| Wong Kan Seng 黄根成 |
|
|---|---|
| Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore | |
| In office 1 September 2005 – 21 May 2011 Serving with Teo Chee Hean |
|
| Prime Minister | Lee Hsien Loong |
| Preceded by | Tony Tan |
| Succeeded by | Tharman Shanmugaratnam |
| Co-ordinating Minister for National Security | |
| In office 1 November 2010 – 21 May 2011 |
|
| Preceded by | S. Jayakumar |
| Succeeded by | Teo Chee Hean |
| Minister for Home Affairs | |
| In office 2 January 1994 – 31 October 2010 |
|
| Preceded by | S. Jayakumar |
| Succeeded by | K. Shanmugam |
| Minister for Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 13 September 1988 – 1 January 1994 |
|
| Preceded by | S Dhanabalan |
| Succeeded by | S. Jayakumar |
| Minister for Community Development | |
| In office 1987–1991 |
|
| Deputy Chairman of People's Association | |
| In office 1992–2006 |
|
| Member of Parliament for Bishan-Toa Payoh Group Representation Constituency Kuo Chuan SMC (1984 - 1988) Toa Payoh GRC (1988 - 1991) Thomson GRC (1991 - 1996) |
|
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 22 December 1984 |
|
| Majority | 15,180 (12.2%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1946 Singapore |
| Nationality | Singaporean |
| Political party | People's Action Party |
| Spouse(s) | Ruth Lee Hong Geok |
| Alma mater | University of Singapore & London Business School |
| Profession | Teacher[1] |
Wong Kan Seng (Chinese: 黄根成; pinyin: Huáng Gēnchéng; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Ng Kun-siaⁿ; born 1946) is a politician from Singapore. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he served as the country's Deputy Prime Minister from 2005 to 2011. He also held the Cabinet portfolios of Minister for Community Development (1987-91), Minister for Foreign Affairs (1988-94), Minister for Home Affairs (1994-2010) and Co-ordinating Minister for National Security (2010-11). He is a Member of Parliament (MP) representing the Bishan-Toa Payoh Group Representation Constituency.
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Wong entered politics in 1984 after working in the civil service and the private sector.[2]
Wong was elected a Member of Parliament repesenting the Kuo Chuan constituency in Toa Payoh at the 1984 general election. He has since been re-elected as an MP repesenting the Group Representation Constituencies of Toa Payoh (1988), Thomson (1991) and Bishan-Toa Payoh (1997, 2001, 2006 and 2011).
Wong was appointed the Acting Minister for Community Development in 1986. He was made a full member of the Cabinet as Minister for Community Development by Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew in 1987. He was concurrently appointed the Minister for Foreign Affairs in 1988. In 1994, he became the Minister for Home Affairs. Wong also served as the Leader of the House in Singapore's Parliament from 1991-2007.
On 1 September 2005, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong appointed Wong as one of two Deputy Prime Ministers following the retirement of Dr Tony Tan.[3] On 1 November 2010, Wong was appointed the Co-ordinating Minister for National Security and relinquished his post as Minister for Home Affairs.
Wong retired from the Cabinet following the 2011 general election. He remains a Member of Parliament.
Wong is considered to be part of Singapore's third-generation leadership which includes Lee Hsien Loong, S Jayakumar, Yeo Cheow Tong, Mah Bow Tan and others.
As the Minister for Home Affairs, Wong was a key figure in overseeing emergency planning, dealing with internal threats such as cults and terrorists, involved in law and order, border security rooting out criminals and illegal immigrants, and being tough on drugs.[4]
On 27 February 2008, alleged Jemaah Islamiyah leader Mas Selamat bin Kastari escaped from Whitley Road Detention Centre, leading to the largest manhunt in Singapore. Wong expressed his regret in Parliament the day after the occurrence.
"This should never have happened. I am sorry that it has."
He revealed that Mas Selamat escaped when he was taken to the toilet before a meeting at the detention centre's family visit room.[5]
Wong was criticised because news of Mas Selamat's escape was not disseminated to the public until four hours after its occurrence. There were calls for Wong to step down, given the severity of the security lapse.[6] Mas Selamat was eventually recaptured in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, on 1 April 2009, by Malaysian authorities, over a year after his escape.[7]
Wong was then responsible for co-ordinating the inter-ministerial nationwide effort to counter the SARS epidemic.[4] Certain measures were taken to contain the virus, including mandatory home quarantine measures, health screening at immigration checkpoints, schools and hospitals and public education programs. On 31 May 2003, Singapore was taken off the World Health Organisation's list of SARS-affected countries.
Wong received his secondary education at Outram Secondary School. He went on to received a BA (Hons) degree from the University of Singapore in 1970, and an MBA from the London Business School on a Singapore government scholarship in 1979.
Wong is married to Ruth Lee Hong Geok. The couple have two children.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Tony Tan |
Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore 2005 - 2011 |
Succeeded by Tharman Shanmugaratnam |
| Preceded by S. Jayakumar |
Co-ordinating Minister for National Security 2010-2011 |
Succeeded by Teo Chee Hean |
| Preceded by S Jayakumar |
Minister for Home Affairs 1994-2010 |
Succeeded by K. Shanmugam |
| Preceded by S Dhanabalan |
Minister for Foreign Affairs 1988-1994 |
Succeeded by S Jayakumar |
| Preceded by ? |
Minister for Community Development 1987-1991 |
Succeeded by ? |
| Preceded by ? |
Deputy Chairman of People's Association 1992-2006 |
Succeeded by Lim Boon Heng |