Wong Kan Seng
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| 黄根成 | |
Wong in 2006
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| 5th Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore | |
| In office 1 September 2005 – 20 May 2011
Serving with S. Jayakumar (2004–2009) | |
| Prime Minister | Lee Hsien Loong |
| Preceded by | Tony Tan Lee Hsien Loong |
| Succeeded by | Tharman Shanmugaratnam Teo Chee Hean |
| Coordinating Minister for National Security | |
| In office 1 November 2010 – 20 May 2011 | |
| Prime Minister | Lee Hsien Loong |
| Preceded by | S. Jayakumar |
| Succeeded by | Teo Chee Hean |
| Minister for Home Affairs | |
| In office 2 January 1994 – 31 October 2010 | |
| Prime Minister | Goh Chok Tong Lee Hsien Loong |
| Second Minister | K. Shanmugam (from 2008) |
| Preceded by | S. Jayakumar |
| Succeeded by | K. Shanmugam |
| Minister for Foreign Affairs | |
| In office 13 September 1988 – 1 January 1994 | |
| Prime Minister | Lee Kuan Yew Goh Chok Tong |
| Preceded by | S. Dhanabalan |
| Succeeded by | S. Jayakumar |
| Leader of the House | |
| In office 25 February 1987 – 31 March 2007 | |
| Prime Minister | Lee Kuan Yew Goh Chok Tong Lee Hsien Loong |
| Preceded by | S. Dhanabalan |
| Succeeded by | Mah Bow Tan |
| Minister for Community Development | |
| In office 1 January 1987 – 30 June 1991 Acting: 18 February 1986 – 31 December 1986 | |
| Prime Minister | Lee Kuan Yew Goh Chok Tong |
| Preceded by | S. Dhanabalan |
| Succeeded by | Seet Ai Mee |
| Member of Parliament for Bishan–Toa Payoh GRC (Bishan East) | |
| In office 2 January 1997 – 11 September 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | Chong Kee Hiong (PAP) |
| Member of Parliament for Thomson GRC (Bishan East) | |
| In office 31 August 1991 – 23 December 1996 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | Constituency abolished |
| Member of Parliament for Kuo Chuan SMC | |
| In office 22 December 1984 – 24 August 1991 | |
| Preceded by | Pathmanaban Selvadurai (PAP) |
| Succeeded by | Constituency abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Wong Kan Seng (1946-09-08) 8 September 1946 (age 77) Colony of Singapore |
| Political party | Independent |
| Other political affiliations | People's Action Party (1984–2015) |
| Spouse | Ruth Lee Hong Geok |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | University of Singapore (BA) London Business School (MSc) |
| Occupation |
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Wong Kan Seng PPA(P) (Chinese: 黄根成; pinyin: Huáng Gēnchéng; Jyutping: Wong4 Gan1 Sing4; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: N̂g Kun-sêng; born 8 September 1946)[2] is a Singaporean former politician who served as 5th Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore between 2005 and 2011 and currently is the chairman of UOB Bank since 2018.
As a member of Singapore's governing People's Action Party (PAP), Wong served in the CabinetasMinister for Community Development between 1987 and 1991, Leader of the House between 1987 and 2007, Minister for Foreign Affairs between 1988 and 1994, Minister for Home Affairs between 1994 and 2010, Deputy Prime Minister between 2005 and 2011, and Coordinating Minister for National Security between 2010 and 2011. He continued to serve as a Member of Parliament on the backbenches until 2015.
As a Member of Parliament, Wong represented the constituency of Kuo Chuan between 1984 and 1988, the Bishan East division of Thomson GRC between 1991 and 1997, and later Bishan–Toa Payoh GRC between 1997 and 2015.
Wong attended Rangoon Road Primary School, Outram Secondary School and the Adult Education Board (now the Institute of Technical Education) before graduating from the University of Singapore (now the National University of Singapore) in 1970 with a Bachelor of Arts with honours degree in history and English.
Wong subsequently completed a Master of Science degree in business studies at the London Business School in 1979 under a postgraduate scholarship conferred by the Singapore Government when he was a civil servant.
Prior to entering politics, Wong had worked in both the Civil Service and the private sector.[3] He worked in the Ministry of Labour and Ministry of Defence, before joining Hewlett Packard in 1981 as a personnel manager and left in 1985 for politics.[4]
Wong made his political debut in the 1984 general election as a PAP contesting in Kuo Chuan SMC and won.[5] He contested in Thomson GRC during the 1991 general election before switching to Bishan–Toa Payoh GRC in the 1997 general election.
Wong was appointed Acting Minister for Community Development in 1986. He was made a full member of the CabinetasMinister for Community Development by Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew in 1987. He was appointed Minister for Foreign Affairs in 1988. In 1994, he became Minister for Home Affairs. Wong had also served as Leader of the House between 1991 and 2007.
Wong was vocal in his capacity as a Cabinet minister when it comes to defending any criticisms of the PAP as being authoritarian, or that the political process was undemocratic with an advantage given to the governing party.[6] He often described the opposition as being disorganised, weak and driven by self-interests.[7]
"The public has no sympathy for them. Neither do I. Why should I? I mean, they mess it up."[8]
On opposition politician J. B. Jeyaretnam's proposal to establish an independent elections commission, Wong remarked, "It is absurd. I think we cannot be more democratic than we are now. We even allow a loser to be in Parliament and make speeches attacking the government. Where could you find such a democracy in other countries?"[9]
During the World Conference on Human Rights held in 1993, Wong argued that democracy was interpreted differently in Singapore. He claims that its citizens "do not agree that pornography is an acceptable manifestation of free expression or that homosexual relationships are just a matter of lifestyle choice." Wong also believe that excessive emphasis on individual rights over the rights of the community will retard progress.[10]
On 1 September 2005, Wong was appointed Deputy Prime Minister by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, following the retirement of Tony Tan.[11] On 1 November 2010, Wong was appointed Coordinating Minister for National Security and relinquished his Minister for Home Affairs portfolio.
Wong retired from the Cabinet following the 2011 general election. He remains a Member of Parliament and also the special adviser for economic cooperation to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong until 11 September 2015, when he was finally retired from politics after 31 years.[12]
As Minister for Home Affairs, Wong was in charge of overseeing emergency planning, dealing with internal threats such as cults and terrorists, involved in law and order, and rooting out of criminals and illegal immigrants.[13]
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.[14]
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.[15] Mas Selamat was eventually recaptured in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, on 1 April 2009, by Malaysian authorities, over a year after his escape.[16]
Wong was then responsible for co-ordinating the inter-ministerial nationwide effort to counter the SARS epidemic.[13]
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 Organization's list of SARS-affected countries.
Wong returned to the private sector after stepping down from the Cabinet.
Wong was appointed Chairman of Singbridge International, a Temasek Holdings unit dealing with the Sino-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City, in 2011.[17][18]
Wong was appointed Non-Executive and Independent Director on the Board of Directors at the United Overseas Bank (UOB) in 2017 and was subsequently appointed Chairman in 2018. He is also holding the positions of Chairman of the Executive Committee and Member of the Board Risk Management Committee, Nominating Committee and Remuneration and Human Capital Committee at UOB.[19]
Wong is married to Ruth Lee Hong Geok and they have two children.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore 2005 - 2011 |
Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Co-ordinating Minister for National Security 2010-2011 |
Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister for Home Affairs 1988-1994 |
Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister for Foreign Affairs 1988-1994 |
Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Minister for Community Development 18 February 1986 – 31 December 1986 |
Succeeded by |
Member of multiple Parliaments of Singapore
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