Lim Swee Say

Lim Swee Say
Honourable Minister; Lim Swee Say
	林瑞生
Minister for Manpower
	In office; 4 May 2015 – 30 April 2018
Prime Minister	Lee Hsien Loong
Preceded by	Tan Chuan-Jin
Succeeded by	Josephine Teo
Constituency	East Coast GRC (Bedok) (2011)
Minister in the Prime Minister's Office
	In office; 12 August 2004 – 3 May 2015
Prime Minister	Lee Hsien Loong
Succeeded by	Chan Chun Sing
Member of the Singapore Parliament; for East Coast GRC (Bedok)
	In office; 8 May 2011 – 23 June 2020
Preceded by	S. Jayakumar
Succeeded by	Heng Swee Keat
Member of the Singapore Parliament; for Holland–Bukit Timah GRC (Buona Vista); Tanjong Pagar GRC (Buona Vista)(1996-2001) ; Holland–Bukit Panjang GRC (Buona Vista) (2001-2006)
	In office; 23 December 1996 – 27 April 2011
Preceded by	Himself (Holland–Bukit Panjang GRC-Buona Vista)
Succeeded by	Chan Chun Sing (Tanjong Pagar GRC-Buona Vista)
Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress
	In office; 2007 – 3 May 2015
Prime Minister	Lee Hsien Loong
Preceded by	Lim Boon Heng
Succeeded by	Chan Chun Sing
Personal details
Born	13 July 1954; Singapore
Political party	People's Action Party (1996)
Spouse(s)	Elaine Cheong Siew Boon
Children	2
Alma mater	Loughborough University; Stanford University

Lim Swee Say, (Chinese: 林瑞生; pinyin: Lín Ruìshēng; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Lîm Sūi-seⁿ, born 13 July 1954) is a former Singaporean politician. He retired from politics on 23 June 2020.

A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he stepped down as Minister for Manpower on 30 April 2018. He previously served as the Minister for the Environment from 2001 to 2004, a Minister in the Prime Minister's Office from 12 August 2004 to 30 September 2015, and as the Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) from 2005 to 2015. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) from 23 December 1996.

Early career

Lim served at Singapore's National Computer Board as Chief Executive from 1986 to 1991, and as Chairman from 1994 to 1998. He also served at the Economic Development Board (EDB) as Deputy Managing Director based in New York City from 1991 to 1993, and as Managing Director from 1994 to 1996.

Political career

Early political career

At the 1997 general election, Lim was a PAP candidate in the Tanjong Pagar Group Representation Constituency (Tanjong Pagar GRC), which was led by the late Lee Kuan Yew (who died in 2015) and was elected in a walkover. He was on the PAP's team in Holland–Bukit Panjang GRC at the 2001 general election, and in Holland–Bukit Timah GRC at the 2006 general election, and was elected unopposed on both occasions. At the 2011 general election, Lim stood in East Coast GRC, where the PAP's team defeated the team from the opposition Workers' Party by 59,992 votes (54.8%) to 49,429 (45.2%).

Lim served as Deputy Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) from 1997 to 1999. He also served on the Committee on Singapore's Competitiveness from 1997 to 1998, and chaired its Sub-committee on Manpower Development.

In 1999, Lim was appointed a Minister of State at the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts.

Lim was made the Acting Minister for the Environment on 1 October 2000. He became a full member of the Cabinet on 23 November 2001.

Minister in Prime Minister's Office (2004 - 2015)

On 12 August 2004, Lim was appointed a Minister in the Prime Minister's Office. He also served as the Second Minister for National Development from 12 August 2004 to 29 May 2006.

In 2005, Lim became the Deputy Secretary-General of the NTUC for the second time (while continuing to serve concurrently as a Minister without portfolio in the Prime Minister's Office). In 2007, he was made the Secretary-General of the NTUC.

In 2014, Lim appeared on Singapore's Mediacorp Channel 8 episode "Hear Me Out", to respond to the criticisms against him and clarify himself on a few topics such as his Zorro costume, "Cheaper Better Faster", "Better, Betterer, Betterest", "Deaf Frog" and why Singapore implements Progressive Wage Model instead of minimum wage.

