Cabinet reshuffle: New top appointments at 5 ministries including Lawrence Wong as Education Minister, Ong Ye Kung as Transport Minister

SINGAPORE — Two weeks after the People’s Action Party returned to power after the General Election (GE), Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Saturday (July 25) unveiled Singapore’s new Cabinet line-up. 

There will be new top appointments at five of the ministries, while the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources has been renamed the Ministry of Sustainability and Environment. 

Mr Ong Ye Kung will head the Ministry of Transport, taking over from Mr Khaw Boon Wan who has retired from politics. Mr Ong was previously Education Minister.

Mr Lawrence Wong, previously the National Development Minister, will take over the education portfolio. 

Mr Desmond Lee will be the new National Development Minister, while retaining a role in the Ministry of Social and Family Development as Minister-in-charge of Social Services Integration. 

Mr Masagos Zulkifli will be the new Minister for Social and Family Development, relinquishing his environment portfolio, which will be taken up by Ms Grace Fu. 

Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat will take on another appointment as Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies.

Several officeholders were promoted, including Mr Edwin Tong and Dr Maliki Osman, who will be promoted to full ministers. 

Mr Tong will be Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, and Second Minister for Law, while Dr Maliki is appointed Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Second Minister for Education and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs. 

Six newcomers who made their debut in GE2020 were appointed as political officeholders, most prominently Dr Tan See Leng, who will be appointed Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Second Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Trade and Industry.

The others are Ms Gan Siow Huang, Mr Alvin Tan, Mr Desmond Tan, Mr Tan Kiat How and Mr Eric Chua.

These appointments will take effect from July 27. 

The full Cabinet is listed below: 

Prime Minister’s Office

Prime Minister: Mr Lee Hsien Loong

Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security: Mr Teo Chee Hean

Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for Social Policies: Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam

Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies: Mr Heng Swee Keat

Minister: Ms Indranee Rajah

Minister: Dr Tan See Leng

Minister: Dr Maliki Osman

Minister of State: Mr Tan Kiat How

 

Ministry of Defence

Minister for Defence: Dr Ng Eng Hen

Senior Minister of State: Mr Heng Chee How and Mr Zaqy Mohamad 

 

Ministry of Home Affairs

Minister for Home Affairs: Mr K Shanmugam

Second Minister for Home Affairs: Mrs Josephine Teo

Minister of State: Dr Faishal Ibrahim and Mr Desmond Tan 

 

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Minister for Foreign Affairs: Dr Vivian Balakrishnan

Second Minister for Foreign Affairs: Dr Maliki Osman

Senior Minister of State: Mr Chee Hong Tat

 

Ministry of Finance 

Minister for Finance: Mr Heng Swee Keat 

Second Minister for Finance: Mr Lawrence Wong and Ms Indranee Rajah

 

Ministry of Law

Minister for Law: Mr K Shanmugam

Second Minister for Law: Mr Edwin Tong

 

Ministry of Transport

Minister for Transport: Mr Ong Ye Kung

Senior Minister of State: Dr Amy Khor and Mr Chee Hong Tat

Senior Parliamentary Secretary: Mr Baey Yam Keng

 

Ministry of National Development

Minister for National Development: Mr Desmond Lee

Second Minister for National Development: Ms Indranee Rajah

Senior Minister of State: Ms Sim Ann

Minister of State: Dr Faishal Ibrahim and Mr Tan Kiat How 

 

Ministry of Sustainability and Environment (renamed from Ministry of Environment and Water Resources)

Minister for Environment and Water Resources: Ms Grace Fu

Senior Minister of State: Dr Amy Khor

Minister of State: Mr Desmond Tan 

 

Ministry of Trade and Industry

Minister for Trade and Industry: Mr Chan Chun Sing

Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations: Mr S Iswaran

Second Minister for Trade and Industry: Dr Tan See Leng

Minister of State: Ms Low Yen Ling and from Sept 1, Mr Alvin Tan

 

Ministry of Manpower

Minister for Manpower: Mrs Josephine Teo

Second Minister for Manpower: Dr Tan See Leng

Senior Minister of State: Mr Zaqy Mohamad 

Minister of State: Ms Gan Siow Huang

 

Ministry of Education

Minister for Education: Mr Lawrence Wong

Second Minister for Education: Dr Maliki Osman

Minister of State: Ms Sun Xueling and Ms Gan Siow Huang

 

Ministry of Communications and Information

Minister for Communications and Information: S Iswaran

Senior Minister of State: Ms Sim Ann and Dr Janil Puthucheary

 

Ministry of Health

Minister for Health: Mr Gan Kim Yong

Second Minister for Health: Mr Masagos Zulkifli

Senior Minister of State: Dr Koh Poh Koon and Dr Janil Puthucheary

Parliamentary Secretary: Ms Rahayu Mahzam (from Sept 1)

 

Ministry of Social and Family Development

Minister for Social and Family Development: Mr Masagos Zulkifli

Minister‐in-charge of Social Services Integration: Mr Desmond Lee

Minister of State: Ms Sun Xueling

Parliamentary Secretary: Mr Eric Chua 

 

Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth

Minister for Culture, Community and Youth: Mr Edwin Tong

Minister of State: Ms Low Yen Ling and, from Sept 1, Mr Alvin Tan

Parliamentary Secretary: Mr Eric Chua