Singapore’s New Cabinet announced today
May 18, 2011
Singapore’s New Cabinet announced today
by Channel News Asia
Singapore–Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has announced changes to his Cabinet line-up.
Speaking at a news conference at the Istana, Mr Lee said it is an epochal change as Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong and Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew are leaving the Cabinet. Both men announced their decision to step down last Saturday.
Mr Lee said Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew is appointed as the senior advisor to Government Investment Corporation of Singapore. Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong is appointed as senior advisor to the Monetary Authority of Singapore and been given the title Emeritus Senior Minister.
Three more ministers will be retiring. They are Deputy Prime Minister and Co-ordinating Minister for National Security Wong Kan Seng, National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan and Transport Minister and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs Raymond Lim.
Out of 14 ministries, 11 will have new ministers in charge. Mr Lee said this will be a fresh team
that will look at the future with a clean slate. Mr Lee will have two Deputy Prime Ministers. They are current Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean who will remain Deputy Prime Minister and will be Home Affairs Minister and Co-ordinating Minister for National Security.
Mr Teo’s Defence portfolio will be taken over by current Education Minister Ng Eng Hen.
The other Deputy Prime Minister is Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam who will retain his Finance portfolio and also be Manpower Minister.
The new Education Minister will be newly-elected MP Mr Heng Swee Keat. Newly elected Major-General Chan Chun Sing will be Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports as well as Minister of State for Information, Communication and the Arts.
Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam will be Minister for Law and Foreign Affairs. Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan will become National Development Minister, a portfolio he volunteered for.
Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong will be the Health Minister. Minister for Environment and Water Resources Mr Yaacob Ibrahim will head the Ministry of Information, Communication and the Arts. Information, Communication and the Arts Minister Lui Tuck Yew will be Transport Minister and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs.Community Development, Youth and Sports Minister Vivian Balakrishnan will be the new Minister for Environment and Water Resources.
Education Minister Ng Eng Hen will be Defence Minister. Mr Lim Hng Kiang will remain 
Trade and Industry Minister. Mr Lim Swee Say will remain as Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office.
Mr S Iswaran will be promoted to Minister in Prime Minister’s Office and Second Minister for Home Affairs and Trade and Industry. Senior Minister of State Ms Grace Fu for Education and National Development will become Senior Minister of State for Ministry of Information, Communication and the Arts and Ministry of Environment and Water Resources.
Minister of State, Prime Minister’s Office Mr Heng Chee How will be promoted to Senior Minister of State, Prime Minister’s Office. Madam Halimah Yacob will be promoted to be the Minister of State for Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports.
Also promoted, Ms Josephine Teo who will be Minister of State for Finance and Transport. Newly elected MPs Mr Tan Chuan Jin and Mr Lawrence Wong will be appointed Ministers of State.
Brigadier General Tan will be Minister of State for National Development and Manpower, Mr Lawrence Wong will be Minister of State for Defence and Education, Ms Amy Khor will be Minister of State for Health.
Mr Teo Ser Luck will be Minister of State for Trade and Industry. Minister of State for Trade and Industry and Manpower, Mr Lee Yi Shyan will be Minister of State for Trade and Industry and National Development. Minister of State for Home Affairs and Education Mr Masagos Zulkifli will be Minister of State for Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs.
Mr Lee said Mr Tharman will be Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore and Prime Minister Lee will be the Chairman of the GIC.
Their appointments will take effect on Saturday, May 21.
CNA/cc
Swiftly executed, Malaysia’s Boleh? How?
rightways - May 18, 2011 at 6:48 pm
The New Lee Hsien Loong Cabinet will bring new hopes and dreams for Singapore. Lee Kuan Yew and his successor Goh Chok Tong have stepped aside, but are given advisory roles in GIC and Monetary Authority of Singapore where their vast experience and contacts will prove invaluable.
The new Foreign Minister, K Shanmugam will have a tough act to follow after the brilliant George Yeo, but he has proven himself as Minister of Law and Home Affairs. He could be another S. Rajaratnam in the making.–Din Merican
dinobeano - May 18, 2011 at 7:20 pm
Khaw Boon Wan is a Penang boy.
Another Malaysian-born talent lost to another country.
