[SINGAPORE] Sino Group chairman Robert Ng and his three children will be designated as politically significant persons under the Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act (Fica), as they were members of a foreign legislature or foreign political organisation, the Ministry of Home Affairs said on Monday (Apr 7).
Robert Ng, 72, is the eldest son of the late Ng Teng Fong, founder of Singapore property giant Far East Organization (FEO), and brother of Philip Ng, who has retired as chief executive officer of FEO.
Ng’s children are Daryl Ng, 46; Nikki Ng, 44; and David Ng, 36. Daryl Ng said last month that he would be stepping down from his position as chairman of the board of Yeo Hiap Seng. He remains as Sino Group’s deputy chairman. Nikki Ng is a non-executive director of Sino Group.
Checks by The Business Times showed that all four members of the Ng family have links to the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) – China’s top political advisory body.
The designation as PSPs means that they will be required to make annual disclosures to the Registry of Foreign and Political Disclosures on political donations of S$10,000 or more that they receive and accept, foreign affiliations and migration benefits.
In its statement, MHA made clear that “the intended designations of the four individuals are not because they have engaged in any egregious activity”.
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The ministry said that in 2024, the four Singaporeans made declarations to the Registry of Foreign and Political Disclosures that they were members of a foreign legislature or foreign political organisation.
The Sino Group
Sino Group is one of the largest listed property groups in Hong Kong and holds assets and joint ventures with the Far East group in Singapore.
According to Sino Group’s website, Robert Ng is listed as a member of the 11th to 14th National Committee of the CPPCC. He was also the deputy director of the Committee for Economic Affairs of the 13th and 14th National Committee of the CPPCC.
The advisory body comprises representatives from the Communist Party of China, other political parties, individuals without party affiliation, people’s organisations, ethnic minority groups, representatives from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, returned overseas Chinese, other sectors of society as well as specially invited individuals, its website said.
In 2024, Robert Ng was appointed as a member of the Chief Executive’s Council of Advisers, a high-level advisory body that advises the Hong Kong chief executive on the special administrative region’s strategic development.
He also held the position of vice-chairman of the China Overseas Friendship Association, according to a Chinese media platform.
Robert Ng’s oldest son, Daryl Ng, is listed as a member of the 12th and 13th Beijing Municipal Committees of the CPPCC, according to Sino Group’s website.
Daryl Ng, who is Sino Group’s deputy chairman, is also a member of the Standing Committee of the 14th Beijing Municipal Committee. He is also the chairman of the Hong Kong-Asean Foundation Advisory Council, which aims to strengthen Hong Kong’s ties with the region.
Nikki Ng, Robert Ng’s daughter, was a member of the 12th, 13th and 14th Shanghai Committee of the CPPCC. She is a non-executive director of Sino Group.
David Ng was a member of the 12th Fujian Provincial Committee of the advisory body, according to a report by Hong Kong newspaper Ta Kung Pao in 2019.
Singapore ventures
Asked whether the PSP designation will have any impact on Sino Group’s business in Singapore, MHA said: “Upon being designated, the Ngs will be subject to transparency requirements to disclose their reportable political donations, foreign affiliations and migration benefits on an annual basis. There are no restrictions on the Ngs’ activities.”
The Sino Group’s assets in Singapore include The Fullerton Hotel, which it opened in 2001 after an extensive refurbishment of the historic Fullerton Building.
Among its most recent Singapore projects is the redevelopment of Golden Mile Complex, which it is rebuilding together with Far East Organization and Perennial Holdings. The project was launched for sale in February.
The Hong Kong-listed group is also behind One Holland Village, which it developed with its sister company and Sekisui House.
With FEO, it is jointly developing The Reserve Residences, a commercial and residential project at Jalan Anak Bukit on a site they clinched for S$1.028 billion.
The Ng family also runs Ng Teng Fong Charitable Foundation, which focuses on supporting education, arts and culture, environment, heritage and ageing-related initiatives.
Since its establishment, the foundation has made donations to a wide variety of charitable causes across mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore and overseas, it said.
Appeal
The notices of intended designation were served to Robert Ng and his children on Monday.
The Ngs have 14 days from the date of the notice to submit representations to the registrar. If they are designated, they may appeal to the Minister for Home Affairs against the decision.
As at Apr 7, there are currently four designated PSPs under Fica – three designated entities (Think Centre, Maruah, and NTUC) and one designated individual, Philip Chan.
As at Mar 31, seven Singapore citizens have declared their memberships in foreign legislature or foreign political organisations to the Registry of Foreign and Political Disclosures, MHA said in response to queries from BT.
Out of the seven, only the four Ngs have been issued with notices of intended designation.
BT has reached out to Sino Land for comment.
