Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced changes to his Cabinet team on 24 April 2018. Five of the individuals involved have had several years of experience working with the Labour Movement and furthering the cause of tripartism.
Manpower Minister (MOM) Lim Swee Say is retiring from the Cabinet and will continue as a Member of Parliament.
Before moving to MOM, Mr Lim was the NTUC Secretary-General from January 2007 till May 2015. He had served as Deputy Secretary-General (DSG) before moving to a few ministries, and then returning to NTUC.
Here’s a look at some of the changes made to the Cabinet, which come into effect from 1 May 2018, May Day.
Strengthening Partnerships
Mr Chan Chun Sing has been appointed Minister for Trade and Industry (MTI). He will concurrently hold the appointment of NTUC Secretary-General but relinquish his appointment in the Prime Minister’s Office.
Mr Chan is also taking on the additional responsibility of overseeing the Public Service Division. He continues as Deputy Chairman of the People’s Association.
Writing on his Facebook page, Mr Chan said he was greatly privileged to be joining the MTI team and described it as an extension of what he has been doing in NTUC.
“I have worked with the MTI team on various projects and they have always impressed me with their deep sense of mission and professionalism. In a way, the new role at MTI is an extension of the work in NTUC to ensure that our working people can continue to benefit from good jobs and our businesses can have the opportunities to become more competitive. I look forward to working even more closely with the business community and the Labour Movement to write the next chapter of our country’s economic development,” he said.
The Labour Movement will see two new faces come on board.
The first is Mr Ng Chee Meng who has been appointed DSG by the NTUC Central Committee on 23 April 2018.
He joins NTUC full-time from 1 May 2018 while concurrently holding the appointment as Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
He is relinquishing his posts in both the Ministries of Education (MOE) and Transport (MOT).
“In MOE, my colleagues and I have been preparing our students to be ready for the future. Now, in a similar way, I look forward to doing my part to serve our working people to be their voice and be with them on the lifelong learning journey to be future-ready,” said Mr Ng on Facebook.
Also joining the Labour Movement as DSG is Mr Koh Poh Koon. He will concurrently be the Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry.
“Now that I am a part of NTUC, this will give me the opportunity to really understand issues that our working people face on the ground. I look forward to working alongside union leaders and other leaders in the Labour Movement network to translate the Industry Transformation Maps into better jobs as we work towards creating a better future for Singaporeans,” said Mr Koh on Facebook.
Meanwhile DSG Heng Chee How who will continue in his NTUC role, has been appointed Senior Minister of State in the Defence Ministry. He will relinquish his appointment in the Prime Minister’s Office.
With Mr Ng Chee Meng’s move to NTUC, Mr Ong Ye Kung will be responsible for the whole Education Ministry.
Before entering politics, Mr Ong was a DSG in the Labour Movement and Chairman of NTUC’s e2i (Employment and Employability Institute).
With Mr Lim retirement from Cabinet, the Ministry’s second Minister Josephine Teo moves up to be the Manpower Minister. She also continues as second Minister for Home Affairs.
Mrs Teo is also no stranger to the Labour Movement, having served as an Assistant Secretary-General at NTUC after she entered politics in 2006.
Writing on her Facebook page, Mrs Teo said she had conferred with Ministers Chan and Ng in the Labour Movement on how MOM can strengthen the partnership with unions and employers.
She added: “Chun Sing, Chee Meng and I agree that Singapore’s unique brand of tripartism remains a tremendous asset as we chart our way forward.”
The full details of the Cabinet changes can be found at www.pmo.gov.sg/newsroom
