Heng Swee Keat

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Heng Swee Keat
MP
王瑞杰
Heng Swee Keat at Nan Hua High School, Singapore - 20120707.jpg
Heng Swee Kiat at Nan Hua High School in July 2012
Minister for Finance
Assumed office
1 October 2015
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
Preceded by Tharman Shanmugaratnam
Minister for Education
In office
21 May 2011 – 30 September 2015
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
Preceded by Ng Eng Hen
Succeeded by Ng Chee Meng (Acting Schools Minister)
Ong Ye Kung (Acting Higher Education and Skills Minister)
Managing Director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore
In office
1 June 2005 – 2 April 2011
Preceded by Koh Yong Guan
Succeeded by Ravi Menon
Member of Parliament
for Tampines GRC
Assumed office
9 May 2011
Preceded by Sin Boon Ann
Majority 18,347 (14.4%)
Personal details
Born (1961-11-01) 1 November 1961 (age 62)
Singapore
Political party People's Action Party
Alma mater Raffles Institution
University of Cambridge
Harvard University

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This is a Chinese name; the family name is Heng (Chinese: 王; pinyin: Wáng).

Heng Swee Keat (Chinese: 王瑞杰; pinyin: Wáng Ruì Jié, born 1 November 1961) is a Singaporean politician. A member of the country's governing People's Action Party (PAP), he has been in the Cabinet serving as the Minister for Finance since October 2015. He was previously the Minister for Education from May 2011 to September 2015. He has been a Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Tampines Group Representation Constituency (Tampines GRC) since the 2011 general election.[1]

Prior to his election to Parliament, Heng served as the Managing Director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) from 2005 to 2011.

Career

In 1983, Heng began his career in the Singapore Police Force where he was awarded the SPF Overseas Scholarship from then President Devan Nair.[2] In 1997, he then joined the Singapore Civil Service's Administrative Service. He served a period at the Ministry of Education, before being appointed the Principal Private Secretary to former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew (who was then Senior Minister) in 1997. In 2001, Heng became the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Trade and Industry.[3] He then served as Managing Director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore from 2005 to 2011.[4]

In February 2011, Heng was named the Asia-Pacific Central Bank Governor of the Year by the British magazine The Banker.[5]

At the 2011 general election, Heng was a People's Action Party (PAP) candidate in the Tampines Group Representation Constituency (Tampines GRC). When he was introduced as a candidate, former Prime Minister (and Emeritus Senior Minister) Goh Chok Tong tipped Heng to be a potential minister and core member of Singapore's fourth generation leadership team.[6] Heng was one of five PAP candidates in his constituency in a team led by Minister for National Development Mah Bow Tan, which also included Irene Ng, Zulkifli Masagos and Baey Yam Keng. They faced a team from the National Solidarity Party (NSP), led by the party's Secretary General Goh Meng Seng, along with Reno Fong, Syafarin Sarif, Raymond Lim and Gilbert Goh. On polling day, 7 May 2011, the PAP team won the contest with 57.22% of the votes.[7] (This represented a drop of 11.29% from the PAP's percentage of the votes in the constituency at the 2006 general election.)[8]

On 18 May 2011, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong appointed Heng to the Cabinet as the Minister for Education.

In August 2012, Heng was tasked to lead a new ministerial committee to conduct a broad-based review of the Government's policies and direction.[9]

On 28 September 2015, it was announced that Heng will be the Minister of Finance from 1 October 2015.[10]

Stroke

On 12 May 2016, Heng Swee Keat collapsed from a stroke during a Cabinet meeting. He was taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, where he underwent neurosurgery to relieve pressure in his brain. He was transferred to the ICU after the surgery.[11] Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, was immediately appointed to cover Mr Heng's duties. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong visited Mr Heng at the hospital and wrote on Facebook that he hope "[Mr Heng] Swee Keat will have a full and smooth recovery."[12]

Mr S. Iswaran, Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry), was appointed co-chairman of the Committee on the Future Economy.

The four other Tampines GRC MPs will take turns to visit constituents in Mr Heng's Tampines Central ward, and attend to their needs at his Meet-the-People Sessions on Mondays. They will be helped by former Tampines GRC MP Sin Boon Ann, who has been appointed deputy chairman of the People's Action Party branch in Tampines Central.

On 30 May 2016, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong disclosed in an update at night on his Facebook page that he visited Mr Heng in the evening at Tan Tock Seng Hospital Neurology Intensive Care Unit—National Neuroscience Institute. He noted that Mr Heng was recovering well and made steady progress, describing him as fully lucid, communicative and cheerful. In addition, Mr Lee was told that the doctors had advised Mr Heng not to receive visitors just yet, so that he could get as much rest as possible. Mr Heng conveyed his thanks to those who had sent him get-well wishes. He especially sends his greetings and best wishes to Tampines residents and volunteers, who have been asking after him.

Education

In 1983, Heng graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in Economics from Cambridge University. Heng holds a Master of Arts in economics from the University of Cambridge.[13]

In 1993, Heng obtained a Master of Public Administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.[14]

He completed his pre-university education at Raffles Institution.

Notable appointments

  • Chairman of SG50 Steering Committee
  • Minister for Education (2011–2015)
  • Minister for Finance (2015–Present)
  • Managing Director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (2005–2011)
  • Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Trade and Industry (2001–2005)
  • Principal Private Secretary to Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew (1997–2000)

Notable awards

References

  1. ↑ Parliamentary Elections Act (Chapter 218) [candidates declared to have been elected Members of Parliament at the 2011 general election] (G.N. No. 1229/2011)
  2. ↑ http://www.mha.gov.sg/news_details.aspx?nid=Nzk3-uw4ySnZavTA%3D
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  13. ↑ http://app.psd.gov.sg/data/Press%20Release%20-%20Snr%20Appt%20Changes%20(21%20Feb).doc
  14. ↑ http://app.psd.gov.sg/data/Press%20Release%20-%20Snr%20Appt%20Changes%20(21%20Feb).doc

External links

Government offices
Preceded by Managing Director of the Monetary Authority of Singapore
2005 – 2011		 Succeeded by
Ravi Menon
Political offices
Preceded by Minister for Education
2011-2015		 Succeeded by
Ng Chee Meng (Acting Schools Minister)
Ong Ye Kung (Acting Higher Education and Skills Minister)
Preceded by Minister for Finance
2015-present		 Incumbent
Parliament of Singapore
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Tampines GRC
2011–present		 Incumbent
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