Wong Kan Seng

Wong Kan Seng
Honourable Minister; Wong Kan Seng
	黄根成
Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore
	In office; 1 September 2005 – 21 May 2011 Serving with S. Jayakumar; Teo Chee Hean;
President	S. R. Nathan
Prime Minister	Lee Hsien Loong
Preceded by	Tony Tan
Succeeded by	Tharman Shanmugaratnam; Teo Chee Hean;
Constituency	Bishan–Toa Payoh GRC
Co-ordinating Minister for National Security
	In office; 1 November 2010 – 21 May 2011
Prime Minister	Lee Hsien Loong
Preceded by	S. Jayakumar
Succeeded by	Teo Chee Hean
Constituency	Bishan–Toa Payoh GRC
Minister for Home Affairs
	In office; 2 January 1994 – 31 October 2010
Prime Minister	Goh Chok Tong; Lee Hsien Loong;
Preceded by	S. Jayakumar
Succeeded by	K. Shanmugam
Constituency	Bishan–Toa Payoh GRC
Minister for Foreign Affairs
	In office; 13 September 1988 – 1 January 1994
Prime Minister	Lee Kuan Yew; Goh Chok Tong;
Preceded by	S. Dhanabalan
Succeeded by	S. Jayakumar
Constituency	Kuo Chuan SMC (1984 - 1988); Toa Payoh GRC (1988 - 1991); Thomson GRC (1991 - 1996)
Minister for Community Development
	In office; 1987–1991
Prime Minister	Lee Kuan Yew; Goh Chok Tong;
Constituency	Kuo Chuan SMC (1984 - 1988); Toa Payoh GRC (1988 - 1991); Thomson GRC (1991 - 1996)
Deputy Chairman of People's Association
	In office; 1992–2006
Member of Parliament; for Bishan–Toa Payoh Group Representation Constituency; Kuo Chuan SMC (1984 - 1988); Toa Payoh GRC (1988 - 1991); Thomson GRC (1991 - 1996)
	In office; 22 December 1984 – 11 September 2015
Majority	15,180 (12.2%)
Leader of the House
	In office; 1991–2007
Personal details
Born	8 September 1946; Singapore
Nationality	Singaporean
Political party	People's Action Party (1984-2015)
Spouse(s)	Ruth Lee Hong Geok
Children	2
Alma mater	University of Singapore; London Business School
Profession	Teacher[1]

Wong Kan Seng (Chinese: 黄根成; pinyin: Huáng Gēnchéng; Cantonese Yale: Wòng Gān-sìng; born 8 September 1946)[2] is a Singaporean business executive and a former politician. He retired from political service after 31 years.

He currently serves as the chairman of Ascendas-Singbridge (since 2015) and non-executive director of United Overseas Bank (since 2017). A former member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), Wong was a Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Bishan–Toa Payoh Group Representation Constituency. Wong served as the country's Deputy Prime Minister from 2005 to 2011. He also held the Cabinet portfolios of Minister for Community Development (1987–91), Minister for Foreign Affairs (1988–94), Minister for Home Affairs (1994–2010) and Co-ordinating Minister for National Security (2010–11).

Wong was the deputy prime minister on 1 September 2005 till 21 May 2011 when the former deputy prime minister Tony Tan stepped down from position. Wong was serving as deputy prime minister with S. Jayakumar & Teo Chee Hean. He served as Leader of the House from 25 February 1987 to 31 March 2007.

Political career

Wong is a Cantonese and entered politics on 22 December 1984 after working as a teacher in the Singapore Civil Service and the private sector.[3] He served and held appointments in the Ministry of Defence. In 1981, he joined Hewlett Packard Singapore where he remained till January 1985.[4]

Wong was elected a Member of Parliament representing the Kuo Chuan constituency in Toa Payoh at the 1984 general election.[5] He has since been re-elected as an MP representing the Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs) of Toa Payoh (1988), Thomson (1991) and Bishan–Toa Payoh (1997, 2001, 2006 and 2011) and was once an adviser to the Bishan-Toa Payoh Town Council and the grassroots organisations.

Wong was appointed the Acting Minister for Community Development in 1986. He was made a full member of the Cabinet as Minister for Community Development by Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew in 1987. He was concurrently appointed the Minister for Foreign Affairs in 1988. In 1994, he became the Minister for Home Affairs. Wong also served as the Leader of the House in Singapore's Parliament from 1991 to 2007.

