PM Wong unveils Cabinet line-up; new faces David Neo and Jeffrey Siow to be acting ministers, Singapore News
In the new cabinet since his maiden General Election triumph as prime minister, Lawrence Wong announced on Wednesday (May 21) changes to ministers in seven of the 15 ministries.
Seven new MPs will also be appointed political office holders, including two who will be acting ministers with Jeffrey Siow helming the Transport Ministry, and David Neo heading the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth.
The pair will also be Senior Ministers of State — Siow in the Ministry of Finance and Neo in Education.
As for the fourth-generation leadership, Chan Chun Sing will become the new Minister for Defence, taking over from Ng Eng Hen, who has retired. He will also be appointed as Coordinating Minister for Public Services.
Desmond Lee moves from the Ministry of National Development to succeed Chan as Minister for Education.
Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat will become the new National Development Minister. Edwin Tong to be Minister for Law
K Shanmugam will relinquish his law portfolio and remain Minister for Home Affairs. He will take up an additional role of Coordinating Minister for National Security, succeeding the retired Teo Chee Hean.
In turn, Second Minister for Law Edwin Tong will move up to helm the Ministry of Law in Shanmugam's place. Tong will also be Second Minister for Home Affairs.
Masagos Zulkifli will continue to helm the Social and Family Development Ministry, while losing his role as Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs to Associate Professor Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim.
Dr Tan See Leng will keep his manpower portfolio, while also moving from Second Minister for Trade and Industry to helm the ministry with Gan Kim Yong.
PM Wong has retained Gan as deputy prime minister. In addition to the trade and industry portfolio, he will also oversee the National Population and Talent Division, and is appointed National Climate Change Secretarist.
There is no change in portfolios of Health Minister Ong Ye Kung, Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo and Sustainability and the Environment Minister Grace Fu intact. Ong will be appointed Coordinating Minister for Social Policies.
Indranee Rajah will remain as Minister in the Prime Minister's Office.
On his thinking behind the Cabinet reshuffle, PM Wong said at a press conference that he has kept most of the experienced ministers in core ministries — such as Foreign Affairs and those overseeing the economy — due to his Government's priority to "steer Singapore through great economic uncertainties and changes".
"I expect to make further adjustments in one or two years time, when more of our junior office holders are ready to step up," he added. No second DPM: PM Wong
While Singapore has traditionally had two deputy prime ministers after a new prime minister's first general election, PM Wong has decided not to replace the recently retired Heng Swee Keat.
PM Wong said that he has opted for one DPM and three coordinating ministers who will be part of a "core team" to assist and advise him, as well as "provide guidance and mentorship to the new and younger ministers".
Elaborating on coordinating ministers, PM Wong said that Public Services, which Chan will be taking up, is about "coordinating wide range of different amenities and facilities in new housing estates".
Shanmugam has been appointed the National Security role due to his "extensive experience in government" - from the Home Affairs to Foreign Affairs portfolio.
And Ong will look into reviewing and update Singapore's social policies in his appointment as Coordinating Minister.
PM Wong was joined by Faishal, Chan, Gan, Shanmugam, Ong and new Ang Mo Kio GRC MP Jasmin Lau.
Lau, a former high-ranking civil servant, has been appointed as Minister of State for Digital Development and Information as well as the Education Ministry.
The other new faces who are appointed Ministers of State are Dinesh Vasu Dash (culture, community and youth, manpower), Goh Pei Ming (home affairs, social and family development).
Meanwhile, two new MPs will be Senior Parliamentary Secretaries — Goh Hanyan (culture, community and youth, sustainability and the environment) and Syed Harun Alhabsyi (education, national development).
Backbencher MPs Desmond Choo and Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim will be stepping up as office-holders. Choo will be Minister of State for Defence and Abdul Rahim Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Social and Family Development.
In addition, among existing office-holders, Assoc Prof Faishal, Murali Pillai and Sun Xueling have been promoted to Senior Ministers of State, while Baey Yam Keng has been promoted to Minister of State. PM Wong moves current office-holders to new ministries
Beyond his Cabinet, PM Wong also announced a reshuffle of existing office-holders, who will move to different ministries.
Sim Ann will be appointed Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs.
She will continue as Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, but will relinquish her appointment as Senior Minister of State for National Development.
Dr Janil Puthucheary, who is currently Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information, as well as Health, will relinquish both appointments - he will be Senior Minister of State for Education and in the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment.
Dr Koh Poh Koon will be appointed Senior Minister of State for Health, while continuing as Senior Minister of State for Manpower but will leave the Sustainability and the Environment Ministry.
Zaqy Mohamad will join the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment as Senior Minister of State. He will continue as Senior Minister of State for Defence, but will relinquish his appointment in the Ministry of Manpower.
Tan Kiat How will be appointed Senior Minister of State for Health. He will remain as Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information, but will leave the National Development Ministry.
Gan Siow Huang, who has been serving as Minister of State for Education and Manpower concurrently since 2020, will leave both positions to be Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, as well as Trade and Industry.
Alvin Tan will be appointed Minister of State for National Development. He will continue as Minister of State for Trade and Trade and Industry, but will leave the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth.
Eric Chua, who is currently Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Culture, Community and Youth and for Social and Family Development, will now be Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Law.
Shawn Huang will relinquish his appointment as Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education, remain in the Finance Ministry, and will be Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Law.
PM Wong noted that the nine new office-holders – the highest in recent history – reflects the 'importance' he has placed on leadership renewal.
'For those where we assess to have the potential and the ability, we are stretching them. We are giving them significant responsibilities,' he said, while name-checking Siow and Neo.
'Maybe even amongst those whom I have not brought in this time around, existing back-benches and other MPs.. there may be a chance for them to come in later. And then gradually, I will want to build up a next generation team to take Singapore forward,' added PM Wong.
The new Cabinet and other office-holders will be sworn in on Friday.
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chingshijie@asiaone.com
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