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Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore

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Deputy Prime Minister of the
Republic of Singapore
Coat of arms of Singapore
Flag of Singapore
Incumbent
Heng Swee Keat
since 1 May 2019
Gan Kim Yong
since 15 May 2024
Style
AbbreviationDPM
AppointerPrime Minister
Term lengthAt the Prime Minister's pleasure
Inaugural holderToh Chin Chye
Formation3 June 1959; 65 years ago (1959-06-03)
SalaryS$1,870,000 annually
(including S$192,500 MP salary)
Websitewww.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.

History

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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

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Political parties
  People's Action Party (PAP)
No. Portrait Name
Constituency
(Birth–Death) 		Term of office Political party Cabinet
Took office Left office Time in office
1 Toh Chin Chye
(1921–2012)
MP for Rochore 		5 June 1959 2 August 1968 9 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 1973 1 January 1985 11 years,
306 days 		PAP Lee K. IV
Lee K. V
Lee K. VI
3 S. Rajaratnam
(1915–2006)
MP for Kreta Ayer 		1 June 1980 1 January 1985 4 years,
214 days 		PAP Lee K. V
Lee K. VI
4 Goh Chok Tong
(born 1941)
MP for Marine Parade SMC & Marine Parade GRC 		2 January 1985 28 November 1990 5 years,
330 days 		PAP Lee K. VII
Lee K. VIII
4 Ong Teng Cheong
(1936–2002)
MP for Kim Keat SMC & Toa Payoh GRC 		2 January 1985 1 September 1993 8 years,
242 days 		PAP Lee K. VII
Lee K. VIII
Goh I
Goh II
5 Lee Hsien Loong
(born 1952)
MP for Teck Ghee SMC & Ang Mo Kio GRC 		28 November 1990 12 August 2004 13 years,
258 days 		PAP Goh I
Goh II
Goh III
Goh IV
6 Tony Tan
(born 1940)
MP for Sembawang GRC 		1 August 1995 1 September 2005 10 years,
31 days 		PAP Goh II
Goh III
Goh IV
Lee H. I
7 S. Jayakumar
(born 1939)
MP for East Coast GRC 		12 August 2004 1 April 2009 4 years,
232 days 		PAP Lee H. I
Lee H. II
8 Wong Kan Seng
(born 1946)
MP for Bishan–Toa Payoh GRC 		1 September 2005 21 May 2011 5 years,
262 days 		PAP Lee H. I
Lee H. II
9 Teo Chee Hean
(born 1954)
MP for Pasir Ris–Punggol GRC 		1 April 2009 30 April 2019 10 years,
30 days 		PAP Lee H. II
Lee H. III
Lee H. IV
10 Tharman Shanmugaratnam
(born 1957)
MP for Jurong GRC 		21 May 2011 30 April 2019 7 years,
345 days 		PAP Lee H. III
Lee H. IV
11 Heng Swee Keat
(born 1961)
MP for Tampines GRC & East Coast GRC 		1 May 2019 Incumbent 5 years, 204 days PAP Lee H. IV
Lee H. V
Wong I
12 Lawrence Wong
(born 1972)
MP for Marsiling–Yew Tee GRC 		13 June 2022 14 May 2024 1 year, 336 days PAP Lee H. V
13 Gan Kim Yong
(born 1959)
MP for Chua Chu Kang GRC 		15 May 2024 Incumbent 191 days PAP Wong I

See also

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Notes

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  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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