Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (Photo: Xinhua/VNA)Singapore (VNA) – Singaporean Prime Minister LeeHsien Loong on July 25 announced his new Cabinet 15 days after the People's ActionParty (PAP) won this year’s general election with 61.24 percent of the votes.
In total, the new Cabinet will have 37 political officeholders, including seven newly appointed.
Lee continues as Prime Minister while Heng Swee Keat remains in his posts as Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister and will also beappointed as Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies.
Teo Chee Hean retains his post as Senior Minister andCoordinating Minister for National Security, while Tharman Shanmugaratnam staysas Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for Social Policies. Chan ChunSing will be Trade and Industry Minister.
In normal times, Singapore needs experienced ministers toprovide steady hands, and also to mentor the younger ministers; and in this crisis,this need is even greater, Lee said.
In the new cabinet, Lee has rotated the ministers,especially the younger ones to gain exposure and experience. “We regularly dothis during Cabinet reshuffles, and the intent is to expose the office holdersto different portfolios, to gain both breadth and depth, to understand theintricacies of the issues and to see things from different perspectives,” henoted.
The PM has also brought in fresh faces from the newlyelected MPs, including several from the private sector, and one of whom as afull minister. They will reinforce his team and offer new ideas andperspectives, he explained.
Lee said the new Cabinet seeks to balance continuity,exposure and renewal, and be a team that leads Singapore through the currentpublic health and economic crisis and into the future./.
VNA