Wong was vocal in his capacity as cabinet minister when it comes to defending any criticisms of the PAP as being authoritarian, or that the political process was undemocratic with an advantage given to the ruling party.[6] He often described the opposition as being disorganised, weak and driven by self-interests.[7]

"The public has no sympathy for them. Neither do I. Why should I? I mean, they mess it up."[8]

On opposition politician J.B. Jeyaretnam's proposal to establish an independent elections commission, Wong remarked, "It is absurd. I think we cannot be more democratic than we are now. We even allow a loser to be in Parliament and make speeches attacking the government. Where could you find such a democracy in other countries?"[9]

At the World Conference on Human Rights in 1993, Wong argued that democracy was interpreted differently in Singapore. He claims that its citizens "do not agree that pornography is an acceptable manifestation of free expression or that homosexual relationships are just a matter of lifestyle choice." Wong was also of the belief that excessive emphasis on individual rights over the rights of the community will retard progress.[10]

On 1 September 2005, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong appointed Wong as one of two Deputy Prime Ministers following the retirement of Tony Tan.[11] On 1 November 2010, Wong was appointed the Co-ordinating Minister for National Security and relinquished his post as Minister for Home Affairs.

Wong retired from the Cabinet following the 2011 general election. He remains a Member of Parliament and also the special adviser for economic cooperation to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong until 11 September 2015, when he was finally retired from political service after 31 years.[12]

Role in homeland security in Singapore

As the Minister for Home Affairs, Wong was in charge of overseeing emergency planning, dealing with internal threats such as cults and terrorists, involved in law and order, and rooting out of criminals and illegal immigrants.[13]

Mas Selamat escape

On 27 February 2008, alleged Jemaah Islamiyah leader Mas Selamat bin Kastari escaped from Whitley Road Detention Centre, leading to the largest manhunt in Singapore. Wong expressed his regret in Parliament the day after the occurrence.

"This should never have happened. I am sorry that it has."

He revealed that Mas Selamat escaped when he was taken to the toilet before a meeting at the detention centre's family visit room.[14]

Wong was criticised because news of Mas Selamat's escape was not disseminated to the public until four hours after its occurrence. There were calls for Wong to step down, given the severity of the security lapse.[15] Mas Selamat was eventually recaptured in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, on 1 April 2009, by Malaysian authorities, over a year after his escape.[16]

SARS

Wong was then responsible for co-ordinating the inter-ministerial nationwide effort to counter the SARS epidemic.[13] Certain measures were taken to contain the virus, including mandatory home quarantine measures, health screening at immigration checkpoints, schools and hospitals and public education programs. On 31 May 2003, Singapore was taken off the World Health Organization's list of SARS-affected countries.

Post-political career

Wong returned to the private sector after stepping down from the cabinet. Wong was appointed as the chairman of Singbridge, a unit of Temasek Holdings, in 2011.[17] He was later appointed chairman of Ascendas-Singbridge after the merger of the four operating subsidiaries owned by Temasek Holdings and Jurong Town Corporation in 2015.[18] He was appointed as an independent, non-executive director of United Overseas Bank in July 2017.[19]

Education

Wong received his secondary education at Outram Secondary School. He went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from the National University of Singapore in 1970, and a Master of Business Administration from the London Business School on a Singapore government scholarship in 1979.

Personal life

Wong is married to Ruth Lee Hong Geok. The couple have two children.

References

"Cabinet Appointments: Wong Kan Seng". Archived from the original on 20 September 2020. Retrieved 20 September 2020.
"Profile of Wong Kan Seng". Archived from the original on 20 September 2020. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
Emergencies and threats? He's tackled them all", The Straits Times (Singapore), 15 August 2004
"Mr Wong Kan Seng, Chairman - Ascendas-Singbridge". www.ascendas-singbridge.com. Archived from the original on 17 September 2017. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
"Former DPM Wong Kan Seng calls it a day after seven terms". Archived from the original on 17 September 2017. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
"Singapore says no climate of fear in city-state". Reuters. 27 May 2005. Archived from the original on 16 June 2010. Retrieved 18 September 2017.
"DPM Wong throws down gauntlet to Opposition". Today. 24 March 2011. Archived from the original on 18 September 2017. Retrieved 18 September 2017.
Porter, Barry (17 April 1999). "Degrees of freedom in Lion City". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved 18 September 2017.
Healy, Tim (30 November 2000). "Conflict in a City of Consent". Asiaweek. Archived from the original on 18 September 2017. Retrieved 18 September 2017.
Riding, Alan (20 June 1993). "THE WORLD; Human Rights: The West Gets Some Tough Questions". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 18 September 2017. Retrieved 18 September 2017.
"The Cabinet - Mr Wong Kan Seng". Archived from the original on 27 March 2008. Retrieved 26 March 2008.
"Wong Kan Seng steps down as MP after seven terms in 2015". Archived from the original on 14 August 2015. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
Emergencies and threats? He's tackled them all, The Straits Times (Singapore), 15 August 2004
"Official Report for Singapore Parliamentary Debates". 28 February 2008. Archived from the original on 28 June 2009. Retrieved 4 April 2010.
Li, Xueying (24 April 2008). "To resign or not, that's the question S'poreans are asking". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 13 February 2009. Retrieved 4 April 2010.
"Archived copy". Archived from the original on 15 May 2009. Retrieved 4 April 2010.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
"PM NAMES FORMER DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER WONG KAN SENG AS SPECIAL ADVISER". TODAY. 13 September 2011. Archived from the original on 17 September 2017. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
Khoo, Lynette. "Temasek, JTC in tie-up to merge four subsidiaries into two units". The Business Times. Archived from the original on 17 September 2017. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
Boon, Rachael (28 July 2017). "Former deputy prime minister Wong Kan Seng appointed to UOB board". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 17 September 2017. Retrieved 17 September 2017.

