SINGAPORE PM RESHUFFLES CABINET

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SINGAPORE 000287 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/MTS - M. COPPOLA NEW DELHI FOR J. EHRENDREICH E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/27/2019 TAGS: PGOV PINR SN SUBJECT: SINGAPORE PM RESHUFFLES CABINET REF: A. 08 SINGAPORE 321 ¶B. 08 SINGAPORE 388 ¶C. SINGAPORE 164 Classified By: EP Counselor Ike Reed for reason 1.4(d) ¶1. (C) Summary: In a minor cabinet reshuffle March 26, Defense Minister Teo took on the long-expected additional portfolio of Deputy Prime Minister (DPM). Teo replaces DPM ¶S. Jayakumar, who will become one of two Senior Ministers. People's Action Party (PAP) stalwart Lim Hwee Hua will become Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, making her Singapore's first female permanent full Minister. The appointment of Lui Tuck Yew as Acting Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts (MICA) confirms Lui as a rare fast riser in a succession process marked by caution and incrementalism. Acting Minister Gan Kim Yong was named as permanent Minister after serving a traditional probationary period since the last cabinet reshuffle in March of last year (reftels A and B). End Summary. ¶2. (C) Comment: The only surprise in this reshuffle was the lack of prior warning. The promotion of Teo, the easing upstairs of Jayakumar, and the overdue appointment of a female minister were all widely anticipated prior to the last cabinet reshuffle in March, 2008. That reshuffle followed months in which the PAP leadership raised expectations by talking up its search for a "fourth generation" of leaders capable of one day running the government. The mere tinkering that took place disappointed many and suggested the leadership was not terribly impressed with the talent. It may be that with this reshuffle, PAP leaders wanted to complete the job begun last year as one of several steps they have undertaken of late to provide the option of calling an early election (refs A and B). End Comment. Prime Minister Reshuffles Some Cabinet Positions -------------- --- ¶3. (U) Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced a minor cabinet reshuffle March 26. Although many observers expected cabinet changes before the next election, the timing of the announcement came as a surprise as the GOS had given no advance warning and there had been no recent public discussion of the possibility. Presented by the government-linked Straits Times newspaper as "part of Singapore's seamless leadership renewal process," the reshuffle effectively promotes several established frontbenchers and plucks one MP from the back bench to serve as the People's Action Party's first female minister. Defense Minister Is Also the New Deputy Prime Minister -------------- -------------- ¶4. (C) Teo Chee Hean, Singapore's defense minister since 2003, retains that portfolio and assumes additional responsibilities as one of two Deputy Prime Ministers (the other is Home Affairs minister Wong Kan Seng). Teo will be Acting Prime Minister in the absence of Lee Hsien Loong. Political analyst Gillian Koh told POLOFF that Teo's accession to the Deputy Prime Ministership shows that the GOS is placing a premium on stability in the midst of the economic crisis. According to Koh, the GOS would normally use the DPM position to groom a potential future PM; Teo, who is PM Lee's contemporary and a fellow cancer survivor, is unlikely ever to become PM but is considered a "steady pair of hands." Teo replaces departing Deputy Prime Minister S. Jayakumar, who becomes Senior Minister in the Prime Minister's Office while retaining his position as Coordinating Minister for National Security. (Note: There are now two Senior Ministers, the other being Goh Chok Tong. End Note) These changes will take effect on April 1. Singapore's First Permanent Female Minister -------------- ¶5. (C) Lim Hwee Hua, a People's Action Party MP since 1997 will become the PAP's first permanent female minister effective April 1. (Note: Singapore briefly had an acting female minister in 1991. End Note.) Lim will not have a specific portfolio but will simply be "Minister in the Prime Minister's Office." At the same time, she will take up appointments as Second Minister in the finance and transport ministries. Lim is a respected PAP stalwart who as an MP represents the Aljunied GRC, which the PAP carried with just over 56 percent of the vote in 2006 -- one of their narrowest SINGAPORE 00000287 002 OF 002 victory margins that year. She was also the public face of the PAP in calming constituents' anger over government plans to locate a dormitory for foreign construction workers in an Aljunied residential neighborhood last year. Lim's eventual promotion was not unexpected, given Lim's steady personality and greater experience than other prominent female MPs, Gillian Koh told us. Lim is not especially popular with the people, but has no enemies, Koh added. A Rising Star Becomes Acting Information Minister -------------- -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Lui Tuck Yew moves up within the Ministry for Information, Communications and the Arts (MICA),from Senior Minister of State to Acting Minister. A former navy chief and the chairman of, in turn, Singapore's Maritime Ports Authority and Housing Development Board, Lui has recently boosted his public visibility as MICA's spokesman on hot-button political issues such as amendments to the Films Act and the boundaries of acceptable political discourse on the Internet. According to Gillian Koh, the PAP leadership considers Lui a "rising star" and is grooming him for high office, though he has not shown himself to be an effective grassroots communicator to date. Lui replaces Lee Boon Yang, 61, who will retire from government but continue to serve as a back bench in Parliament. Lee was widely reported to have sought to retire at the time of the 2006 election but was asked by PM Lee to stay on until a capable replacement was available. Other Cabinet Changes -------------- ¶7. (U) Following are other cabinet changes announced March 26: --Acting Minster of Manpower Gan Kim Yong was confirmed as permanent Minister of Manpower following a one year probationary period. Such probationary periods are typical for first-time ministers. --Mr. S Iswaran was named Senior Minister of State for Education and will continue as Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry. --Mr. Lee Yi Shyan will become Minister of State for Manpower and continue as Minister of State for Trade and Industry. --Mr. Sam Tan was named Parliamentary Secretary for Trade and Industry and for Information, Communications and the Arts. Tan's appointment takes effect July 1, 2009. --Mr. Teo Ser Luck will be appointed Mayor, North East Community Development Council, beginning May 31, 2009. Teo will retain his positions as Senior Parliamentary Secretary at the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports and in the Ministry of Transport. (Note: Tan will replace Mr. Zainul Abidin Rasheed, who will step down as Mayor when his current 3-year term ends. Zainul will retain his position as Senior Minister of State for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. End Note.) Election Impact? -------------- ¶8. (C) Unlike the last cabinet reshuffle in 2008, there was no prior warning of these changes. The surprise announcement caused some to wonder whether this fit into a pattern of recent steps the government has undertaken to lay the groundwork for a possible early election. Some observers note that the government would not likely reshuffle the cabinet just before an election. In this case, however, that there are really no new faces in this cabinet, and only one former minister is leaving government (though he remains in the parliament). This reshuffle appears to merely fulfill expectations raised last year, on balance probably strengthening the PAP's hand even in a near term election. Visit Embassy Singapore's Classified website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eap/singapore/ind ex.cfm SHIELDS