PM Lee unveils Cabinet that seeks to balance continuity and renewal in a time of crisis
Sunday, 26 Jul 2020 08:30 AM MYT
This year, only six out of the 15 government ministries are getting a new minister, whereas in 2011 there were top leadership changes made to 11 out of the 14 ministries then. Three in the current team will retire from their office. They are: Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Social and Family Development Sam Tan and Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs, and Trade and Industry Tan Wu Meng.
In total, there will be 37 officeholders in the new team — same as after GE2015, PM Lee noted — and one more than the current batch of officeholders. They will be sworn in tomorrow at the Istana and Parliament House. Heng, while remaining as DPM and Finance Minister, will also be designated as Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies as he chairs the Future Economy Council and the National Research Foundation.
“Because of the structural changes that I spoke about earlier, there a significant change... in how we need to help our workers acquire new skills for us to create new jobs, and then embrace our workers and new jobs, and also to retain as many of our workers as possible,” said Heng, who said he met Ng with the economic ministers two days ago to discuss how this can be done.
On Ong’s move to the Transport Ministry, PM Lee said that on top of domestic priorities, the work of a Transport Minister requires engaging neighbouring countries on major bilateral projects and sensitive matters such as airspace and maritime issues. When asked to elaborate on his comment that the fourth generation of leaders needed more exposure, he noted that most of them had been elected into Parliament just one or two ter ago, and so their exposure to government has not been as comprehensive or lengthy as those of third-generation ministers such as Teo, Tharman, Dr Ng Eng Hen and hielf.
Of the newly elected MPs who are being appointed to political office, he said: “They will reinforce my team, and offer new ideas and perspectives.” Dr Tan, the former managing director and chief executive officer of IHH Healthcare, said he sees his appointment as an affirmation of the private sector’s contributions to Singapore.
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