Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore

The Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore is the deputy head of the government of the Republic of Singapore. The role of Deputy Prime Minister is the second highest post and senior Cabinet Minister in Singapore. The holder will sometimes assume the role of Acting Prime Minister when the PM is temporarily absent from Singapore. Since the mid-1980s, Singapore has usually had two Deputy Prime Ministers at a time. In a recent cabinet reshuffle announced 23 April 2019, Minister of Finance, Heng Swee Keat will assume his role as the Deputy Prime Minister as further indication that he is front runner to be Singapore's next prime minister.

The office of Deputy Prime Minister dates back to 1959 and was appointed at first by the Governor of Singapore then the Yang di-Pertuan Negara (vice-regal head of state), when Singapore achieved self-governance as the State of Singapore within the British Empire. The title of Deputy Prime Minister remained unchanged after the merger with the Federation of Malaya, Sarawak and North Borneo, while Singapore was a constituent state in Malaysia from 1963 to 1965, and after independence in 1965. Toh Chin Chye was the first deputy prime minister of Singapore from 1959 to 1968 and retired on 2 August 1968.

List of Deputy Prime Ministers

Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Political Party
	[[Toh Chin Chye|Template:Small caps Chin Chye]] 杜进才 டோ சின் ச்யே (10 December 1921- 3 February 2012) MP for Rochor SMC	5 June 1959	2 August 1968	Template:Age in years and days	Template:SG/PAP
No Deputy Prime Minister from 2 August 1968 to 1 March 1973
	[[Goh Keng Swee|Template:Small caps Keng Swee]] 吴庆瑞 கோ கேங் சுவீ (6 October 1918- 14 May 2010) MP for Kreta Ayer SMC	1 March 1973	3 December 1984	Template:Age in years and days	Template:SG/PAP
	[[S. Rajaratnam|S. Template:Small caps]] சின்னத்தம்பி இராசரத்தினம் 信那谈比·拉惹勒南 (25 February 1915- 22 February 2006) MP for Kampong Glam SMC	1 June 1980	2 January 1985	Template:Age in years and days
File:GohChokTong-WashingtonDC-20010614.jpg	[[Goh Chok Tong|Template:Small caps Chok Tong]] 吴作栋 கோ சொக் தொங் (20 May 1941-) MP for Marine Parade SMC until 1988 MP for Marine Parade GRC from 1988	2 January 1985	28 November 1990	Template:Age in years and days
File:Ong Teng Cheong.jpg	[[Ong Teng Cheong|Template:Small caps Teng Cheong]] 王鼎昌 ஓங் டெங் சியோங் (22 January 1936- 8 February 2002) MP for Kim Keat SMC	2 January 1985	1 September 1993	Template:Age in years and days
File:Lee Hsien-Loong - World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2012 cropped.jpg	[[Lee Hsien Loong|Template:Small caps Hsien Loong]] 李显龙 லீ சியன் லூங் (10 February 1952-) MP for Teck Ghee SMC until 1991 MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC from 1991	28 November 1990	12 August 2004	Template:Age in years and days
File:Tony Tan Keng Yam cropp.jpg	[[Tony Tan Keng Yam|Tony Template:Small caps Keng Yam]] 陈庆炎 டோனி டேன் கெங் யம் (7 February 1940-) MP for Sembawang GRC	1 August 1995	1 September 2005	Template:Age in years and days
File:Jayakumar (1).jpg	[[S. Jayakumar|S. Template:Small caps]] ஜெயகுமார் 尚穆根·贾古玛 (12 August 1939-) MP for East Coast GRC	12 August 2004	1 April 2009	Template:Age in years and days
File:WongKanSeng-20060314.jpg	[[Wong Kan Seng|Template:Small caps Kan Seng]] 黄根成 வோங் கான் செங் (8 September 1946-) MP for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC	1 September 2005	21 May 2011	Template:Age in years and days
File:TeoCheeHean-Singapore-20060603.jpg	[[Teo Chee Hean|Template:Small caps Chee Hean]] 张志贤 தியோ சீ ஹியன் (27 December 1954-) MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC	1 April 2009	30 April 2019	Template:Age in years and days
File:Tharman Shanmugaratnam at the official opening of Yuan Ching Secondary School's new building, Singapore - 20100716 (cropped).jpg	[[Tharman Shanmugaratnam|Tharman Template:Small caps]] தர்மன் சண்முகரத்தினம் 尚达曼 (25 February 1957-) MP for Jurong GRC	21 May 2011	30 April 2019	Template:Age in years and days
Heng Swee Keat	[[Heng Swee Keat|Template:Small caps Swee Keat]] 王瑞杰 ஹெங் சுவீ கியட் (1 November 1961-) MP for Tampines GRC	1 May 2019	Incumbent	Template:Age in years and days

See also

• Prime Minister of Singapore
• Prime Minister's Office (Singapore)
• Cabinet of Singapore

External links

Template:Commons category

• Prime Minister's Office