Cabinet reshuffle to be announced next week, sweeping changes expected

SINGAPORE/ LONDON — The much-anticipated new Cabinet line-up will be announced next week, and sweeping changes are on the cards.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Saturday (April 21) in London — on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting — that the reshuffle “will involve almost all of the ministries”.

He added: “But not all the ministers are moving and some of the key ministers, their portfolios will be adjusted but basically staying in places where they still need time to continue to develop initiatives which they have started.”

Parliament is taking a mid-term break and will reconvene on May 7 when President Halimah Yacob will give a speech on the Government’s priorities, policies and programmes for the remainder of its current term.

Mr Lee had earlier indicated that the Cabinet changes will be made after Parliament prorogues, in a move to give Singapore’s fourth-generation leaders more exposure and responsibility.

Speaking to the Singapore media in London, Mr Lee reiterated that the leadership transition is a “continuing process”. “It takes a little bit of time but as I can see the younger ones are working together on the agenda for the President’s Address, and on tackling problems which come up from time to time,” he said.

Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat, labour chief Chan Chun Sing and Education Minister (Higher Education and Skills) Ong Ye Kung are seen as the potential successors to Mr Lee.

However, political watchers have said the new Cabinet line-up is unlikely to provide clues on who is the clear frontrunner, given that Mr Lee had said in January that no new Deputy Prime Minister will be appointed.

On Saturday, he said the 4G leaders “are getting to work together”. “I’m quite confident that gradually they are beginning to have a sense of one another and who they would like to have to lead them,” he said.