External links

Official website of Wong Kan Seng
Wong Kan Seng at parliament.gov.sg

Political offices
Preceded by Tony Tan	Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore 2005 - 2011	Succeeded by Tharman Shanmugaratnam
Preceded by S. Jayakumar	Co-ordinating Minister for National Security 2010-2011	Succeeded by Teo Chee Hean
Preceded by S. Jayakumar	Minister for Home Affairs 1988-1994	Succeeded by S. Jayakumar
Preceded by S. Dhanabalan	Minister for Foreign Affairs 1988-1994	Succeeded by S. Jayakumar
Preceded by S. Dhanabalan	Minister for Community Development 18 February 1986 – 31 December 1986	Succeeded by Seet Ai Mei

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[1] "Cabinet Appointments: Wong Kan Seng". Archived from the original on 20 September 2020. Retrieved 20 September 2020.

[2] "Profile of Wong Kan Seng". Archived from the original on 20 September 2020. Retrieved 9 April 2018.

[3] Emergencies and threats? He's tackled them all", The Straits Times (Singapore), 15 August 2004

[4] "Mr Wong Kan Seng, Chairman - Ascendas-Singbridge". www.ascendas-singbridge.com. Archived from the original on 17 September 2017. Retrieved 17 September 2017.

[5] "Former DPM Wong Kan Seng calls it a day after seven terms". Archived from the original on 17 September 2017. Retrieved 17 September 2017.

[6] "Singapore says no climate of fear in city-state". Reuters. 27 May 2005. Archived from the original on 16 June 2010. Retrieved 18 September 2017.

[7] "DPM Wong throws down gauntlet to Opposition". Today. 24 March 2011. Archived from the original on 18 September 2017. Retrieved 18 September 2017.

[8] Porter, Barry (17 April 1999). "Degrees of freedom in Lion City". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved 18 September 2017.

[9] Healy, Tim (30 November 2000). "Conflict in a City of Consent". Asiaweek. Archived from the original on 18 September 2017. Retrieved 18 September 2017.

[10] Riding, Alan (20 June 1993). "THE WORLD; Human Rights: The West Gets Some Tough Questions". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 18 September 2017. Retrieved 18 September 2017.

[11] "The Cabinet - Mr Wong Kan Seng". Archived from the original on 27 March 2008. Retrieved 26 March 2008.

[12] "Wong Kan Seng steps down as MP after seven terms in 2015". Archived from the original on 14 August 2015. Retrieved 12 August 2015.

[ReferenceA-13] Emergencies and threats? He's tackled them all, The Straits Times (Singapore), 15 August 2004

[14] "Official Report for Singapore Parliamentary Debates". 28 February 2008. Archived from the original on 28 June 2009. Retrieved 4 April 2010.

[15] Li, Xueying (24 April 2008). "To resign or not, that's the question S'poreans are asking". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 13 February 2009. Retrieved 4 April 2010.

[16] "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 15 May 2009. Retrieved 4 April 2010.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

[17] "PM NAMES FORMER DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER WONG KAN SENG AS SPECIAL ADVISER". TODAY. 13 September 2011. Archived from the original on 17 September 2017. Retrieved 17 September 2017.

[18] Khoo, Lynette. "Temasek, JTC in tie-up to merge four subsidiaries into two units". The Business Times. Archived from the original on 17 September 2017. Retrieved 17 September 2017.

[19] Boon, Rachael (28 July 2017). "Former deputy prime minister Wong Kan Seng appointed to UOB board". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 17 September 2017. Retrieved 17 September 2017.