Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore
Flag of Singapore
Coat of arms of Singapore
Incumbent Heng Swee Keat since 1 May 2019 Gan Kim Yong since 15 May 2024
Style	Deputy Prime Minister (informal) The Honourable (formal) His Excellency (diplomatic)
Abbreviation	DPM
Appointer	Prime Minister
Term length	At the Prime Minister's pleasure
Inaugural holder	Toh Chin Chye
Formation	3 June 1959; 66 years ago (1959-06-03)
Salary	S$1,870,000 annually (including S$192,500 MP salary)

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

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.

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. 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

Political parties

People's Action Party (PAP)

No.	Portrait	Name Constituency (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Political party	Cabinet
No.	Portrait	Name Constituency (Birth–Death)	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Political party	Cabinet
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 (1976–1988) MP for Marine Parade GRC (1988–2020)	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 (1972–1991) MP for Toa Payoh GRC (1991–1993)	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 (1984–1991) MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC (from 1991)	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 (2011–2020) MP for East Coast GRC (from 2020)	1 May 2019	Incumbent	6 years, 33 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	1 year, 20 days	PAP	Wong I

Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore facts for kids

History

List of deputy prime ministers

See also