Desmond Choo
| 朱倍庆 | |
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| Current Role | • Minister of State, Ministry of Defence |
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| Personal details | |
| Party | PAP 
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Desmond Choo Pey Ching (Chinese: 朱倍庆; pinyin: Zhū Bèiqìng; born 13 February 1978) is a Singaporean politician from the ruling party the People's Action Party (PAP), representing he Tampines Group Representation Constituency (GRC). He has served as a MP since 2015. In addition to that, he has been the Mayor of the North East District since 2017. Choo is the Assistant Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC), where he has been actively calling for workers' rights and policies.
For the full list of positions, refer to PARL link.
Early Life and Education
Choo received education at Ai Tong School, Catholic High School, and National Junior College. He graduated from the University of Chicago, majoring in economics. A scholarship from The Singapore Police Force financed his studies.
Career before entering politics
Singapore Police Force
Upon graduation, Choo served his scholarship bond in the Singapore Police Force (SPF) for 12 years, holding various senior officer positions, including:
- Commanding officer of Woodlands Neighbourhood Police Centre,
- Head of the Special Investigation Section,
- Deputy commander of Clementi Police Division.
He was also seconded to the Ministry of Manpower as Deputy Director of the Foreign Workforce Policy Department. He was part of the security team during the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and other Cabinet ministers at the Istana on 12 August 2004.
Choo left the police force with the rank of Deputy Assistant Commissioner of Police in 2010 to join NTUC.
National Trades Union Congress (NTUC)
After a probationary stint as Deputy Director of NTUC's Youth Development Unit, Choo later became Deputy Director of the Industrial Relations Unit. He concurrently served as the Executive Secretary of the Union of Security Employees and the Singapore Shell Employees Union.
In 2013, he briefly joined the private sector at Kestrel Capital Pte Ltd, an investment firm, before returning to NTUC in April 2014.
As of 2015, Choo served as Assistant Secretary-General of NTUC and Director of the Policy Division, overseeing economic and social policies, strategic communications, and international affairs.
Additionally, he serves as Executive Secretary of the Union of Telecoms Employees of Singapore and Advisor to the Young NTUC Committee.
Political career
Early Elections (2011–2012)
Choo entered politics as a PAP candidate in Hougang SMC during the 2011 general election. But he lost to the Workers' Party. He ran again a year later but faced another defeat.
Member of Parliament (2015–present)
In the 2015 general election, Choo was part of the PAP team contesting in Tampines GRC. The team won with 72.1% of the vote, and Choo became the MP for the Tampines Changkat division. He continued to serve in this capacity until 2025, when Tampines Changkat was delineated as a Single Member Constituency. Choo contested and won the seat, continuing his representation of the area.[1][2]
Mayor of North East District (2017–2025)
Choo was appointed Mayor of North East District on 27 May 2017, succeeding Teo Ser Luck. He served in this role until 23 May 2025, overseeing community development initiatives in the district.[3]
Minister of State for Defence (2025–present)
On 23 May 2025, Choo was appointed Minister of State for Defence under Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's administration. In this role, he assists in overseeing Singapore's defence policies and initiatives.[4]
Controversies
During the 2012 Hougang by-election, triggered by the expulsion of WP Member of Parliament Yaw Shin Leong, Choo was selected by the PAP to contest in the opposition stronghold that had been held by the Workers' Party since 1991. Amid his campaign, Choo drew public attention for stating, "I understand how the poor feel," and for proposing support schemes targeted at the "many poor residents" in the SMC.[5]
His remarks drew scrutiny as media reported that Choo had grown up in relatively stable conditions. His father owned an antique business, and the family lived in a maisonette in their early years. Although they later faced financial difficulties, they eventually settled in a 4-room HDB flat. Choo also pledged to support the security industry, citing personal insights from his father who became a security guard and often shared challenges faced in that sector.[6]
In a separate incident during the 2012 by-election campaign, Choo made an emotional appeal to Hougang voters, tearfully promising to "stand up" for them. The display was widely reported and received mixed reactions—some perceived it as a sincere gesture, while others criticized it as theatrics.[7]
Additionally, Choo’s repeated efforts to contest Hougang—a Workers' Party stronghold—were viewed by some analysts as a politically high-risk strategy by the PAP to regain ground in opposition territory. Critics questioned whether Choo’s candidacy reflected his alignment with the residents' needs or broader party objectives.[8]
Personal life
Choo married in July 2011.
His uncle, Choo Wee Khiang, was a PAP MP from 1988 to 1999 and was later convicted of cheating after resigning from Parliament. Despite this, Choo has stated that his uncle was a source of inspiration and counsel.
Social media pages
References
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- ↑ https://sgwiki.com/wiki/Tampines_Group_Representative_Constituency?utm_source=chatgpt.com
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desmond_Choo?utm_source=chatgpt.com
- ↑ https://www.cdc.gov.sg/files/Press%20Releases/media_release_mayors_swearingin_ceremony_2017_final.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com
- ↑ https://www.parliament.gov.sg/mps/list-of-current-mps/mp/details/desmond-choo
- ↑ https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2012/05/17/desmond-choo-i-understand-how-the-poor-feel
- ↑ https://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20120518-345310.html
- ↑ https://sg.news.yahoo.com/i-will-stand-up-for-you--desmond-choo-tells-hougang-voters-tearfully.html
- ↑ https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2011/03/22/security-guards-stats-something-for-desmond-choo-to-ponder-over