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Fourth Lee Hsien Loong Cabinet

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Date formed
  
1 October 2015

Head of state
  
Tony Tan Keng Yam

Status in legislature
  
Supermajority

Head of government
  
Lee Hsien Loong

Member party
  
People's Action Party

Fourth Lee Hsien Loong Cabinet

Deputy head of government
  
Teo Chee Hean, Tharman Shanmugaratnam

The Fourth Cabinet of Lee Hsien Loong of the Government of Singapore was announced on 28 September 2015 following the general election on 11 September 2015, and came into effect on 1 October 2015. The day after the election, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong told the media that he would form the Cabinet within two weeks.

Contents

There are seven new office holders, five of whom are newly elected MPs:

  • Ong Ye Kung – Minister (newly elected and appointed full minister on 28 October 2016).
  • Ng Chee Meng – Minister (newly elected and appointed full minister on 28 October 2016).
  • Chee Hong Tat – Minister of State (newly elected).
  • Koh Poh Koon – Minister of State from 1 January 2016 (newly elected).
  • Janil Puthucheary – Minister of State from 1 January 2016.
  • Baey Yam Keng – Parliamentary Secretary.
  • Amrin Amin – Parliamentary Secretary (newly elected).

    • In addition, there are three outgoing office-holders: Lui Tuck Yew, Hawazi Daipi, and Lee Yi Shyan. Lui Tuck Yew and Hawazi Daipi had both asked to retire before the 2015 general election while Lee Yi Shyan had asked to step down and return to the backbenches.

    Cabinet

    Prior to the general election held on 11 September 2015, Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew announced his retirement on 11 August. All other incumbent office holders successfully defended their parliamentary seats in the elections.

    The list of Cabinet ministers and other office-holders was announced on 28 September 2015. In a press conference, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said, "I have given heavy responsibilities to the next generation of Ministers. They will be stretched and tested. They have to prove themselves and must gel together as a team. Soon after the end of this term, we must have a new team ready to take over from me."

    Three veteran ministers were named Coordinating Ministers, each of them overseeing a handful of ministries.

  • National Security – Teo Chee Hean.
  • Economic and Social Policies – Tharman Shanmugaratnam.
  • Infrastructure – Khaw Boon Wan.

    • Several other ministers will have a change in duties:

  • Vivian Balakrishnan – from Environment and Water Resources to Foreign Affairs.
  • K. Shanmugam – from Foreign Affairs to Home Affairs, while retaining Law.
  • Heng Swee Keat – from Education to Finance.
  • Lawrence Wong – from Culture, Community and Youth to National Development.
  • Masagos Zulkifli – from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) to Environment and Water Resources.
  • Grace Fu – from the PMO to Culture, Community and Youth.

    • The Ministry of Education and Ministry of Trade and Industry will each have two full ministers, covering separate aspects.

    The names in bold are the surnames of Chinese persons, and the personal names of Indian and Malay persons (except for Vivian Balakrishnan and Tharman Shanmugaratnam, where they indicate surnames as well).

    Sources: Transcript of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's Statement at the Press Conference on the new Cabinet Line-Up on 28 September 2015, Prime Minister's Office, 29 September 2015, archived from the original on 29 September 2015 ; Rachel Chang (29 September 2015), "PM names Cabinet aimed at leadership succession: Coordinating ministers will help tackle complex matters, mentor younger ministers", The Straits Times, p. A1 ; Laura Elizabeth Philomin (29 September 2015), "Five new faces to become office-holders", Today, archived from the original on 29 September 2015 .

    Ministers of State and Parliamentary Secretaries

    Desmond Lee, Mohamad Maliki Osman and Sim Ann were promoted from Ministers of State to Senior Ministers of State.

    References

    Fourth Lee Hsien Loong Cabinet Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA