Singapore prime minister Lee Hsien Loong celebrating his party PAP's victory in the island republic's general election on September 11. He has made some radical changes to his Cabinet line-up for the next 4 years. – Reuters pic, September 28, 2015.In one of the most radical Cabinet reshuffles in recent years, Singapore prime minister Lee Hsien Loong today announced a new expanded line-up where nearly all ministries will undergo leadership changes.
Among the changes will see deputy prime ministers Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Teo Chee Hean relinquish their previous portfolios of Finance and Home Affairs respectively, to focus on their roles as "coordinating ministers".
Education minister Heng Swee Keat will take over as finance minister while K Shanmugam will be appointed home affairs minister – a portfolio which he had previously helmed briefly – while concurrently remaining the law minister.
Vivian Balakrishnan will become minister for foreign affairs, while Masagos Zulkifli will take over him as minister for environment and water resources.
Minister in prime minister’s office Grace Fu will be appointed minister for culture, community and youth, taking over from Lawrence Wong who will become minister for national development.
Khaw Boon Wan, who had helmed the ministry for national development since 2011, will be appointed coordinating minister for infrastructure while concurrently helming the transport ministry.
New faces Ong Ye Kung and Ng Chee Meng will be appointed co-acting ministers for education. In the ministry of trade and industry, Lim Hng Kiang will remain minister overseeing trade negotiations, the Economic Development Board and Jurong Town Corporation, while S. Iswaran will be appointed minister overseeing the rest of MTI’s statutory boards.
A handful of ministers will see their portfolios unchanged, including Dr Ng Eng Hen and Gan Kim Yong who retain the defence and health portfolios, respectively. Lim Swee Say, who was appointed manpower minister in April, will continue in the role.
Similarly, Chan Chun Sing and Tan Chuan-Jin, who were respectively appointed labour chief and minister for social and family development earlier this year, will remain in their current capacities. – TODAY Online, September 28, 2015.
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