Lim Hng Kiang

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Lim Hng Kiang

Lim Hng Kiang (林勋强, born 9 April 1954) is the Minister for Trade and Industry and a member of the Cabinet of Singapore. He is a Member of Parliament representing West Coast Group Representation Constituency.

Lim received his education in Raffles Institution and Cambridge University. He also received a Masters in Public Administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. ^[1]

Lim was the Minister of Health during the SARS epidemic that swept through the region. Many Singaporeans felt his initial handling of the crisis, citing his lack of leadership and indecisiveness, helped prolong the epidemic that eventually drove the economy into a recession. While then Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said "SARS has significantly disrupted our economy. It has affected not only tourist spending but also domestic consumption... certainly our first half growth will be affected, and we will have to revise down our growth forecasts for the year." Others cited his calls to quarantine patients and to close and extend local school holidays were late in coming.

Many local residents also pointed to the administrators at Tan Tock Seng Hospital for mishandling and underestimating the severity of SARS. When "At least 85 percent of people infected by SARS in Singapore caught it while visiting or working at hospitals, said Osman David Mansoor at the WHO. The remainder mostly came down with it at home through close contact with sick family members, he said. ^[2]

Preceded by ?	Minister for National Development 2 Jan 1994-17 Apr 1995 (Acting) 17 Apr 1995-3 Jun 1999 (Minister)	Succeeded by Mah Bow Tan
Preceded by Yeo Cheow Tong	Minister for Health 3 June 1999 - 1 August 2003	Succeeded by Khaw Boon Wan
Preceded by ?	Minister, Prime Minister's Office 1 August 2003 - 12 August 2004	Succeeded by Lim Swee Say
Preceded by George Yeo	Minister for Trade and Industry 12 August 2004 – present	Incumbent