Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore

Last updated

Deputy Prime Minister of the
Republic of Singapore
Coat of arms of Singapore.svg
Flag of Singapore.svg
Heng Swee Keat.jpg Gan Kim Yong - 2022 (cropped).jpg
Incumbent
Heng Swee Keat
since 1 May 2019
Gan Kim Yong
since 15 May 2024
Style
AbbreviationDPM
Appointer Prime Minister
Term length At the Prime Minister's pleasure
Inaugural holder Toh Chin Chye
Formation3 June 1959;65 years ago (1959-06-03)
Salary S$1,870,000 annually
(including S$192,500 MP salary)
Website www.pmo.gov.sg

The deputy prime minister of Singapore is the deputy head of government of the Republic of Singapore. The incumbent deputy prime ministers are Heng Swee Keat and Gan Kim Yong, who took office on 1 May 2019 and 15 May 2024 respectively.

Contents

History

The deputy prime minister is the second highest post, and is a senior Cabinet minister in Singapore. Since the mid-1980s, Singapore has had two deputy prime ministers at a time. The holder will sometimes assume the role of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent from Singapore.

The office of Deputy Prime Minister dates back to 1959 and it was first appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Negara , when Singapore attained self-governance from the British Empire.

The title of Deputy Prime Minister remained unchanged after the merger with the Federation of Malaya, Sarawak and North Borneo to form Malaysia, while Singapore was a federated state of Malaysia between 1963 and 1965. Toh Chin Chye was the first deputy prime minister of Singapore between 1959 and 1968.

Heng Swee Keat was appointed as Minister of Finance and assumed the office as Deputy Prime Minister on 1 May 2019 while both Teo Chee Hean and Tharman Shanmugaratnam relinquished their positions. Heng Swee Keat was widely believed to be poised to succeed Lee Hsien Loong as the next prime minister following his appointment as Deputy Prime Minister in May 2019. However, Heng subsequently withdrew himself from the nomination in April 2021 citing age and health reasons and relinquished his finance portfolio. [1] [2]

Lawrence Wong assumed the office as Deputy Prime Minister on 13 June 2022, serving alongside Heng Swee Keat after being appointed as Minister of Finance in 2021. [3] Lawrence Wong left office on 15 May 2024 making him the shortest serving Deputy Prime Minister, on the same day Gan Kim Yong assumed the office of Deputy Prime Minister.

List of deputy prime ministers

Political parties
   People's Action Party (PAP)
No.PortraitName
Constituency
(Birth–Death)
Term of officePolitical partyCabinet
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
1 Toh Chin Chye
(1921–2012)
MP for Rochore
5 June 19592 August 19689 years,
58 days
PAP Lee K. I
Lee K. II
Vacant (2 August 1968–1 March 1973)
2 Goh Keng Swee
(1918–2010)
MP for Kreta Ayer
1 March 19731 January 198511 years,
306 days
PAP Lee K. IV
Lee K. V
Lee K. VI
3 S Rajaratnam c. 1940s.jpg S. Rajaratnam
(1915–2006)
MP for Kreta Ayer
1 June 19801 January 19854 years,
214 days
PAP Lee K. V
Lee K. VI
4 GohChokTong-WashingtonDC-20010614.jpg Goh Chok Tong
(born 1941)
MP for Marine Parade SMC
(1976–1988)
MP for Marine Parade GRC
(1988–2020)
2 January 198528 November 19905 years,
330 days
PAP Lee K. VII
Lee K. VIII
4 Ong Teng Cheong.jpg Ong Teng Cheong
(1936–2002)
MP for Kim Keat SMC
(1972–1991)
MP for Toa Payoh GRC
(1991–1993)
2 January 19851 September 19938 years,
242 days
PAP Lee K. VII
Lee K. VIII
Goh I
Goh II
5 Lee Hsien-Loong - World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2012 cropped.jpg Lee Hsien Loong
(born 1952)
MP for Teck Ghee SMC
(1984–1991)
MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC
(from 1991)
28 November 199012 August 200413 years,
258 days
PAP Goh I
Goh II
Goh III
Goh IV
6 Tony Tan Keng Yam cropp.jpg Tony Tan
(born 1940)
MP for Sembawang GRC
1 August 19951 September 200510 years,
31 days
PAP Goh II
Goh III
Goh IV
Lee H. I
7 Jayakumar (1).jpg S. Jayakumar
(born 1939)
MP for East Coast GRC
12 August 20041 April 20094 years,
232 days
PAP Lee H. I
Lee H. II
8 WongKanSeng-20060314.jpg Wong Kan Seng
(born 1946)
MP for Bishan–Toa Payoh GRC
1 September 200521 May 20115 years,
262 days
PAP Lee H. I
Lee H. II
9 Teo Chee Hean 2.jpg Teo Chee Hean
(born 1954)
MP for Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC
1 April 200930 April 201910 years,
30 days
PAP Lee H. II
Lee H. III
Lee H. IV
10 Tharman Shanmugaratnam at the official opening of Yuan Ching Secondary School's new building, Singapore - 20100716 (cropped).jpg Tharman Shanmugaratnam
(born 1957)
MP for Jurong GRC
21 May 201130 April 20197 years,
345 days
PAP Lee H. III
Lee H. IV
11 Heng Swee Keat.jpg Heng Swee Keat
(born 1961)
MP for Tampines GRC
(2011–2020)
MP for East Coast GRC
(from 2020)
1 May 2019Incumbent5 years, 37 days PAP Lee H. IV
Lee H. V
Wong I
12 Lawrence Wong 20230526.jpg Lawrence Wong
(born 1972)
MP for Marsiling–Yew Tee GRC
13 June 202214 May 20241 year, 336 days PAP Lee H. V
13 Gan Kim Yong - 2022 (cropped).jpg Gan Kim Yong
(born 1959)
MP for Chua Chu Kang GRC
15 May 2024Incumbent24 days PAP Wong I

See also

Notes

  1. Ang, Hwee Min (8 April 2021). "DPM Heng Swee Keat steps aside as leader of PAP 4G team, PM Lee accepts decision". Channel News Asia. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  2. "Heng Swee Keat to be promoted to DPM in Cabinet reshuffle". Channel NewsAsia . 23 April 2019. Archived from the original on 23 April 2019. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
  3. katherine_chen (6 June 2022). "PMO | Changes to Cabinet and Other Appointments (June 2022)". Prime Minister's Office Singapore. Retrieved 6 June 2022.

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