PM Lee lauds retiring Ministers’ lasting contributions
(From left) Minister for Trade and Industry (Trade) Lim Hng Kiang, Manpower Minister Lim Swee Say, and Minister for Communications and Information Yaacob Ibrahim.
SINGAPORE – Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Friday (April 27) lauded the lasting contributions of three retiring Cabinet Ministers and looked forward to their continued service to the country in other ways.
Following a Cabinet reshuffle announced earlier this week, Minister for Trade and Industry (Trade) Lim Hng Kiang, 64, Minister for Manpower Lim Swee Say, 63, and Minister for Communications and Information Yaacob Ibrahim, 62, will be stepping down on May 1. They will remain as Members of Parliament.
In valedictory letters which were released to the media, Mr Lee thanked the three long-serving ministers, who have a combined experience of almost 60 years in the Cabinet.
Mr Lee noted that among the third-generation leaders, he has known Mr Lim Hng Kiang the longest – for more than 40 years. They were contemporaries in the University of Cambridge who entered public service together, and later worked with each other in multiple roles.
Mr Lee said Mr Lim Hng Kiang was "steady under pressure" and could analyse problems rationally and objectively, and has a sensitive feel for political considerations. "Your approach is hard-headed and practical, yet infused with a human touch," he added.
Among his long list of contributions, Mr Lim Hng Kiang had developed economic strategies to "build resilience and sustain growth in an uncertain global environment" during the 14 years when he helmed the Ministry for Trade and Industry.
He also worked with the remaining 10 countries – after the United States withdrew – to conclude the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), Mr Lee noted.
During Mr Lim Hng Kiang's time as Minister for Health, he also made sound decisions when Singapore had to deal with the severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak in 2003, which later earned the praise of the World Health Organisation.
As for Mr Lim Swee Say, Mr Lee recounted that he had first met the minister more than forty years ago while they were both serving the Singapore Armed Forces. After working with him, Mr Lee was also the one who approached him to join politics in 1996.
"You struck me as a determined, passionate leader who delivered results. You had a warm, down-to-earth personality. On the ground you were practical, persuasive and effective," he added.
Under Mr Lim Swee Say's leadership, the Ministry of Manpower was able to manage the "strong political pressures" on Singapore's foreign worker policies and "prioritised the Singaporean core" of the workforce, Mr Lee said.
He also set up programmes such as Adapt and Grow to train workers to find new jobs, and helped workers retire well by raising the reemployment age and Central Provident Fund (CPF) contribution rates for some older workers, as well as giving CPF members more options to save for retirement.
Mr Lee also singled out Mr Lim Swee Say's "knack for simple and effective messaging". "Till today, many Singaporeans recall with a smile the vivid catchphrases that you coined over the years. Among the most memorable are 'cheaper, better, faster', 'better, betterer, betterest', 'futurise' and most recently, '1/3 + 2/3 > 1' to describe our workforce composition," Mr Lee said.
"These were not idle wordplay or poor math, but embodied important economic and manpower realities and priorities in a form that Singaporeans could understand, remember and act upon."
For Dr Yaacob, Mr Lee noted that the minister fought five general elections in Jalan Besar GRC and Moulmein-Kallang GRC, representing the same Kolam Ayer ward where he has lived and grown up in.
While with the Ministry of Communications and Information, Dr Yaacob pushed for investment in infrastructure which has resulted in Singapore having one of the highest broadband speeds and Internet penetration rates in the world. Under his lead, total mobile data usage has more than tripled since 2011 and a fourth telco has been licensed to enter the market later this year.
As Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs, Dr Yaacob worked hard to lead the community to look forward, to integrate with non-Muslim Singaporeans, and to adapt and change with the times.
During critical moments — such as after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, when the tudung issue got worked up, or when the government implemented compulsory education — Dr Yaacob rallied the Malay-Muslim PAP Members of Parliament and the community, took the political heat, made the arguments with conviction, and held the ground, Mr Lee said. "In doing so, you did great service to the Malay/Muslim community, and also to racial and religious harmony in Singapore," he added.
Mr Lim Hng Kiang, Mr Lim Swee Say and Dr Yaacob Ibrahim will be succeeded at their ministries by Mr Chan Chun Sing, 48, Mrs Josephine Teo, 49, and Mr S Iswaran, 55, respectively. Environment and Water Resources Minister Masagos Zulkifli will take over Dr Yaacob as Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs.
Here are Mr Lee's letters in full:
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