Cabinet reshuffle: Tan Chuan-Jin to helm MSF; Lim Swee Say to be Manpower Minister

SINGAPORE — Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin will take over from Mr Chan Chun Sing at the Ministry of Social and Family Development from tomorrow (April 9), Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced today (April 8).

Mr Tan will relinquish his manpower portfolio on May 4, with chief of the labour movement Lim Swee Say taking over as Manpower Minister.

Mr Chan will assume the post of labour chief by becoming secretary-general of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) on May 4. He was asked to join the NTUC in January and was appointed deputy secretary-general on Jan 27. He began serving full-time in the labour movement this month. Mr Chan will also relinquish his post as Second Minister for Defence and be a Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office from tomorrow.

Other Cabinet changes were announced by Mr Lee as part of continuing leadership renewal. (See the new Cabinet line-up here)

Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew will take on the additional role of Second Minister for Defence from tomorrow, while Mr Masagos Zulkifli will be promoted to full Minister.

Mr Masagos, who is currently Senior Minister of State, will be Second Minister for Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs.

Posting on Facebook, Mr Lee said of Mr Masagos: “He has performed well, both in his ministries and as (a Member of Parliament) in Tampines. It is the first time we are having two Malay full ministers, which reflects the progress of the Malay community.”

Mr Lee also said Mr Lim has done a lot at the NTUC, helping workers to upgrade themselves, finding them new jobs when they are retrenched, assuring them that they do not face globalisation and international competition alone. He expressed confidence that Mr Chan would build on what his predecessor has done.

Also posting on Facebook, Mr Chan thanked Mr Lim for his “labour of love”. He said union membership has also grown under Mr Lim’s leadership and could reach 1 million by 2016.

Mr Lim posted on Facebook saying he is grateful to be assigned to MOM. "I am flowing ON from NTUC, but not flowing OUT of tripartism. Chun Sing is learning fast and working well with the ground. The labour movement will grow stronger under his leadership," he said.

On Mr Lui's Facebook page, the Transport Minister assured that while looking forward to renewing his interactions with the team in MINDEF, he would "still continue to pay particular attention to matters related to public transport".

The latest Cabinet reshuffle is the fourth since a new line-up was announced after the 2011 General Election. The last one took place last year.