Heng Swee Keat

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The Honourable

Heng Swee Keat

PPA PBS PJG
王瑞杰
Heng in 2012
Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore
Assumed office
1 May 2019
Serving with Lawrence Wong (2022–present)
Prime MinisterLee Hsien Loong
Preceded byTharman Shanmugaratnam
Teo Chee Hean
Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies
Assumed office
27 July 2020
Prime MinisterLee Hsien Loong
Preceded byTharman Shanmugaratnam
Chairman of the People's Action Party
Assumed office
26 November 2022
Secretary-GeneralLee Hsien Loong
Vice ChairmanMasagos Zulkifli
Preceded byGan Kim Yong
Minister for Finance
In office
1 October 2015 – 14 May 2021
Prime MinisterLee Hsien Loong
Second MinisterLawrence Wong
Indranee Rajah
Preceded byTharman Shanmugaratnam
Succeeded byLawrence Wong
Minister for Education
In office
21 May 2011 – 30 September 2015
Prime MinisterLee Hsien Loong
Preceded byNg Eng Hen
Succeeded byNg Chee Meng (Schools)
Ong Ye Kung (Higher Education and Skills)
Member of the Singapore Parliament
for East Coast GRC
(Bedok)
Assumed office
10 July 2020
Preceded byLim Swee Say
Member of the Singapore Parliament
for Tampines GRC
(Tampines Central)
In office
7 May 2011 – 23 June 2020
Preceded bySin Boon Ann
Succeeded byKoh Poh Koon
Personal details
Born
Heng Swee Keat

(1961-04-15) 15 April 1961 (age 63)[1]
State of Singapore
Political partyPeople's Action Party
Spouse(s)
Chang Hwee Nee (m. 1988)
Children2
Alma materChrist's College, Cambridge (MA)
Harvard University (MPA)
Signature
Police career
DepartmentSingapore Police Force
Years of service1983–1997
RankAssistant Commissioner
In this Chinese name, the family name is Heng.

Heng Swee Keat PPA PJG (Chinese: 王瑞杰; pinyin: Wáng Ruìjié; born 15 April 1961)[1] is a Singaporean politician, former police officer and former civil servant.

He is serving as Deputy Prime Minister, Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies. Also, he is the Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Bedok part of the East Coast GRC.[2]

Early life and education[change | change source]

Heng studied at Raffles Institution.[1] He received a scholarship from the Singapore Police Force in 1980.[3][4] That allowed him to study economics at Christ College, University of Cambridge in 1983. He also completed a Master's in Public Administration at John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University in 1993.[1][5]

Career[change | change source]

Early career[change | change source]

After Heng completed his economics studies, he worked in the Singapore Police Force. He left in 1997 as an Assistant Commissioner of Police.[6][7]

After working in the police, he worked in the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Monetary Authority of Singapore.[8] He was also once the Principal Private Secretary to Lee Kuan Yew, the first Prime Minister of Singapore.[7]

Political career[change | change source]

Heng joined politics in the 2011 general election as part of the People's Action Party (PAP) team contesting in Tampines GRC. PAP's team won with 57.22% of the vote against the National Solidarity Party. Heng became a Member of Parliament for the Tampines Central part of Tampines GRC.[9]

On 18 May 2011, Heng was made part of the Cabinet as Minister for Education.[10][11]

During the 2015 general election, Heng led the PAP team contesting in Tampines GRC and won 72.06% of the vote against the National Solidarity Party.[12]

After the general election, on 1 October 2015, Heng stopped being Minister for Education and became Minister for Finance.[13][14]

On 1 May 2019, Heng was made Deputy Prime Minister.[15]

Before the 2020 general election, Heng announced that he would be contesting in East Coast GRC.[16]

On 10 July 2020, the PAP team led by Heng contesting in East Coast GRC won 53.41% of the vote against the Workers' Party,[17]. Heng was made Member of Parliament for the Bedok part of East Coast GRC.[18]

On 27 July 2020, Heng took up another Cabinet job as Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies.[19]

After the 2020 general election, Heng was most likely the next prime minister.[20] However, he decided not to become the next Prime Minister on 8 April 2021. He said it was because he was old and not that healthy anymore.[21][22][23]

Following a Cabinet reshuffle on 15 May 2021, Heng stopped being Minister of Finance.[24]

Personal life[change | change source]

Heng was born in Singapore as a Chinese. He is of Teochew descent.[25]

Heng is married to Chang Hwee Nee, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Heritage Board. They have two children.[26][27][28]

Honours[change | change source]

