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Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
What PM Wong's new Cabinet line-up signals for succession
The votes are in, the general election is over, and a new Parliament is taking shape. The last piece of the GE2025 chapter was unveiled on May 21: Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's Cabinet line-up, which had a few surprises including just one deputy prime minister (DPM) position and a bumper crop of seven newly-elected MPs who will be political office-holders. In this episode of The Usual Place Podcast, I unpack the post-GE2025 Cabinet line-up with Singapore Management University law don Eugene Tan and Ms Nydia Ngiow, the managing director of strategic advisory firm BowerGroupAsia. For Prof Tan, not having a second DPM was a surprise move, and he noted that PM Wong is 'breaking that particular trend'. He pointed out that Mr Chan Chun Sing, who will be Defence Minister and Coordinating Minister for Public Services, and Mr Ong Ye Kung, who will continue on as Health Minister and take on the role of Coordinating Minister for Social Policies, are both front runners for the DPM position, given that they are part of PM Wong's core team of senior leaders. However, Prof Tan pointed out, 'the field may not be limited to them'. As the new government gets to work, other potential candidates may eventually stand out. 'I think nothing is cast in stone. There is certainly no inevitability from being coordinating minister to DPM.' Going into the next term of government, Ms Ngiow said the much-talked about 4G leadership renewal is in place. Given the publicity and talk around the new faces during the general election, she added: 'We can expect that the public will definitely scrutinise this Parliament and Cabinet a bit more closely. All eyes will be on how the 4G leaders will then be helping to lead and guide the younger generations moving forward.' Highlights (click/tap above): 1:21 Was it a safe reshuffle, or were there surprises in PM Wong's new Cabinet? 3:03 One thing about the line-up that stood out for Prof Tan and Ms Ngiow 4:18 'Breaking the trend' when it comes to having two DPMs - and who could step up by the mid-term 7:46 Are Ministers Ong Ye Kung and Chan Chun Sing the front runners for the DPM spot? 10:11 On moving National Development Minister Desmond Lee to the Ministry of Education 11:20 A 'bigger canvas' at the Ministry of National Development: Prof Tan on Mr Chee Hong Tat's move 13:42 The task force at the Ministry of Trade and Industry 17:51 What does the post of Acting Minister mean? 19:48 The mix of new faces in the Cabinet 22:48 A bumper crop of people with 'political office-holder potential' sets the scene for leadership renewal: Prof Tan 24:46 Not getting a promotion in this Cabinet isn't necessarily a negative thing 27:22 Different people bring their own strengths, says Ms Ngiow on those who have stayed in their roles 28:56 On Dr Faishal Ibrahim's appointment as Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs 31:22 Will we see labour chief Ng Chee Meng back in government at a later time? 35:21 People want to see what the PAP backbenchers can do; must show that they are relevant, says Prof Tan 37:17 With the 4G renewal complete, it's time to look at the next generation of leaders 40:50 Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong's role in this Government Host: Natasha Ann Zachariah (natashaz@ Read Natasha's articles: Follow Natasha on her IG account and DM her your thoughts on this topic: Follow Natasha on LinkedIn: Filmed by ST Video: Joel Chng, Rubeen Raj and Marc Justin De Souza Edited by ST Podcast producers: Teo Tong Kai and Eden Soh ST Podcasts' executive producer: Ernest Luis Follow The Usual Place Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops: Channel: Apple Podcasts: Spotify: YouTube: Feedback to: podcast@ --- Follow more ST podcast channels: All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: ST Podcasts website: ST Podcasts YouTube: --- Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section: The App Store: Google Play: Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction Discover how to enjoy other premium articles here
Observer
21-05-2025
- Business
- Observer
Singapore unveils new cabinet after election
SINGAPORE: Singapore's newly elected Prime Minister Lawrence Wong unveiled his cabinet on Wednesday, retaining his post as finance minister and appointing an ex-army general as defence chief. Wong became only the second non-member of the influential Lee family to lead Singapore in nearly 60 years when he brought the People's Action Party (PAP) to a landslide victory on May 3. The new cabinet, which saw several ministers take on new duties while keeping their old posts, comes as the trade-oriented nation faces uncertainty over US President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs. "With your strong support, I have done my utmost to assemble the strongest team I could for Singapore," Wong told local media. Wong, a Singapore- and US-trained economist, kept his position as finance minister, a key post in the wealthy global financial hub. Eugene Tan, an associate professor of law at the Singapore Management University, said the new cabinet "has its accent on continuity rather than change". "It is about ensuring momentum in his government in the wake of a strong election performance and outcome," he added. — AFP
NDTV
21-05-2025
- Business
- NDTV
Singapore PM Unveils New Cabinet After Landslide Election
Quick Read Summary is AI generated, newsroom reviewed. PM Lawrence Wong unveiled his cabinet, retaining his finance minister role. Wong is the second non-Lee family member to lead Singapore in 60 years. Chan Chun Sing was appointed defence minister, replacing retired Ng Eng Hen. Singapore: Singapore's newly elected Prime Minister Lawrence Wong unveiled his cabinet on Wednesday, retaining his post as finance minister and appointing an ex-army general as defence chief. Wong became only the second non-member of the influential Lee family to lead Singapore in nearly 60 years when he brought the People's Action Party (PAP) to a landslide victory on May 3. The new cabinet, which saw several ministers take on new duties while keeping their old posts, comes as the trade-oriented nation faces uncertainty over US President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs. "With your strong support, I have done my utmost to assemble the strongest team I could for Singapore," Wong told local media. Wong, a Singapore- and US-trained economist, kept his position as finance minister, a key post in the wealthy global financial hub. Former army chief and major general Chan Chun Sing was named defence minister to replace Ng Eng Hen, who retired. Chan will host global defence ministers at the Shangri-La Dialogue security forum in Singapore from May 30 to June 1. Vivian Balakrishnan remained as foreign minister. K. Shanmugam took on a new role as coordinating minister for national security, in addition to remaining home affairs minister. And Gan Kim Yong became the sole deputy prime minister in addition to remaining as trade and industry chief. Singapore previously had two deputy prime ministers. Eugene Tan, an associate professor of law at the Singapore Management University, said the new cabinet "has its accent on continuity rather than change". "It is about ensuring momentum in his government in the wake of a strong election performance and outcome," he added. Popular after leading Singapore's Covid task force, 52-year-old Wong took over last year from his predecessor Lee Hsien Loong, the son of Singapore's late founding premier Lee Kuan Yew. Wong's PAP won all but 10 of the 97 contested seats on May 3. It also got a 65.57 percent share of the popular vote, up from 61.24 percent in 2020. He and his cabinet will be sworn in on Friday.
