PAP’s Indian-origin stalwarts retain crucial ministries in Singapore's new cabinet

Singapore, May 21 (PTI) Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong on Wednesday named his new cabinet, with Indian-origin People’s Action Party (PAP) stalwarts continuing to hold crucial ministries in critical positions.

Wong's PAP scored a landslide win in the May 3 general elections held in the global-tariff hit and tense trade environment.

The new cabinet marks a significant reshuffle, which includes three coordinating ministers and confirms Gan Kim Yong as the sole deputy prime minister.

It also features 15 full ministers and two acting ministers across the Prime Minister’s Office and 16 ministries.

Wong has kept his Indian-origin ministers and PAP members, the ruling party’s stalwarts, with decades of managing and running Singapore’s crucial ministries, in critical positions. K Shanmugam will remain the home affairs minister and serve as the coordinating minister for national security, but relinquish the law portfolio.

Vivian Balakrishnan remains the foreign affairs minister, and Indranee Rajah is the minister in the Prime Minister’s Office.

Indian-origin Murali Pillai, who has retained his law and transport portfolios, has been promoted as a senior minister of state.

Janil Puthucheary will become the senior minister of state for education, sustainability and the environment.

PAP’s newcomer, Indian-origin Dinesh Vasu Dash, is among those appointed to senior parliamentary secretaries. He will also be the mayor of the South East District.

This is Wong’s first full cabinet reshuffle, almost a year after taking over the stewardship of the prosperous trade and finance-focused island and succeeding former prime minister Lee Hsien Loong.

“With your strong support, I have done my utmost to assemble the strongest team I could for Singapore,” The Straits Times quoted Wong as saying.

Wong, who remains the finance minister, also appointed nine new political office holders, drawn from the backbench and among first-term MPs – a number he described as “one of the highest in recent history”.

Wong, as PAP Secretary General, said he had “a solid team" behind him, highlighting four senior leaders, one deputy and three coordinating ministers.

“They are part of the core team to assist and advise me, and provide guidance and mentorship to the new and younger ministers,” he said.

Gan Kim Yong will continue as the trade and industry minister and remains the only deputy prime minister.

Chan Chun Sing will take over as defence minister and the coordinating minister for public services.

Ong Ye Kung retains the health portfolio and takes on an additional role as coordinating minister for social policies.

Edwin Tong will take over as the law minister and the second minister for home affairs.

Desmond Lee will succeed Chan as the education minister.

Chee Hong Tat will take over from Lee as the national development minister and step down as the second minister for finance.

Faishal Ibrahim will be the acting minister-in-charge of Muslim affairs, as well as the senior minister of state for home affairs.

David Neo, a newly elected MP, will be acting minister for culture, community and youth as well as senior minister of state for education.

Jeffrey Siow, another first-term MP, will become acting minister for transport and senior minister of state for finance.

Josephine Teo remains the Minister for Digital Development and Information.

Tan See Leng remains the manpower minister. He is also appointed as the minister-in-charge of energy, science, and technology at the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

Grace Fu remains the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment.

Masagos Zulkifli remains the Minister for Social and Family Development.

As the new coordinating minister for public services, Chan Chun Sing will focus on improving service delivery, especially in newer housing estates.

“It's more about public services than large-scale infrastructure planning, and that's why I've decided to rename it to give it that new focus and priority,” said the prime minister, who faced housing, the rising cost of living and employment issues during the general elections.

The coordinated process allowed the government to review things like the Jobseeker Support Scheme and parental leave policy, according to a Channel News Asia report.

PAP, ruling ever since Singapore’s independence, won 82 of the 92 contested parliament seats. The other 10 went to the Workers' Party, the sole opposition in the next parliament. PTI GS PY PY