Professorial Fellowship at the Edinburgh University. She is currently the Southeast Asian representative in the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians Steering Committee.
A long-time advocate of the arts, Ng sits on the Board of Directors of The Esplanade. She is the Patron of the Singapore Amateur Cycling Association
. A member of both the Advisory Board and Council of National Youth Achievement Award (NYAA), she also plays a key role in engaging women and youth.
. In 2007, Ng married Graham Berry, the chief executive of the Scottish Arts Council
. Ng is a Christian.
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
an Member of Parliament
Members of the Singapore Parliament
The following is a historical list of members for the current and past ten Parliaments of Singapore:-See also:*1st Parliament of Singapore*2nd Parliament of Singapore*3rd Parliament of Singapore*4th Parliament of Singapore*5th Parliament of Singapore...
who represented Tampines GRC since 2001. She is also a Writer-in-Residence at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS).
Political career
Before joining politics in 2001, Ng was the Senior Political Correspondent of The Straits TimesThe Straits Times
The Straits Times is an English language daily broadsheet newspaper based in Singapore currently owned by Singapore Press Holdings . It is the country's highest-selling paper, with a current daily circulation of nearly 400,000...
. Irene has won several journalism and writing awards. After joining politics, she worked as Director of Programmes and Senior Research Fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, and later, as a Director at National Trades Union Congress
National Trades Union Congress
The National Trades Union Congress , also known as the Singapore National Trades Union Congress , is the sole national trade union centre in Singapore...
.
In the 2001
Singapore general election, 2001
The Singapore parliamentary general elections of 2001 were held on 3 November. The People's Action Party, the incumbent ruling party, won 82 out of 84 seats in the election, including 55 walkovers...
and 2006 general elections
Singapore general election, 2006
The 2006 Singapore parliamentary general election was held on 6 May 2006. 1.22 million out of the 2.16 million eligible Singaporeans voted for Members of Parliament and elected their next government. The People's Action Party , in its first election under Lee Hsien Loong, won 66.6% of the overall...
, Ng's party, the People's Action Party
People's Action Party
The People's Action Party is the leading political party in Singapore. It has been the city-state's ruling political party since 1959....
, were up against the Singapore Democratic Alliance
Singapore Democratic Alliance
The Singapore Democratic Alliance is an alliance of political parties in Singapore. The SDA was formed shortly before the 2001 general election to provide a common grouping under which different opposition parties could stand as a united front in elections against the ruling People's Action Party...
over Tampines GRC. On both occasions, her team won with 73.34% and 68.51% of the votes respectively. At the 2011 general election, she was re-elected with 57.22% of the votes against the National Solidarity Party.
Ng is currently writing the second volume of the biography on Mr S. Rajaratnam, Singapore's first Foreign Minister
Foreign minister
A Minister of Foreign Affairs, or foreign minister, is a cabinet minister who helps form the foreign policy of a sovereign state. The foreign minister is often regarded as the most senior ministerial position below that of the head of government . It is often granted to the deputy prime minister in...
. The first volume, The Singapore Lion: A Biography of S. Rajaratnam, was published in early 2010. It recently won the Excellence Award for the ‘Best Book/Best Writer’ on Asian socio-economic or media scene’ at the prestigious Asian Publishing Awards 2010. On 11 August 2011, she produced another book "The Short Stories and Radio Plays of S. Rajaratnam", which she edited with an introduction. It was launched by President SR Nathan.
She is in the Government Parliamentary Committees of Education, Information and the Arts.
Ng has Master of Science
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science. In June 2006, Ng was awarded an Honorary Professorial Fellowship at the Edinburgh University. She is currently the Southeast Asian representative in the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians Steering Committee.
A long-time advocate of the arts, Ng sits on the Board of Directors of The Esplanade. She is the Patron of the Singapore Amateur Cycling Association
Singapore Amateur Cycling Association
The Singapore Amateur Cycling Association or SACA is the national governing body of cycle racing in Singapore.It is a member of the UCI and the Asian Cycling Confederation.-External links:*...
. A member of both the Advisory Board and Council of National Youth Achievement Award (NYAA), she also plays a key role in engaging women and youth.
Personal life
Ng was married in her mid-twenties but got an annulmentAnnulment
Annulment is a legal procedure for declaring a marriage null and void. Unlike divorce, it is usually retroactive, meaning that an annulled marriage is considered to be invalid from the beginning almost as if it had never taken place...
. In 2007, Ng married Graham Berry, the chief executive of the Scottish Arts Council
Scottish Arts Council
The Scottish Arts Council is a Scottish public body that distributes funding from the Scottish Government, and is the leading national organisation for the funding, development and promotion of the arts in Scotland...
. Ng is a Christian.