SINGAPORE : Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has announced
several changes to the Cabinet and other appointments, as part of
continuing leadership renewal and testing out of younger office
holders for broader responsibilities.
Among the major changes is the appointment of the country's first
full-fledged woman minister.
Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean will be promoted to Deputy Prime
Minister with effect from April 1. He will be one of two deputy
prime ministers alongside veteran Wong Kan Seng, who is
concurrently the Home Affairs Minister.
Mr Teo will continue as Minister for Defence, and be the acting
prime minister in the absence of the prime minister.
Professor S Jayakumar will relinquish his appointment as Deputy
Prime Minister, and will hold the post of Senior Minister in the
Prime Minister's Office alongside Mr Goh Chok Tong. Professor
Jayakumar will also continue as Co-ordinating Minister for National
Security.
Mr Gan Kim Yong will be appointed Manpower Minister. He is
currently the Acting Minister.
Mrs Lim Hwee Hua will hold the post of Minister in the Prime
Minister's Office. She will concurrently serve as Second Minister
for Finance and Second Minister for Transport.
The last time there was a woman minister in Cabinet was 1991 when
Dr Seet Ai Mee became Acting Minister for Community Development.
However, she lost her seat that year when she was not returned to
Parliament in the 1991 elections.
Senior Minister of State Lui Tuck Yew will be appointed as Acting
Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts. He will
relinquish his appointment in the Education Ministry.
Dr Lee Boon Yang will relinquish his appointment as Minister for
Information, Communications and the Arts and retire from the
government.
Since being appointed a Parliamentary Secretary in 1985, Dr Lee has
served in many portfolios including Environment, Trade and
Industry, Finance, Home Affairs, National Development, Defence, and
Manpower, before becoming Minister for Information, Communications
and the Arts in 2003.
The prime minister thanked Dr Lee for his many years of service and
contributions to the government and the nation.
In changes to the posts of Ministers of State, Mr S Iswaran will be
appointed Senior Minister of State in the Education Ministry, in
addition to his current post as Senior Minister of State in the
Trade and Industry Ministry.
Mr Lee Yi Shyan takes on the role of Minister of State for
Manpower, in addition to his present post as Minister of State for
Trade and Industry.
Mr Sam Tan will be appointed as Parliamentary Secretary in the
Trade and Industry Ministry and Information, Communications and the
Arts Ministry. His appointment takes effect on July 1.
Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Community Development, Youth and
Sports Teo Ser Luck will be appointed as Mayor of North East
Community Development Council with effect from May 31.
The current mayor, Mr Zainul Abidin Rasheed, will relinquish his
appointment when his current three-year term ends on May 30. He
will continue as Senior Minister of State in the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/417924/1/.html
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