Minister for Manpower (2015 - 2018)

On 4 May 2015, Lim relinquished his post of Minister in Prime Minister's Office and NTUC secretary-general (in line with the NTUC's retirement policies) and was appointed the Minister for Manpower.[1]

Lim has been a member of the PAP's Central Executive Committee since 1999, and served as the Chairman of the Young PAP (the party's youth wing) from 2000 to 2004.

Lim retired from the cabinet on 1 May 2018, with his Manpower portfolio succeeded to Josephine Teo.[2] On 5 May, Lim was awarded the Distinguished Comrade of Labour during the May Day Awards ceremony, which was presented by former NTUC secretary-general (now the Minister of Trade & Industry) Chan Chun Sing.[3]

Retirement from politics

In 2020, Lim would be retiring from politics, and not stand for the 2020 Singaporean general election.[4]

Education

Lim was educated in Catholic High School and National Junior College, before being awarded a Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Scholarship in 1973 to study in the United Kingdom at Loughborough University.

In 1976, he graduated with first class honours in electronics, computer and systems engineering.

In 1991, Lim completed a master's degree in Management at Stanford University.

Personal life

Lim is married to Elaine Cheong Siew Boon. The couple has one daughter and one son. He is a Roman Catholic and goes to Church of the Holy Spirit in Upper Thomson, Singapore.

References

Labour chief Lim Swee Say to be Manpower Minister; Chan Chun Sing to be new labour chief Archived 2015-09-14 at the Wayback Machine. The Straits Times, 8 April 2015.
"Cabinet reshuffle: Chan Chun Sing to lead MTI; Heng Swee Keat stays at MOF, Ong Ye Kung to head MOE". Archived from the original on 2018-05-02. Retrieved 2018-05-02.
hermesauto (5 May 2018). "Top labour award for former Manpower Minister Lim Swee Say". Archived from the original on 6 May 2018. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
hermesauto (2020-06-30). "Singapore GE2020: Heng Swee Keat to helm East Coast GRC in election". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 2020-06-30. Retrieved 2020-06-30.

External links

Lim Swee Say at cabinet.gov.sg
Lim Swee Say at parliament.gov.sg

Political offices
Preceded by Lee Yock Suan	Minister for the Environment 23 Nov 2001 – 11 Aug 2004 Acting: 1 Oct 2000 – 22 Nov 2001	Succeeded by Yaacob Ibrahim
New office	Second Minister for National Development 12 Aug 2004 – 30 Sep 2005	Position abolished
Preceded by Tan Chuan-Jin	Minister for Manpower 1 Oct 2015 – 30 Apr 2018	Succeeded by Josephine Teo
Parliament of Singapore
Preceded by Peter Sung	Member of Parliament for Tanjong Pagar GRC (Buona Vista) 1997 – 2001	Ward abolished
New constituency	Member of Parliament for Holland–Bukit Panjang GRC (Buona Vista) 2001 – 2006	Constituency abolished
New constituency	Member of Parliament for Holland–Bukit Timah GRC (Buona Vista) 2006 – 2011	Succeeded by Chan Chun Sing as MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC (Buona Vista)
Preceded by S. Jayakumar	Member of Parliament for East Coast GRC (Bedok) 2011 – 2020	Succeeded by Heng Swee Keat as MP for East Coast GRC (Bedok)
Party political offices
Preceded by George Yeo	Chairman of Young PAP 2000 – 2004	Succeeded by Vivian Balakrishnan
Trade union offices
Preceded by Lim Boon Heng	Secretary-General of the National Trades Union Congress 2007 – 2015	Succeeded by Chan Chun Sing

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[1] Labour chief Lim Swee Say to be Manpower Minister; Chan Chun Sing to be new labour chief Archived 2015-09-14 at the Wayback Machine. The Straits Times, 8 April 2015.

[2] "Cabinet reshuffle: Chan Chun Sing to lead MTI; Heng Swee Keat stays at MOF, Ong Ye Kung to head MOE". Archived from the original on 2018-05-02. Retrieved 2018-05-02.

[3] rmesauto (5 May 2018). "Top labour award for former Manpower Minister Lim Swee Say". Archived from the original on 6 May 2018. Retrieved 5 May 2018.

[4] rmesauto (2020-06-30). "Singapore GE2020: Heng Swee Keat to helm East Coast GRC in election". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 2020-06-30. Retrieved 2020-06-30.