Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore
The Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore is the deputy head of the government of the Republic of Singapore. The role of Deputy Prime Minister is the second highest post and senior Cabinet Minister in Singapore. The holder will sometimes assume the role of Acting Prime Minister when the PM is temporarily absent from Singapore. Since the mid-1980s, Singapore has usually had two Deputy Prime Ministers at a time. In a recent cabinet reshuffle announced 23 April 2019, Minister of Finance, Heng Swee Keat will assume his role as the Deputy Prime Minister as further indication that he is front runner to be Singapore's next prime minister.[1]
| Deputy Prime Minister(s) of the Republic of Singapore | |
|---|---|
| Appointer | President Halimah Yacob |
| Term length | Depended on the Prime Minister |
| Inaugural holder | Toh Chin Chye |
| Formation | 3 June 1959 |
| Website | www |
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The office of Deputy Prime Minister dates back to 1959 and was appointed at first by the Governor of Singapore then the Yang di-Pertuan Negara (vice-regal head of state), when Singapore achieved self-governance as the State of Singapore within the British Empire. The title of Deputy Prime Minister remained unchanged after the merger with the Federation of Malaya, Sarawak and North Borneo, while Singapore was a constituent state in Malaysia from 1963 to 1965, and after independence in 1965. Toh Chin Chye was the first deputy prime minister of Singapore from 1959 to 1968 and retired on 2 August 1968.
List of Deputy Prime Ministers of Singapore
| Portrait | Name
(Birth–Death) |
Term of office | Political Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | |||
| Toh Chin Chye 杜进才 டோ சின் ச்யே (10 December 1921-3 February 2012) MP for Rochor SMC until 1988 | 5 June 1959 | 2 August 1968 | 9 years, 58 days |  People's Action Party | |
| No Deputy Prime Minister from 2 August 1968 to 1 March 1973 | |||||
| Goh Keng Swee 吴庆瑞 கோ கேங் சுவீ (6 October 1918-14 May 2010) MP for Kreta Ayer SMC until 1984 | 1 March 1973 | 1 January 1985 | 11 years, 306 days | People's Action Party | |
| S. Rajaratnam சின்னத்தம்பி இராசரத்தினம் 信那谈比·拉惹勒南 (25 February 1915-22 February 2006) MP for Kampong Glam SMC until 1988 | 1 June 1980 | 1 January 1985 | 4 years, 214 days | ||
 | Goh Chok Tong 吴作栋 கோ சொக் தொங் (20 May 1941-) MP for Marine Parade SMC until 1988 MP for Marine Parade GRC from 1988 | 2 January 1985 | 28 November 1990 | 5 years, 330 days | |
 | Ong Teng Cheong 王鼎昌 ஓங் டெங் சியோங் (22 January 1936-8 February 2002) MP for Kim Keat SMC until 1991 MP for Toa Payoh GRC from 1991 | 2 January 1985 | 1 September 1993 | 8 years, 242 days | |
 | Lee Hsien Loong 李显龙 லீ சியன் லூங் (10 February 1952-) MP for Teck Ghee SMC until 1991 MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC from 1991 | 28 November 1990 | 12 August 2004 | 13 years, 258 days | |
 | Tony Tan Keng Yam 陈庆炎 டோனி டேன் கெங் யம் (7 February 1940-) MP for Sembawang SMC till 1988 MP for Sembawang GRC from 1988 | 1 August 1995 | 1 September 2005 | 10 years, 31 days | |
.jpg.webp) | S. Jayakumar ஜெயகுமார் 尚穆根·贾古玛 (12 August 1939-) MP for Bedok SMC till 1988 MP for Bedok GRC till 1997 MP for East Coast GRC from 1997 | 12 August 2004 | 1 April 2009 | 4 years, 232 days | |
 | Wong Kan Seng 黄根成 வோங் கான் செங் (8 September 1946-) MP for Kuo Chuan SMC till 1988 MP for Toa Payoh GRC till 1991 MP for Thomson GRC till 1996 MP for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC from 1997 | 1 September 2005 | 21 May 2011 | 5 years, 262 days | |
 | Teo Chee Hean 张志贤 தியோ சீ ஹியன் (27 December 1954-) MP for Marine Parade GRC till 1997 MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC from 1997 | 1 April 2009 | 30 April 2019 | 10 years, 30 days | |
.jpg.webp) | Tharman Shanmugaratnam தர்மன் சண்முகரத்தினம் 尚达曼 (25 February 1957-) MP for Jurong GRC from 2011 | 21 May 2011 | 30 April 2019 | 7 years, 345 days | |
 | Heng Swee Keat 王瑞杰 ஹெங் சுவீ கியட் (1 November 1961-) MP for Tampines GRC until 2020 MP for East Coast GRC from 2020 | 1 May 2019 | Incumbent | 1 year, 279 days | |
Notes
- "Heng Swee Keat to be promoted to DPM in Cabinet reshuffle". Channel NewsAsia. 23 April 2019. Retrieved 23 April 2019.
External links
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