References[change | change source]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Heng Swee Keat". Christ's College, Cambridge. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  2. ↑ Lai, Linette (2021-04-09). "Next S'pore PM should have 'sufficiently long runway' to master job: Heng Swee Keat". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  3. ↑ "Assistant Commissioner of Police's diverse postings are shaping him as a strategic leader". Scholars' Choice. 2023-07-21. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  4. ↑ "4 receive SPF overseas scholarships". AsiaOne. 2013-08-22. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  5. ↑ "Heng Swee Keat | GIC Board of Directors". GIC. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  6. ↑ anthony_chia (2023-09-12). "PMO | DPM Heng Swee Keat at the Forbes Global CEO Conference 2023". Prime Minister's Office Singapore. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Heng Swee Keat: From handling LKY's red box to S'pore Prime Minister-in-waiting". mothership.sg. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  8. ↑ "MAS chief Heng Swee Keat steps down", The Straits Times, 31 March 2011
  9. ↑ "ELD | 2011 Parliamentary General Election Results". www.eld.gov.sg. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  10. ↑ "National conversation on common future welcomed: Goh Chok Tong", The Straits Times, 12 August 2012
  11. ↑ katherine_chen (2023-11-09). "PMO | Mr HENG Swee Keat". Prime Minister's Office Singapore. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  12. ↑ "ELD | 2015 Parliamentary General Election Results". www.eld.gov.sg. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  13. ↑ Nurhidayah (28 September 2015). "Transcript of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's Statement at the Press Conference on the new Cabinet Line-Up on 28 September 2015". Prime Minister's Office Singapore. Archived from the original on 19 September 2020. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  14. ↑ katherine_chen (2023-11-09). "PMO | Mr HENG Swee Keat". Prime Minister's Office Singapore. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  15. ↑ "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 20 November 2023.
  16. ↑ Lai, Linette (30 June 2020). "Singapore GE2020: Heng Swee Keat decided to move to East Coast GRC as it cannot afford a 'succession gap'". The Straits Times. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  17. ↑ "Singapore ruling party, stung by poll setback, faces succession questions". Reuters. 11 July 2020. Archived from the original on 19 September 2020. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  18. ↑ "ELD | 2020 Parliamentary General Election Results". www.eld.gov.sg. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  19. ↑ "PMO | Changes to Cabinet and Other Appointments (July 2020)". Prime Minister's Office Singapore. 26 July 2020. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  20. ↑ hermesauto (26 January 2018). "Singapore's 4G leaders need more time to gain exposure and experience: Analysts". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 19 September 2020. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  21. ↑ Tan, Sumiko (8 April 2021). "DPM Heng Swee Keat steps aside as leader of 4G team, setting back Singapore's succession plan for next PM". The Straits Times. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  22. ↑ Tham, Yuen-C (9 April 2021). "Heng Swee Keat's decision catches many by surprise; Pritam Singh pledges to work with next 4G leader". The Straits Times. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  23. ↑ "Heng Swee Keat takes himself out of the running for PM, cites short runway, age and health as factors". TODAY. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  24. ↑ "PMO | Changes to Cabinet and Other Appointments (April 2021)". Prime Minister's Office Singapore. 23 April 2021. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  25. ↑ "For some reason, a large proportion of S'pore's ministers & opposition leaders have been Teochews". mothership.sg. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
  26. ↑ "Chang Hwee Nee appointed National Heritage Board CEO". 20 March 2017. Archived from the original on 28 July 2017. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  27. ↑ "Heng Swee Keat: I protested when I was moved". Archived from the original on 19 September 2020. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  28. ↑ Ang, Jolene (2020-03-09). "DPM Heng Swee Keat pays tribute to his wife in celebration of International Women's Day". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 20 November 2023.

Other websites[change | change source]

Government offices
Preceded by
Koh Yong Guan 		Managing Director
of the Monetary Authority of Singapore
2005 – 2011 		Succeeded by
Ravi Menon
Political offices
Preceded by
Ng Eng Hen 		Minister for Education
2011 – 2015 		Succeeded by
Ng Chee Meng
as Minister for Education (Schools)
Succeeded by
Ong Ye Kung
as Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills)
Preceded by
Tharman Shanmugaratnam 		Minister for Finance
2015 – 2021 		Succeeded by
Lawrence Wong
Preceded by
Teo Chee Hean
Tharman Shanmugaratnam 		Deputy Prime Minister
Serving with: Lawrence Wong
2019 – present 		Incumbent
Assembly seats
Preceded by
Sin Boon Ann 		Member of Parliament
for Tampines GRC (Tampines Central)
2011 – 2020 		Succeeded by
Koh Poh Koon
Preceded by
Lim Swee Say 		Member of Parliament
for East Coast GRC (Bedok)
2020 – present 		Incumbent
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