PM Lawrence Wong at the Press Conference on the Changes to the Cabinet and Other Appointments (Jul 2026)

Good afternoon. I will be making several adjustments to the Cabinet and other political appointments.

We are continuing our leadership transition – with younger and newer members of the team taking on larger responsibilities. There are also changes to be made due to recent resignations, so let me run through the key appointments.

Shanmugam will be appointed Senior Minister, while continuing with his responsibilities as Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs. He and Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong are the two most experienced members of my team. They will continue to provide valuable counsel, and will help guide and mentor our younger officeholders. 

Energy is becoming increasingly central to Singapore’s economic competitiveness, industrial transformation and long-term resilience. MTI will therefore be renamed the Ministry of Energy, Trade and Industry or METI. And it will be led by two ministers. DPM Gan Kim Yong will continue to oversee trade and our broader economic strategy. Tan See Leng will oversee energy and industry. He has already been closely involved in these areas as the Minister-in-charge of Energy and Science & Technology. Now, he will devote his full attention to this portfolio, and relinquish his responsibilities at MOM. 

Over the past year, I have worked closely with our newer officeholders. Stepping into political office is never easy. There is no manual for the job, and no substitute for experience. But they have settled into their roles well, earned the confidence of their colleagues and of the civil servants they work with, and shown that they are ready for greater responsibilities. So I will promote Jeffrey Siow and David Neo to full ministers and their portfolios will remain unchanged. I will promote Jasmin Lau and Goh Pei Ming to Senior Ministers of State. Jasmin will become Acting Minister in MOM, taking over from See Leng, while continuing her responsibilities in MDDI. Pei Ming will continue in MSF and MHA. Unlike the others, he did not come into politics with prior public policy experience. But he has learnt quickly and made excellent progress. And I am confident he will continue to grow, and be ready for more responsibilities in due course.

I will also promote Sim Ann to 2^nd Minister. Over the years, she has consistently performed well in the roles that have been assigned to her. Her bilingual strengths are also a tremendous asset to the team. This promotion reflects my confidence that she will make an even bigger contribution to the Government team.

NTUC Secretary-General Ng Chee Meng will be appointed Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office. After the last General Election, Chee Meng asked to focus on his responsibilities in NTUC and Jalan Kayu. In the last year, he has worked hard in Jalan Kayu and settled in there. Now, jobs and workforce transformation are among the Government's highest priorities. And there is important work ahead for both the Government and NTUC, as we help our workers navigate these changes. So I have asked Chee Meng to return to Cabinet. He will strengthen the Government team as we tackle the challenges ahead.

As I announced earlier, Zaqy Mohamad will be the new Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs. He will continue in MINDEF, but relinquish his role at MSE, so he can focus on his new responsibilities. As Chairman of MENDAKI, he already works closely with the Malay/Muslim community. I am confident he will step up to his new leadership role. He has the full backing of the Cabinet, and will work closely with the other Malay/Muslim officeholders and MPs to engage the community. 

Let me round up the other appointments amongst the other officeholders.

Alvin Tan will move from MTI to MFA. We will assume the ASEAN Chairmanship next year. It will be a demanding year for MFA, and Alvin will help to strengthen the ministry during this important period. 

Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim joined the team early this year from the private sector. He has adapted well and shown good potential. He will continue in MFA, but I have asked him to move from MSF to MHA, to strengthen the ministry’s leadership team while giving him broader experience across government. 

I will bring Foo Cexiang and Shawn Loh from the backbench as Ministers of State. Both entered politics at the last General Election. They have made a good start as MPs. I am bringing them into government now, so they can gain experience and develop further, while we continue to build the next generation of leaders. 

To sum up, we are giving the newer and younger officeholders greater responsibilities as they step up. At the same time, we are maintaining continuity and experience in the core leadership team.

This balance matters – because Singapore needs both experienced leaders to steer through immediate challenges, and a new generation ready to take us forward. Leadership renewal is therefore a continuous process. We identify people with the ability, the commitment, and the character to serve. We give them opportunities to develop and grow, to prove themselves, and entrust them with greater responsibilities as they are ready. And that is how we build a strong team for Singapore – not just for today, but for the years ahead.

I will invite the others on the panel to say a few words and we will be happy to take any questions from you later on. Thank you.