After more than 40 years of working, including 14 years as Singapore\u2019s defence minister, Dr Ng Eng Hen is enjoying having his life back.<\/p>\n
That means eating at hawker centres, travelling with his family, spending time with his grandchildren \u2014 and taking his own photos, even if they may not quite meet the mark.<\/p>\n
In an interview with Lianhe Zaobao published on Aug 18, Dr Ng, 67, shared how he has been spending his time since retiring from politics in April 2025<\/a>.<\/p>\n He initially met the reporter for coffee<\/a> at a coffee shop at Block 203 Toa Payoh North, opposite SPH Media.<\/p>\n It was a familiar haunt for Dr Ng, who said he used to enjoy the zi char from Hong Sheng Restaurant there because its takeaway food was wrapped in opeh leaves.<\/p>\n The stall closed on Dec 29, 2024.<\/p>\n Food has featured prominently in Dr Ng\u2019s retirement.<\/p>\n Asked what he would choose if he could eat only one type of food for the rest of his life, his answer was simple: noodles \u2014 of any kind.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m biased towards good noodles,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Dr Ng, who was also Member of Parliament for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, has been active on social media over the past year, documenting his visits to hawker centres<\/a> and coffee shops across Singapore.<\/p>\n On Aug 16, for instance, he posted photos of himself enjoying a bowl of liver bak chor mee<\/a> at Kim Tian.<\/p>\n His preference for Asian food becomes particularly apparent when he travels.<\/p>\n \u201cI cannot tahan too much ang moh jia,\u201d he said, using Hokkien for Western food.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter two, three days, I\u2019m dying.\u201d<\/p>\n Dr Ng, who is heading to Australia soon, added that he already knows of a few good pho restaurants there.<\/p>\n Having a \u201csatisfying\u201d meal at Fatty Cheong at ABC Brickworks Food Centre.<\/p>\n PHOTO: NG ENG HEN\/FACEBOOK<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n Asked whether his selfie-taking skills had improved since leaving office, Dr Ng explained that while he was at the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF), he had staff to take photos for him.<\/p>\n These days, when he is alone, he simply \u201cpoints and shoots\u201d, adding that his wife helps take photos<\/a> when they are together.<\/p>\n \u201cI apologise if the pictures don\u2019t match standards,\u201d he quipped.<\/p>\n Dr Ng also addressed one social media post that got people\u2019s attention.<\/p>\n In July 2025, his SAF Day post went viral after eagle-eyed netizens noticed that the SAF crest he uploaded appeared to be a screenshot from Wikipedia.<\/p>\n He briefly addressed his social media post featuring a screenshot of the SAF crest from Wikipedia.<\/p>\n PHOTO: REDDIT<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n Dr Ng shared that he had already left office by then and no longer had access to his MINDEF accounts.<\/p>\n \u201cSo I just logged on, Google SAF crest, took a screenshot and posted that… But they said it was authentic,\u201d he said with a laugh.<\/p>\n The post made the rounds on social media, with netizens describing his DIY approach as \u201chilarious\u201d and \u201cendearing\u201d<\/a>.<\/p>\n Checks by Stomp showed that the post<\/a> has since been amended to feature a regular image of the SAF crest.<\/p>\n
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<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\u2018I\u2019m biased towards good noodles\u2019<\/h2>\n
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Viral SAF crest Wikipedia screenshot<\/h2>\n
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\u2018I\u2019m in a good place\u2019: Ng Eng Hen<\/h2>\n
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