Minister Mentor facts for kids

The Minister Mentor (also known as Nèigé zī zhèng in Chinese and Menteri Mentor in Malay) was a special job in the Singapore government. It was created in 2004 when Singapore got a new leader. The main reason for this job was to let Lee Kuan Yew, a very important former leader, keep helping and giving advice to the government.

Lee Kuan Yew was the first and only person to hold the title of Minister Mentor. He was known as the founding Prime Minister of Singapore.

What is a Minister Mentor?

The Minister Mentor was a unique role in Singapore's government. It was like a senior advisor position. This job was created to make sure that experienced leaders could still share their wisdom. They could help guide the country even after they stepped down from their main leadership roles.

Why Was the Role Created?

The government explained that this role allowed Lee Kuan Yew to continue advising them. He had been Singapore's first Prime Minister for many years. His experience was seen as very valuable for the country's future.

Lee Kuan Yew's Journey to Minister Mentor

Before becoming Minister Mentor, Lee Kuan Yew was the Senior Minister from 1990 to 2004. This was under Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong. When Lee Hsien Loong (Lee Kuan Yew's son) became the new Prime Minister in 2004, he announced the creation of the Minister Mentor role. This happened on August 12, 2004, when the new government team was announced.

Some people thought that this new job showed that Lee Kuan Yew still had a lot of influence in Singapore's government. Even though he was no longer the Prime Minister, his advice was still very important.

The End of the Role

On May 14, 2011, Lee Kuan Yew and Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong announced they would leave the government. This happened after the General Elections that year. After this, the position of Minister Mentor was no longer part of the government.