Five key takeaways from Singapore PM Lawrence Wong's Cabinet reshuffle
SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Wednesday (May 21) unveiled his refreshed Cabinet after the 2025 General Election.
He will appoint three new coordinating ministers who, along with Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, will form the core of his team.
They are: K. Shanmugam, who will be Coordinating Minister for National Security; Chan Chun Sing, who will be Coordinating Minister for Public Services; and Ong Ye Kung, who will be Coordinating Minister for Social Policies.
With this reshuffle, all ministries will have new office-holders, PM Wong noted at a press conference.
Here are five key highlights from the reshuffle:
1. New office-holders in every ministry
PM Wong announced that every ministry will see changes in the latest Cabinet reshuffle, as part of efforts to give political office-holders broader exposure and opportunities to learn.
He noted that rotating ministers across portfolios allows them to be tested in different domains and to better understand the challenges facing Singapore.
Six out of 15 ministries will be helmed by new ministers.
Among the changes, Edwin Tong will take over as Minister for Law, Chee Hong Tat will lead the Ministry of National Development, Chan Chun Sing will helm the Ministry of Defence, and Desmond Lee will be appointed Minister for Education.
The reshuffle will also introduce new political office-holders into key roles.
Former permanent secretary Jeffrey Siow, a newly-elected MP, will be appointed Acting Minister for Transport. One of the roles Siow held during his public service career was director for land transport at the Transport Ministry.
Another newcomer, former Chief of Army David Neo, will take on the role of Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth. Neo had previously helmed the Silver Generation Office under the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC).
2. Three new coordinating ministers
PM Wong has appointed three new coordinating ministers – Shanmugam, Chan and Ong.
Along with DPM Gan, these senior leaders will form the core team to assist and advise PM Wong, as well as provide guidance and mentorship to the new and younger ministers.
Among the quartet, DPM Gan will serve as Acting Prime Minister in PM Wong's absence.
However, if both PM Wong and DPM Gan are unavailable, one of the three coordinating ministers will assume the role.
There have typically been two deputy prime ministers in the Cabinet.
Asked why he did not appoint one of the fourth-generation leaders as a DPM, PM Wong said having these four senior leaders in his team is 'a good arrangement for now'.
'Along the way, there may be changes, but as we start this new term, I am happy with this configuration,' he added.
3. New faces stepping up
The new Cabinet will see several new faces stepping up.
In addition to their Acting Minister roles, Siow will also serve as Senior Minister of State for Finance, while Neo will be Senior Minister of State for Education.
Besides the two, former brigadier-general and chief of staff of Singapore Armed Forces Goh Pei Ming will be appointed Minister of State for Social and Family Development and Home Affairs.
Dinesh Vasu Dash, who was chief executive of AIC, will be appointed Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth and Manpower. He will also serve as a Mayor for the South East District.
Former Health Ministry deputy secretary Jasmin Lau will be appointed Minister of State for Education and Digital Development and Information.
Goh Hanyan, another former senior civil servant, will take on the role of Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Sustainability and the Environment, as well as Culture, Community and Youth.
Psychiatrist and former Nominated MP Syed Harun Alhabsyi will be appointed Senior Parliamentary Secretary for National Development and Education.
4. No labour chief in Cabinet a 'temporary arrangement'
Labour chief Ng Chee Meng will not be part of the new Cabinet, as he had asked to focus on his duties at the National Trades Union Congress and his constituency work in Jalan Kayu, said PM Wong.
PM Wong added that he respected Ng's decision, but described it as a temporary arrangement.
'I look forward to having the labour chief being part of the Cabinet before too long,' he said.
Ng, who has served as NTUC secretary-general since 2018, is the first labour chief in decades to not hold a Cabinet position. The former Cabinet minister had contested Sengkang GRC in the 2020 General Election and lost.
On May 6, Ng said he had asked not to be given a government post following the general election. This came after renewed public criticism over a 2017 dialogue he attended while helming the Ministry of Education, and a recently resurfaced photo showing him at a dinner with a man later convicted of money laundering.
PM Wong noted that the NTUC secretary-general has traditionally held a position in Cabinet. 'I value this link. I know the NTUC values it too,' he added.
In the meantime, the government will continue working closely with NTUC and ensure that the labour movement's views and the interests of workers are fully considered in policymaking.
5. New Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs
Associate Professor Faishal Ibrahim will be promoted to Senior Minister of State and appointed Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs.
Prof Faishal will take over the Muslim Affairs portfolio from Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli.
PM Wong said Senior Minister of State Zaqy Mohamad will take over the chairmanship of self-help group Mendaki. He is currently deputy chairman.
The prime minister said he had discussed the leadership transition with Masagos, who has helmed the portfolio for seven years.
They agreed that it was time to refresh the Malay/Muslim leadership and give new and younger office-holders the opportunity to step up, engage the community, and work with them to achieve shared goals.
After consultations with Cabinet and Masagos, it was agreed that Prof Faishal would be the best person to take over as Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs.
PM Wong noted that Prof Faishal will be supported by others in the leadership team, including new Malay/Muslim political office-holders such as Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim, who will be Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Social and Family Development, and Dr Syed Harun. - The Straits Times/ANN
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