SINGAPORE PM ANNOUNCES NEW CABINET

By Tengku Noor Shamsiah Tengku Abdullah
SINGAPORE, May 19 (Bernama) -- Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has
announced his new cabinet, with 11 of the 14 Ministries will have a new
minister.

A statement from the Prime Minister's Office said that nine incumbents
will leave the government while seven new faces from among
the re-elected and new MPs will join the government.

Lee and his and his Cabinet colleagues will be sworn into office by
President S.R Nathan at 7:30 pm on Saturday at the State Room of the
Istana.

Lee described the changes as epochal, with Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew and
Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong leaving the cabinet. Both men announced their
decision to step down last Saturday.

The Prime Minister told a press conference at the Istana that Lee
Kuan Yew was appointed senior advisor to the Government Investment Corporation
while Goh Chok Tong was made senior advisor to the Monetary Authority of
Singapore and named Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong.

The Prime Minister told a press conference at the Istana that Lee
Kuan Yew was appointed senior advisor to the Government Investment Corporation
while Goh Chok Tong was made senior advisor to the Monetary Authority of
Singapore and named Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong.


There will be two Deputy Prime Ministers. They are current Deputy Prime
Minister and Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean who will remain Deputy Prime
Minister and will be Home Affairs Minister and Co-ordinating Minister for
National Security.

The other Deputy Prime Minister is Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam
who will retain his Finance portfolio and also be Manpower Minister.

The new Education Minister will be newly elected Heng Swee Keat.

Newly elected Major-General Chan Chun Sing will be Acting Minister for
Community Development, Youth and Sports as well as Minister of State for
Information, Communication and the Arts.

Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam will be Minister for Law and
Foreign Affairs.

Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan will be National Development Minister, while
Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong will be the Health Minister.


Minister for Environment and Water Resources Yaacob Ibrahim will head the
Ministry of Information, Communication and the Arts.

Information, Communication and the Arts Minister Lui Tuck Yew will be
Transport Minister and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs.

List of other Cabinet Ministers includes:

Vivian Balakrishnan - new Minister for Environment and Water Resources

Ng Eng Hen - Defence Minister

Lim Hng Kiang - Trade and Industry Minister

Lim Swee Say - Minister in Prime Minister's Office

S Iswaran - promoted to Minister in Prime Minister's Office and Second

Minister for Home Affairs and Trade and Industry

Grace Fu - Senior Minister of State for Ministry of Information,

Communication and the Arts and Ministry of Environment and Water Resources

Heng Chee How - promoted to Senior Minister of State, Prime Minister's
office

Halimah Yacob - Minister of State for Ministry of Community Development,
Youth and Sports

Josephine Teo - Minister of State for Finance and Transport and Foreign
Affairs.