SINGAPORE - The labour movement re-elected former Nominated MP Mary Liew to lead the National Trades Union Congress as president on Wednesday (Oct 16).

The 56-year-old was first elected in 2015, when she became the second female president of NTUC. She took over from Ms Diana Chia, who had decided not to seek re-election.

Ms Liew, the general secretary of the Singapore Maritime Officers' Union (SMOU), was elected in a closed-door meeting by a new 21-member central committee.

More than 400 delegates from NTUC's 59 affiliated unions elected the new central committee by secret ballot, for a four-year term of 2019 to 2023.

The central committee is the planning, policy and executive organ of NTUC.

Besides Ms Liew, the new committee elected Mr Ng Chee Meng, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, as secretary-general.

The president and secretary-general are the two highest offices in NTUC.

The secretary-general heads a full-time secretariat to support the central committee in implementing policies and programmes in the labour movement.

Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry Koh Poh Koon was also elected as deputy secretary-general, while Mr Patrick Tay, an MP for West Coast GRC, was re-elected as assistant secretary-general.

The new committee also includes six new members.