Everything you need to know about the 2018 S'pore Cabinet reshuffle in 60 seconds

As we said, not that big a reshuffle.

Jeanette Tan | April 24, 2018, 04:04 PM

The highly-anticipated Singapore Cabinet reshuffle has been announced on Tuesday, April 24.

Their new roles will take effect from May 1, 2018, the first major movement since the last reshuffle on Sept. 11, 2017.

Here's a 60-second rundown of everything you need to know about the changes:

3 Ministers stepping up...

1) Chan Chun Sing

Screenshot from WEF.

Currently: Labour chief; Minister in the Prime Minister's Office

From May 1: Minister for Trade and Industry. The whole thing, but working with S Iswaran as Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations — whatever that means.

He will also take over the Public Service Division from DPM Teo Chee Hean, and continue to be Deputy Chairman of the People's Association.

2) Ong Ye Kung

File photo by Weixiang Lim for Mothership.sg

Currently: (Co-)Minister for Education (Higher Education & Skills), Second Minister for Defence

From May 1: Minister for Education. All of it. And that's it.

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3) Josephine Teo

Photo via Josephine Teo's Facebook page

Currently: Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, Second Minister for Home Affairs, Second Minister for Manpower

From May 1: Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Home Affairs

... plus 1 Senior Minister of State promoted to full minister

1) Indranee Rajah

Photo via Indranee Rajah's Facebook page

Currently: Senior Minister of State for Law & Finance

From May 1: Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, Second Minister for Finance & Education, and temporarily serve as Second Minister for Law until June 30. In other words, she will help two 4G leaders - Heng Swee Keat and Ong Ye Kung.

3 retiring ministers

Screenshots via Parliament website

  • Minister for Manpower Lim Swee Say,
  • Minister for Trade Lim Hng Kiang and
  • Minister for Communications and Information Yaacob Ibrahim

will be stepping down after a collective 66 years serving as cabinet ministers. Their last day in office will be April 30.

Lim will be appointed as Special Advisor to MTI with effect from May 1.

It remains to be seen if they will also retire from politics altogether at the next General Election.

2 ministers moving sideways

1) Ng Chee Meng

Currently: (Co-)Minister for Education (Schools), Second Minister for Transport

From May 1: (future) Labour chief, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office (essentially following in Chan's footsteps)

2) S Iswaran

Photo via S Iswaran's Facebook page

Currently: Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry)

From May 1: Minister for Communications and Information; Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations (whatever that is).

12 Ministers staying put

1) Heng Swee Keat

Source: Gov.sg Youtube.

Currently & still: Finance Minister. But he will take on more saikang in the form of assisting PM Lee with National Research Foundation matters from DPM Teo Chee Hean.

2) Lawrence Wong

Photo via Lawrence Wong's Facebook page

Currently & still: Minister for National Development, Second Minister for Finance

3) Grace Fu

Photo by Lim Weixiang for Mothership.sg

Currently & still: Minister for Culture, Community & Youth

4) Ng Eng Hen

Source: Ng Eng Hen Facebook

Currently & still: Minister for Defence

5) Vivian Balakrishnan

Photo via Vivian Balakrishnan Facebook page

Currently & still: Minister for Foreign Affairs

6) K Shanmugam

Currently & still: Minister for Law & Home Affairs

7-9) The 3 coordinating ministers

Screenshots via Parliament website

Minister Khaw Boon Wan, Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Minister for Transport, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, who is also Coordinating Minister for National Security, and Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who is also Coordinating Minister for Economic & Social Policies, will all be staying put.

10) Gan Kim Yong

Currently & still: Minister for Health

11) Desmond Lee

Photo by Lim Weixiang for Mothership.sg

Currently & still: Minister for Social & Family Development, Second Minister for National Development

12) Masagos Zulkifli

Photo via Masagos Zulkifli's Facebook page

Currently: Minister for the Environment and Water Resources

From May 1: Minister for the Environment and Water Resources and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs, taking over from Minister Yaacob.

Other office-holders stepping up:

1) Baey Yam Keng

From May 1: Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Transport and Culture, Community & Youth

2) Amrin Amin

From May 1: Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Home Affairs

Other office-holders moving sideways:

1) Heng Chee How

From May 1: Senior Minister of State for Defence

2) Sim Ann

From May 1: Senior Minister of State for Comms & Info and Culture, Community & Youth

3) Chee Hong Tat

From May 1: Senior Minister of State for Trade & Industry and Education

4) Janil Puthucheary

From May 1: Senior Minister of State for Transport and Comms & Info

5) Koh Poh Koon

From May 1: Senior Minister of State for Trade & Industry

6) Sam Tan

From May 1: Minister of State for Social & Family Development and Foreign Affairs

7) Low Yen Ling

From May 1: Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Manpower and Education  

Newbies joining the table:

1) Edwin Tong

From July 1: Senior Minister of State for Law and Health

2) Zaqy Mohamad

From May 1: Minister of State for Manpower and National Development

3) Sun Xueling

From May 1: Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Home Affairs and National Development

4) Tan Wu Meng

From May 1: Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Trade & Industry

The end.

Top photo via PMO website