SINGAPORE: A former Ministry of Education (MOE) trainee teacher has come forward with claims of an unpleasant encounter with a government minister during a dialogue session, urging voters to consider the character of political leaders when heading to the polls.
Ivan David Ng took to Instagram on 1 May to share his experience, calling on fellow citizens to “vote wisely for political leaders who will treat even the most junior civil servants with respect.”
Ng, who is no longer with MOE and has since pursued a career as an artist, stated, “No politician should disrespect and patronise civil servants, no matter how junior they are.”
He added, “How a leader treats the most junior members of his organisation is very telling of his true character.”
Dialogue Session with Minister Turned Tense
Ng recounted that he was a beginning teacher under MOE, completing his training at the National Institute of Education (NIE), when he attended a dialogue session involving a minister with an education portfolio.
The event involved his entire Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) cohort of approximately 300 people.
During the session, Ng posed a question about the enduring relevance and fairness of the Special Assistance Plan (SAP) schools in contemporary Singapore.
He shared that he had studied in a SAP school and had recently been posted to teach JC Art in one.
“I understood that this might be a somewhat sensitive question, but this was by no means a new question,” he wrote.
“I fully expected the minister to be able to artfully and effectively answer it with nuance.”
Instead, Ng alleged that the minister reacted angrily to the question.
After Ng had returned to his seat, the minister reportedly said, “When minister is talking to you, you better stand up.”
“We are MOE leh, not MINDEF,” Ng remarked in response.
“Whatever the circumstances, it is totally unprofessional to speak to staff like this at a dialogue session.”
Feeling taken aback, Ng complied and returned to the microphone.
According to him, the minister then proceeded to question and lecture him in what he perceived as an aggressive tone, prompting murmurs of disapproval among the crowd.
Allegations of Intimidation and Patronising Remarks
Ng shared that another individual, whom he did not know, stepped up to the microphone to support his question.
In response, the minister allegedly said, “You two no need to conspire against minister, ok?”
“No one was conspiring against him,” Ng clarified.
“People just wanted the minister to articulate a sound rationale for the policy, which was not yet given.”
He questioned whether such statements were appropriate responses to legitimate policy inquiries, saying, “My view is that statements like this intimidate people from asking important questions.”
Ng also recounted being described later as “full of knowledge but lacking wisdom.”
During the same dialogue, the minister also reportedly asked attendees, “How many of you read at least one book a month?”
When many raised their hands, he followed up with, “Sure or not? Fiction book or serious book?”
Ng said the response triggered loud jeering and sighs from the crowd, composed largely of Language and Literature teachers.
“It is shocking to imagine that an MOE minister would even say this to teachers,” Ng wrote.
“He appeared confused as to why there was uproar in the crowd, and turned to the moderator as though asking why the audience was reacting this way. To me, it showed how totally out of touch he was.”
According to Ng, the session ended with people expressing their displeasure by jeering as the minister exited.
“This story is true,” Ng wrote, encouraging those curious to verify his account with fellow PGDE graduates from his year.
Call for Accountability
Ng concluded his post by reiterating that the way leaders treat their most junior staff reveals much about their character.
He expressed strong reservations about the minister’s return to politics.
“I don’t think such an individual, who lost in a previous election, should be coming back to Parliament anytime soon,” he stated.
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Netizens Back Former MOE Trainee’s Story of Minister’s Behaviour
Ng’s account of a negative encounter with a former education minister during his time as a trainee teacher at the National Institute of Education (NIE) has gained traction on both Instagram and Reddit.
Multiple users identifying themselves as members of Ng’s 2017 Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) cohort have corroborated his version of events.
While Ng did not name the minister in his Instagram post, commenters on Reddit identified him outright as Ng Chee Meng, referring to him by the initials “NCM”.
One user recalled the event, saying, “Most of us remember this episode even though it was a decade ago, because of how shockingly unprofessional and stupid NCM was — aggressive and defensive tone, calling my batchmate ‘no wisdom’.”
Another user, who identified themselves as the second person to step up to the microphone during the dialogue session, explained, “I was the second person who came up with the follow-up question because I genuinely could not comprehend the lack of professionalism in his response and his inability to engage the question that he was asked.”
One commenter recalled the specific setting of the dialogue, stating, “I second this as I was in the audience too. To be exact, it was the Beginning Teachers Orientation Programme (BTOP).”
They remembered the reaction of the audience, with many expressing surprise at the minister’s response.
Another commenter shared that, despite the incident occurring nearly eight years ago, they still vividly remembered the “condescending tone” the minister had used when responding to questions, which had left a lasting negative impression.
They concluded, “We should have leaders who are empathetic, honest and transparent, and who are able to engage in constructive and civil debate.”
Claims of a Pattern in Behaviour
Some netizens went further, sharing experiences from other events involving the same minister.
One user recalled attending a closed-door dialogue with NCM, where he also came across as “very aggressive.”
Others remarked that the minister’s negative reputation was “well known”.
One user shares their friends working in NTUC had frequently shared how the minister allegedly surrounded himself with yes-men and behaved in a domineering manner.
The user described him as a “really out-of-touch elitist”.
Another commenter added that this was not the first time such incidents had been shared regarding the way the minister treated people.
They expressed concern that his actions could have harmful consequences if he were to return to a higher position of authority.
Calls for Respect in Leadership
Amid the testimonies, several commenters raised broader concerns about leadership standards and values.
One person emphasised that respect should not be limited to junior civil servants, stating that “everyone, regardless of status, deserves to be treated with respect.”
Another commenter echoed this sentiment, noting that the way leaders treat others — regardless of their position — “speaks volumes about the kind of human beings they are.”
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