Phua Kai Lit - May 18, 2011 at 7:45 pm
The minorities in Singapore can be Head of State, Foreign minister, Law and Home Ministers ……
But, in Malaysia, it is Ta’ Boleh, why?
rightways - May 18, 2011 at 7:47 pm
Yes, many Malaysian citizens are Singapore’s high flyers….
Malaysia’s government can’t look after their own, others would! Chip in your views please.
rightways - May 18, 2011 at 7:52 pm
Alas..The Three Musketeers have Triple X marked on them. Transport, Housing & Mas Selamat. The talk of the town. Sori Din but these are the 3 most liable to cause the 6.5% popular votes to drop.
hangkebun - May 18, 2011 at 8:08 pm
Look at the line-up, they are more of professional and technocrat than politician. The reverse is true for Malaysia.
Beside that, Indians are minority in Singapore, yet there are many Indian ministers in LHL’s Cabinet. Not like over here in Malaysia. You know what I mean?
I hope Pakatan can learn from Singapore in this if they come to power. Ministers should be appointed on merits, not by race representation.
A true Malaysian - May 18, 2011 at 10:10 pm
And George Yeo would have been made a Senator if he had lost in Malaysia and then appointed as Cabinet Minister thru the back door! Those kicked out by electorate (like Koh Tsu Koon) and by their party can also become Minister thru this backdoor method! Thats MALAYSIA BOLEH!
Sentinel - May 18, 2011 at 10:21 pm
Presidents Wee Kim Wee, Ong Teng Cheong etc all ex-Malaysians! Indians like Devan Nair and present RS Nathan also made it as Presidents! And a Malay minority made it as President too and his face on all Singapore currency – President Ishak! Tetapi di Malaysia, Ibrahim Ali al-Kataki cakap tak boleh! Tak boleh tak apa tetapi sekarang nak jihad pulak!
Sentinel - May 18, 2011 at 10:25 pm
I hope Pakatan can learn from Singapore- A true Malaysian
I doubt it. PKR has too many disgruntled UMNO members who are waiting to jump ship the moment the $$$$ are hung in front of their noses. Even DAP had a frog… and its a Chinese WOMAN…
The Malay members of DAP are no better… one even trusted by Jeff Ooi and he turned out to be UMNO’s mole in DAP.
PAS… how could PAS make such a blunder in decision making by allowing Ibrahim Ali to stand on its ticket as an Independent, and who turned out to be FROG.. or an UMNO patsy in PAS. Don’t forget that President Hadi Awang, Deputy President Nasarudin Isa and Sec-General Mustapha Ali LOVE UMNO more than they love PAS, and PAS would have been in BN if not for Tok Guru Nik Aziz and the PAS grassroots.
So, Pakatan can never learn from Singapore. As Dato Din put it rightly, the whole POLITICAL SYSTEM in Malaysia STINKS… and I say, it stinks because voters still allow RACE BASED POLITICAL PARTIES to rule over them and ruin the country.
frank - May 19, 2011 at 2:21 am
Dear true malaysian
In Malaysia, a person of Indian Muslim and Malay descent became PM. But only by concealing/denying the Indian part of his heritage (initially, until the Internet made him admit his Indian heritage) and by being a fierce Malay (ultra)nationalist.
Also, a Chinese convert to Islam becomes a fierce
fascist and “Malay” ultranationalist. Not sure if he is really an intellectual or simply a fierce mouthpiece of the fascists in Malaysia.
Among the Jews, there is the phenomenon of the
“self-hating Jew” who becomes a fierce anti-Semite. In Malaysia, we have “self-hating Chinese” and “self-hating Indians” ?
Sad, isn’t it?
Phua Kai Lit - May 19, 2011 at 8:35 am
But but but being the minority in Malaysia, the Chinese held four minister post, and one Chief Minister, not too bad right? And Singapore forever has one Malay Minister, meritocracy eh?
HuaYong - May 19, 2011 at 8:57 am
Does it matter what ethnic group a person comes from as long as he/she can do a good job as a Minister or the PM?
In Thailand, PMs have Chinese ancestry. Not an issue. In Philippines, Presidents have Chinese ancestry. Not an issue. Even in Papua New Guinea, they had a Prime Minister of Chinese ancestry (Sir Julius Chan). Again, not an issue.
Grow up, Malaysia!