Independent Singapore
19-05-2025
- Business
- Independent Singapore
Singapore retains top spot in 2025 global index for elite governance, but AI shakes global order
SINGAPORE: Singapore has topped the global Elite Quality Index (EQx) again in 2025, highlighting the city-state's effective technocratic governance and institutional design. According to SMU Associate Professor Alwyn Lim, while Singapore's elites have consistently created value for society rather than extracting it, its dependence on global integration poses challenges as deglobalisation accelerates. He said, 'The capacity to sustain elite-driven value creation in an age of decoupling will be key.' This year's EQx, released on Monday (May 19) by the Singapore Management University (SMU) and the University of St. Gallen, ranked 151 countries using 149 indicators. These included innovation, corruption control, regulatory quality, and—for the first time—artificial intelligence (AI) readiness. The report is based on elite theory in economic development, which suggests that a nation's economic outcome depends largely on its most powerful players, including business leaders, politicians, or cultural influencers, rather than broad societal or institutional factors alone. However, while Singapore retained the top spot, the inclusion of AI has shaken the global order. See also NUS, NTU and SMU postpone student exchange programmes to HK The United States saw the most dramatic jump, rising from 16th place to 2nd overall. This shift was mainly due to five new AI-related indicators. Switzerland, last year's runner-up, dropped to third. In Asia, Japan ranked fourth, followed by South Korea, with China in 19th place, thanks in part to its advances in AI. India also improved dramatically, jumping to 60th from 118th in just four years. Singapore ranked near the top in AI readiness but came in only 23rd for sustaining value creation across generations, compared to Denmark or Switzerland. Prof Lim noted, 'Singapore's model, rooted in technocratic competence, openness to global markets, and a high degree of institutional trust, continues to set the regional benchmark, but its success is deeply intertwined with globalisation, which is now under strain.' He added that the challenge now is sustaining elite-driven innovation in a world tilting towards deglobalisation. 'The durability of this model will be a critical test in the coming years, not just for Singapore, but for other export-dependent economies,' he said. The report said emerging economies like Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam may not be among the top-ranked yet, but they are becoming more important to regional stability and economic systems. This only suggests that Asian economies are no longer just 'emerging' but are shaping future value creation, especially through technology and innovation. However, the report noted that to sustain this progress, they'll need to focus on fairness, future planning, and shared prosperity. Photo: Singapore Management University (SMU) /TISG Read also: Singapore, ranked 3rd happiest city in the world, joined by Seoul and Taipei in Asia
CNA
06-05-2025
- Politics
- CNA
Deep Dive Podcast: GE2025 results - A closer look at the strong PAP mandate and the opposition strategy
Voters gave the People's Action Party and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong a clear mandate in GE2025. What accounted for the result and why couldn't the opposition parties make good on gains from the last election? Steven Chia and Otelli Edwards speak to Associate Professor Eugene Tan from the Singapore Management University and Dr Reuben Ng from the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. Here is an excerpt from the conversation: Otelli Edwards, host: So the common perception is that 30 per cent of people would vote for the opposition no matter who is fielded. Do you think then this election has put that theory to the grave? The smaller parties lost their election deposits ... So should they merge, pack up and call it a day, or try again? Dr Reuben Ng, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy: I think we need to rethink what a protest vote is, because the protest vote used to be a vote for the opposition, but I don't think it is (now). Because if you look at the numbers in 2020 compared to 2025, there was actually a 50 per cent increase in voters who either did not vote or spoiled their vote. So I'm really, really worried about that, because that's very insidious. Is that the new protest vote? And the new protest vote is not voting or spoiling your vote. So that worries me very much. I think it is important for opposition parties maybe to focus on these potentially disillusioned or apathetic voters, because it's probably easier to convert them to support opposition parties than to convert existing PAP supporters. But this is something that we really need to watch, because it chips away at Singapore's political exceptionalism. Associate Professor Eugene Tan, Singapore Management University: You look at the small parties, did they really disrupt things? They became the subject of memes. You know, they provided (comedy). The whole air of the elections would be very different without the smaller parties but it raises questions about whether, in a very crowded and fragmented opposition landscape, whether these smaller parties serve any real purpose. I increasingly find them to be irrelevant. Even if they were not to contest in the next general election, you wouldn't feel the loss.