Phua Kai Lit - May 19, 2011 at 9:08 am
HuaYong,
I have no complain even if the whole Cabinet in Malaysia consists of Malay only if they are selected base on merits, not by race, religion, relationship like what we see in present Umno-led BN government.
So what if we have a Chinese CM (i.e. LGE)? He is there by virtue of electoral process, not like some MCA and Gerakan ministers and exco, by back-door after failed to be elected in general election, yet they still claim they are representing the Chinese Malaysian.
As what we see in LGE, he is performing well in Penang as CM, even non-Chinese like him. This shows his government is fair to rakyat of all colours. Base on this, I can’t see why not a non-Malay cannot be PM or MB. Of course, this is still subject to awkward laws like what we see in the case of Perak and Selangor. Still, we see a good and fair Nizar as MB of Perak before the coup.
As for Singapore has only one Malay minister, if Singaporean Malays not complaining, why you as a Chinese Malaysian? Is it not Indian is the smallest minority there, even lesser than the Malay, why more Indian ministers. Yes, this is meritocracy at work. Even then, that do not mean Malay interests are not taking care of.
Please be colour blind, HuaYong.
A true Malaysian - May 19, 2011 at 9:52 am
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
ken - May 19, 2011 at 10:20 am
PKL,
So when can Singapore have one PM that are not Chinese ancestry?
ATM,
I may not colour blind, I just find it mind boggling to tell Singapore is colour blind.
HuaYong - May 19, 2011 at 11:11 am
Dear Phua Kai Lit,
Yes, it’s very sad.
In any religion, there is no mention of human being by race or colour. Yet we see here in Malaysia, like the examples you quoted, after becoming Muslims, their original races changed to Malay. Sometime I wonder if they really understand what is Islam all about.
Are they really Muslims, or for that matter, Malays?
Shouldn’t we see each other as fellow human beings, not by race or faith? For me, yes, but who am I to tell whoever in power if they see this differently for their own political interests?
A true Malaysian - May 19, 2011 at 11:27 am
Maybe Talent Corp talents instead of trawling faraway lands (they’re in the US on some milk rounds now) could try to lure Khaw Boon Wan back from S’pore. Its nearer home and would give the 1Malaysia finger to them Singaporeans.
But then again…
Mr Bojangles - May 19, 2011 at 11:58 am
In Malaysia everything is “FIXED”: Prime Minister must be Malay, King, Queen, heads, university Chancellors, you name them ……………….
The minorities cannot say. It is their privileges fixed forever ….
How can Malaysia changes and improve like Singapore???
Most Singapore cabinet ministers are competent professionals while Malaysian counterparts are politicians to their cores.
rightways - May 19, 2011 at 12:40 pm
must be Malay, King, Queen,…
Because Malaysia is a Constitutional Monarchy and Singapore is a Republic. Haiyah banyak susah lah macam ini tak tak faham tapi manyak ciakap.
semper fi - May 19, 2011 at 1:47 pm
mania ini boleh, ta’ boleh chakap lah, sensitive!! sorry lah!!!
rightways - May 19, 2011 at 1:52 pm
HuaYong,
Say what you want. I am not at all surprised with your response.
As I said, who am I to tell especially to those with power? I have to live within the system, that’s all. But, I hope to see they will be convinced with what I commented, if not, Malaysia will soon to be another country like Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Egypt….if not worse.
A true Malaysian - May 19, 2011 at 2:34 pm
Say what you want but I thought PAP has got the guts to face the election setback and change!!!
The fact that LKY and GCT stepped down from the cabinet … that’s accountability and letting go, making way for the younger generations and new brains.
The fact that almost all Ministers are new … that’s starting with an almost clean slate … new people, new ideas, energy … of course you can argue it’s not wise to trade the experienced for the freshies.
Would you ever see this happening to the Barisan Nasional government … or even Pakatan?
Oh yes, the old fact that they pay the Ministers indecently high salaries … that takes money off the table and they can focus on doing their job well.
mark - May 24, 2011 at 1:05 pm
Successful Singapore differentiates from others: change and evolve with times and the aspirations of people: new generation takes over, old generation steps down, meritocracy and equality even the minority can be head of state (President), smaller and leaner cabinet unlike Malaysia’s Jumbo size cabinet, larger than Japan.
Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Chok Tong both stepped down happily while Mahathir Mohd cried foul!
rightways - May 24, 2011 at 2:44 pm